Dreaming in English
by Laura Fitzgerald
March 2011 Book Pick
Synopsis
"I won't be destroyed if you make me leave, because we are the stories we choose to tell ourselves, and one way or another, I'm going to get my happy ending."
Tami Soroush is back, only now she is the newly-wed Tami Hanson, having snagged herself the love of her life Ike. Their whirlwind and secretive romance
which ended with a Vegas wedding in Veil of Roses is the jumping off point for a story filled with twists, turns, and a sexy ex-girlfriend!
As Tami and Ike struggle to tell their families of the marriage, make ends meet financially, find a place to live together, and each pursue their
professional dreams, relationships - both past and present - threaten to destroy everything they've worked so hard for. Will the return of Ike's former
love, Jenna, ruin their wedding bliss? Will Elizabeth, Ike's over-involved mother, tear them apart? Or will it be judge in charge of deciding whether
or not their marriage is real, and therefore legal, allowing Tami to stay in the U.S.?
Review
One thing is for certain - Tami and Ike's road has not been an easy one. Luckily for them it has been paved with love, and it's love that is going
to push them through the hard times. The thing that struck me most was each character's devotion to the other. Faced with Ike's disapproving mother,
Tami's citizenship, the loss of Ike's coffee shop dreams, and the return of Jenna, they stay true to their love. Even when they despair, they each
find their way back.
This is the kind of story that makes you angry on behalf of the characters you love. I squawked at the injustice of Tami's citizenship interview,
fumed at Ike's mother for bringing Jenna back into their lives, and even became impatient with Tami's mother's inability to leave Iran. This is the
mark of an excellent writer - when a reader can experience emotions right along with the characters.
Dreaming in English is an excellent book club pick as there are many topics for interesting discussion - fidelity, inappropriate parenting,
mother-daughter relationships to name a few. We at Book Club Queen are HUGE Laura Fitzgerald fans and she certainly didn't disappoint in this much-anticipated
sequel!
| Book Club Picks: Dreaming in English Discussion Questions |
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- Do you like Ike's mother at the end of the novel? Why or why not?
- Is Tami going to take her place as equal to Ike in their marriage and business after these events? Why or why not?
- Which female character do you find to be the most courageous? Why?
Exclusive Interview
Book Club Discussion: Interview with Laura Fitzgerald, author of Dreaming in English
Before
the novel begins you note that a fan (and maybe more than just one!) inspired you to write this sequel to Veil of Roses. Were you really
not planning on it or was it always a possibility? Can you just tell us up front - are we going to see Tami and Ike again? In the baby phase perhaps?
When
I finished Veil of Roses, I distinctly felt like I'd wrapped up the ending very well - that because Tami made the hard choices and showed such
courage, she got her happy ending. You knew she was riding off into the sunset - or so I thought! It would never have occurred to me that there was
more to the story.
But almost immediately, I began to get emails from people saying, "What happens next?" They felt like the ending was really more of a beginning,
and they urged me to continue Tami's story. It took me a few years to come up with a story that I thought was a worthy sequel, and Dreaming In English
is the result.
As far as another story involving Tami and Ike - who knows? One idea that's planted itself in my heart is a quest story along the lines of "Eat,
Pray, Love," Tami-style. Whether Ike would make the journey with her or not, who knows?
Dreaming in English interview with Laura Fitzgerald
Book Club Discussion: Interview with Laura Fitzgerald, author of Dreaming in English
You've
been married to a Persian man for quite some time which must give you the interest and inside scoop on the culture. BUT, how do you write a Persian
woman so convincingly? Can you explain how you get into the character of Tami?
Tami's
voice and character has always come very easily to me. I had a clear picture of her in my head as to what she looks like physically, and I'm fairly
familiar with the speech cadences of native Farsi speakers who also speak English; there are a few telltale idiosyncrasies.
My approach was two-pronged. First, I had to find what was universal about Tami's story, something that not only Iranian women, but all women, could
relate to. In her case, it's her ongoing struggle to recognize her own self-worth, and to stand up for herself when others try to put her down. It's
an all-too-common experience/affliction.
From there, I interviewed people, read history about Iran and memoirs of Iranian expatriates. I've certainly gotten some flak of the, "who are you
to write about the Iranian people" sort, but I've gotten far more feedback from Iranian woman who've told me they felt like I was inside their heads
and hearts as I told the story. This is me, exactly, many said. (Those are the ones I listen to!)
Dreaming in English interview with Laura Fitzgerald
Book Club Discussion: Interview with Laura Fitzgerald, author of Dreaming in English
The
idea of "how well do we really know our mothers?" is an integral part of this story. Whether it's Ike's mom, Elizabeth, and her fiendish desire to
"protect" Ike from Tami, or Tami's mother, Azar, and her inability to let go of the past to make a future with her daughters - these women have
sides that are completely hidden from their children. Do you think this is the case with most mothers?
In
fiction and in real life, I find that's what usually most interesting about a person is not what they reveal, but what they hide and why they hide
it.
For most if not all of us, there are aspects of our mothers that we aren't privy to - experiences they've put behind them and prefer not to talk
about. And yet, we are who we are in life because of not only our DNA, but because of the experiences we've had, the family we've grown up in, and
the perspective we've developed as a result. And sometimes once we learn those things, they help us understand that person's behavior, views or
personality a little bit better.
Dreaming in English interview with Laura Fitzgerald
Book Club Discussion: Interview with Laura Fitzgerald, author of Dreaming in English
Why
did Ike's ex-girlfriend, Jenna, leave so easily? I was prepared for a battle!
I'm
laughing here, reading this question. I had a lot of fun ideas for scenes and conflict between Tami and Jenna, but in the end, I worried they might
hijack the "real" story, which is Tami's struggle to find her self-worth. Jenna serves one purpose: To show the reader how difficult it is for Tami
to stand up and fight for herself. This is important so that when the climax of the story comes along, Tami's transformation is really something
for readers to celebrate.
Dreaming in English interview with Laura Fitzgerald
Book Club Discussion: Interview with Laura Fitzgerald, author of Dreaming in English
Is
the immigration process really as scary as it seemed in this story? I felt like even a couple with mountains of proof would have a hard time conquering
the system.
I'm
sure the process works smoothly for a large percentage of applicants, but as is the case with Tami, it seems that everyone who goes through the
process has heard stories that terrify them, and so it can't help but be a stressful process. The thing about the immigration process is that a
stranger is judging you as to your worth, and the stakes are quite high.
Dreaming in English interview with Laura Fitzgerald
Book Club Discussion: Interview with Laura Fitzgerald, author of Dreaming in English
Has
Tami finally learned to have some faith in herself and her abilities? Will she be able to take her place next to Ike as an equal partner in their
marriage and business?
Well,
I would certainly think so! I'd be very disappointed in her if she didn't. But as we all know, change is hard...
Dreaming in English interview with Laura Fitzgerald
Book Club Discussion: Interview with Laura Fitzgerald, author of Dreaming in English
Can
you give us a sneak preview on anything you are working on now?
I'm
working on my most challenging project yet - a novel of historical fiction, about nurses taken prisoner-of-war during World War II. They had quite
a gripping experience and, once rescued, were told not to talk about it, and that - after three years in a POW camp - they needed to "learn how to
be ladies" again. That part of the story makes my blood boil, and I think it's high time they get the recognition they deserve!
Dreaming in English interview with Laura Fitzgerald
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