Debra
asked
Zoje Stage:
I thoroughly enjoyed your novel. As someone with Crohn's Disease, I think you did a great job of describing what it can be like to live with this chronic illness. Have you received any pushback on the way you used Crohn's Disease to make Suzette seem weak?
Zoje Stage
Thank you for this question! I have really appreciated hearing from readers with Crohn's Disease and other autoimmune diseases who have never seen these kinds of invisible illnesses described in fiction before. Personally, I do not think Suzette seems weak: I think Hanna perceives her that way, because Hanna has a very childlike good/bad perspective on things. Hanna recognizes that this is an area where her mother is vulnerable, and she tries to use it against her. But I think Suzette is quite strong! She has a lot on her plate: a difficult child (who she never gives up on), her health issues (which don't stop her from having personal and career aspirations), and a husband who is often distracted and self-involved. But yes, Suzette is insecure about any number of things - her ability to parent, her own body, her self-worth - but I give her a lot of credit for constantly being "solution" oriented and not giving up.
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