Robin W. Pearson writes heartfelt Southern family dramas and The Stories We Carry is no exception. In the novel, Glory, a small-town bookstore owner, finds herself at odds with newcomer Adelle, who seems bent on disrupting Glory’s quiet life. As the two each deal with grief and loss, they must also reckon with their pasts to find a path forward.
In this post, Robin takes us behind the scenes to tell us about her writing process, including what her inspiration was for the book and which part of the writing process she finds most challenging.
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What inspired this story?
When my peeps and I read The Count of Monte Cristo, I became fascinated with the idea of righteous vengeance. Here was this character, Edmond Dantès, tragically and falsely imprisoned, who finally acquires the means to right decades of wrong. Would he, and most important, should he? We had lots of fun discussing the question, Does the Count act with godly authority?
I bandied about this idea long after we finished that book, and a different face supplanted his—the image of my own character, Adelle Simonette, a young, widowed mother. But, if she’s the hero, who is the villain, at least in Adelle’s mind? That’s where Glory and Eli Pryor and their bookstore come in.
In my novel, Glory and Adelle tell themselves different versions of the same story: One says God failed her. The other believes God will avenge her. Yet, they’re both wrong. That’s because life doesn’t work the way a narrative unfolds in the classics; often, there’s no obvious good guy or bad guy or reasonable motive. And this leads to what I show in The Stories We Carry: we have to trust God to use all our stories for good and not harm.
What messages or themes do you focus on in this book?
The overarching message in The Stories We Carry is that God is the source and the foundation of all that’s good and true—from what we believe to what we read. This novel also reflects the beauty and the strength of community, and it’s filled with characters who prove that family is what we make it.
What about this book excited you while writing it, and what do you hope readers will learn?
I loved creating scripture-inspired, original poetry and showing how our Creator reveals Himself through His Word and our words, even in places and within pages where you wouldn’t expect to find Him. Isn’t that how He works in our everyday lives?
Also, as a wife of thirty years and a mama of many, I enjoyed the challenge of portraying a mature, yet newly married couple whose only children were their books; their closest family members were “found” or created within their small community. I hope this novel shows readers that our hearts are big enough—and our world is small enough—to connect with others by providing a meal, holding a hand, or starting a conversation. We never know when we could be inviting Jesus to the table, as in Matthew 25:37-40.
What do you find to be the most challenging part of the writing process? What advice would you offer young writers?
Remembering my why constantly challenges me. I’ve been called to write about how faith in Jesus changes our perspective and affects our relationships. That’s the most important story I carry. I encourage young writers to know their why and hold on to it so the how of their work—platform building, querying, reviews, sales, social media, outlining, meeting deadlines—doesn’t detract from their main purpose: conveying the truth God has led them to share, whether in fiction or nonfiction.
The Stories We Carry by Robin W. Pearson
Glory Pryor has carved out a life for herself in Gilmore, North Carolina, cultivating a community around her bookstore, By the Book. While her business is a success, she carries the weight of stories of her own she’s never told anyone. She holds out hope that one day her estranged brother will turn up on her doorstep so she can finally learn where he’s been all these years. Glory’s husband Eli thinks she has her arms wrapped too tightly around the could-have-beens, and that it’s time for them to let go of the store as they head into their retirement years. Glory has different opinions on that—she’s not ready to give up the dream she’s built just yet. Then Adelle Simonette shows up with her young son, Bennett, and Glory’s carefully controlled life begins to crumble.
Newly widowed Adelle Simonette is a single mother trying to find her footing and navigate parenting her young son. Lost in her grief, one thing she’s certain of is that she needs to confront Glory Pryor and everybody who knows her because the woman’s been living a lie. Adelle thinks it’s high time Glory made things right. But Adelle’s finding it hard to tell the truth . . . and there will be no going back once she does.
In the wake of deeply personal grief and loss, two women reckon with a lifetime of silence and secrets to find a path forward toward healing, hope, and restoration.
Robin W. Pearson’s writing sprouts from her Southern roots. While sitting in her grandmothers’ kitchens, she learned what happens if you sweep someone’s feet, how to make corn bread taste like pound cake, and the all-purpose uses of Vaseline. Her family’s faith, life lessons, and life’s longings inspired her to write about God’s love for us and how this love affects all our relationships.
Robin has corrected grammar up and down the East Coast as an editor, writer, and homeschooling mama. She is the author of five novels, including the Christy Award–winner A Long Time Comin’, ‘Til I Want No More, Walking in Tall Weeds, Dysfunction Junction, and her latest, The Stories We Carry. Her work has been described as “enjoyable and uncomfortable, but also funny and persistent in the way that only family can be” by Publishers Weekly.
At the heart of it all abides her love of God and her husband, seven children, and their dog, Oscar. They’re the source and subject of her novels, in the new characters living and breathing in her laptop, and in the stories about her experiences at her own kitchen sink. She writes about them on her blog where she shares her adventures in faith, family, and fiction.
Visit Robin on robinwpearson.com or follow her @robinwpearson on Instagram, BookBub, Goodreads, and Facebook.
