Hello, fellow bookworms! Today I'm thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for The Girl in the Broken Mirror with a Q&A from the writer herself, Savita Kalhan!
Hi Katie, thank you so much for inviting me here on your blog today!
It’s so exciting having The Girl in the Broken Mirror out in the world –
and then taking it on a blog tour with amazing bloggers like you!
Hi, Savita! Can you tell us a little bit about your novel, The Girl in the Broken Mirror?
The
Girl in the Broken Mirror is about a Jay, 15 year old British Asian
girl, who goes from riches to rags, and from a liberal home to a
super-strict traditional Indian home where she struggles to fit in. Then
she is brutally assaulted by a relative and her life implodes. It’s a
story of love and loss, of a girl and her mother, of guilt, of betrayal,
but ultimately it’s a story of hope and where help can be found even in
the darkest moments of life.
Jay is such an interesting character who faces a lot of tough situations, what was it that inspired you to write her story?
In
many ways, I was like Jay. Without going into details, I faced a few of
the tough situations in my life that Jay faces in the book. This was a
story that I had never read when I was growing up. I didn’t even know of
any British Asian writers, and kids like me never saw ourselves in
books. I didn’t know that the struggle I was going through was not
unique to me – and I’m not just talking about the culture clash, which
is a big enough subject on its own.
There is also that issue of
male patriarchy, which exists in many communities, where boys and men
are considered to be better than girls and women. Growing up thinking in
that way, whether you are a boy or a girl, is not the way forward.
All of these reasons made me want to write Jay’s story for YA readers.
The
Girl in the Broken Mirror deals with some very serious topics, what
sort of research did you do when preparing to write the story?
Some
books require lots of research. This book required very little. I had
the background for almost all the story. With the #metoo and #timesup
movement, it’s so easy, and horrifying, to find the rape and sexual
assault stats. It was really important to me to add the names of all the
charities and help lines who can help anyone facing the things that Jay
goes through. I don’t want girls going through difficult situations to
think they are alone – and it doesn’t matter which community they come
from, I’m talking about ALL girls.
Why do think Jay's story needed to be told?
It’s
a story that hasn’t been told before. In fact there are very few YA
stories that deal with the rape or sexual assault. Anne Cassidy’s No
Virgin and Louise O’Neill’s Asking For It are pretty much the only two
in UKYA. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was the first book I read about
rape – it’s an incredibly moving book and I highly recommend it. As for a
story with a young British Asian girl as the protagonist, there were
none.
What was the most difficult part of the writing process for you, and what was the most rewarding?
The
Girl in the Broken Mirror was probably the hardest book I’ve ever
written. To write about the themes that are in the book without being
graphic, without being sensationalist or insincere, or overly
sentimental, was hard. Finding the right title of the story was
difficult too – there were several working titles before I found the
right one for the book.
The most rewarding part of the writing process was the final edit and the feedback – that was SO incredibly rewarding!
Finally, what do you hope readers will take away from your story?
I hope it helps readers understand the struggle some teens face living with two cultures – one at home and the other outside.
The
culture clash struggle is not just confined to Asian kids growing up in
two cultures – it’s about all teens facing clashes of conflicting
views, ideas, opinions with a different generation. Understanding what
it is can help in some way in dealing with it.
I would like boys
to read the book too as it’s so important for them to know the
boundaries, recognise the consequences, the repercussions and the
terrible pain of the trauma someone like Jay goes through.
Ultimately, I want readers to take hope with them at the end of the story. There is always hope.
Thanks
so much for having me here, Katie! If your readers want to know
anything more about me or The Girl in the Broken Mirror, here’s my
website www.savitakalhan.com, or I’m always happy to chat on Twitter
@savitakalhan
A huge thank you to the lovely Savita for stopping by! My review of this powerful story will be posted very soon. Be sure to check out the rest of the wonderful blogs taking part in the tour:
Monday 14 May 2018
BLOG TOUR: Q&A with Savita Kalhan, author of The Girl in the Broken Mirror
Labels:
Author Interview,
Blog Tour,
Savita Kalhan,
The Girl in the Broken Mirror,
Troika Books
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BLOG TOUR: Q&A with Savita Kalhan, author of The Girl in the Broken Mirror
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