Today we have author Janice Lynn Mather sharing with us all about her new novel “Where was Goodbye?” that publishes next Tuesday, April 30th. The novel is an exploration of grief and mental health after the death of a family member.
K. Imani: This novel was truly touching as I felt so many emotions throughout Karmen’s story and her journey to understand her brother. What was your inspiration for Karmen’s story?
Janice: Two truths: life is painful, and humans are amazing. The story began with the thought that we, as people, live through so much—including unexpected, agonizing, blinding loss. And yet, we continue to move through life and the world. I wanted to slow down and think about what it’s actually like to live through an almost unfathomable loss. How do we do that as people? How does a young person, especially, handle that when there’s so much going on simply with trying to figure out life as a teen bordering on young adulthood?
K. Imani: I can imagine when telling a story about grief you want to get it right. Can you describe the type of research you completed to understand how people respond to grief?
Janice: Life experience informs my understanding of grief. I got the idea for the story, began writing it, and then, less than a year into the process, I unexpectedly lost my own son soon after his birth. I would never have chosen to write a story about grief and loss under those circumstances, but I went ahead with the story. I had other experiences with grief too—my own, and that of others around me. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to both support and let down folks around me as they grieved by saying or doing something that was helpful—or not. I think for many of us, we mess up in how we approach or avoid someone who’s grieving. Hopefully, our mistakes bother us enough that we go over them and try to figure out what we could do better, how we could be kinder, more considerate, next time.
K. Imani: Some of my favorite parts were the flashbacks with Karmen and Julian. Can you share why you chose to include the flashbacks into the narrative?
Janice: I have a soft spot for flashbacks myself. Maybe I spend too much time revisiting actual events in my mind, but I find going over the past can be really important in navigating the present. For Karmen, flashbacks are an important way to connect with Julian again, to feel like her old reality—the one where life felt right and Julian was there—isn’t gone forever. It’s also a way for her to try to make sense of the incongruity of Julian’s absence now. It’s a way for Julian to be active and real, in the story, as he is in her memory.
K. Imani: What was the hardest scene or chapter to write?
Janice: I don’t want to give the story away, but there are moments when Karmen revisits the night of Julian’s death head-on, and grapples with his death really directly. These moments are some of the most painful for Karmen, and I feel these for her. Capturing the scenes was intense, and took a lot of emotion and energy.
K. Imani: What are you hoping teens come away with after reading Karmen’s journey in search of understanding her brother?
Janice: Books and reading have been shown to be such an effective way of promoting understanding, empathy, and emotional intelligence. I think all of us who are avid readers and lovers of stories know how meaningful it is when we read a book that reflects us—our background, or our struggles, or our pain, or our joys. My hope for readers depends on their perspective. For those whose experiences are close to Karmen’s, I hope they feel heard. For those who haven’t lived with loss, I hope the story sparks understanding of what that journey might look like.
K. Imani: Can you share what you are writing right now?
Janice: Right now I’m moving between a historical fiction piece about three interconnected family lines, and trying my hand at picture books.
K. Imani: That sounds exciting and I’m looking forward to it. As for reading, what books by other Black authors are you looking forward to?
Janice: We go through dozens of kids’ books in our house, monthly. I’m really excited to get my hands on Journey to Grandma’s House (Fall 2024) by Nadia L. Hohn. Nadia’s an amazing and prolific author, editor and presenter, and her Malaika series has been a huge hit in our home. I’m also eager for A Week of Shenanigans by Janet Costa Bates. I think the name says it all.
Thank you again Janice for sharing your time with us and sharing more about “Where Was Goodbye”. Please check out my review on Friday, then run to your nearest bookstore on Tuesday to grab her book.
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Janice Lynn Mather is a Bahamian Canadian author. Her first novel, Learning to Breathe, was a Governor General’s Award finalist, a Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize finalist, shortlisted for the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, an Amelia Bloomer Book List pick, and a Junior Library Guild Selection. Her second novel, Facing the Sun, was an Amy Mathers Teen Book Award winner. Where Was Goodbye? is her third novel for teens. Janice Lynn lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.