Interview

An Interview with Diana Ephron

What inspired you to write this novel?
The Log column in the local East Hampton newspaper. I visited friends in the Hamptons and got hooked on it. This column lists incidents that have been reported to the police--things like "three geraniums disappeared off my porch." I loved the innocence of the crimes, and the idea that crimes could be innocent. I began to think: suppose a woman is a crime reporter in a place where there are no serious crimes. Then something big happens. Would people believe it? This was the germ of the idea for this book. I also began to think of all of the things that I'm interested in. Divorce and its effect on children is one of them. I like to write about things that people find terribly sad, find the humor in it, and make people laugh and cry.

Lily argues, "Divorce is the destruction of childhood." Is she speaking in your voice?
Well, I am not Lily, but she has concerns and interests that I share. I am a stepmother, not a single mother. However, I have seen how my stepchildren have been affected by divorce. I have written nonfiction about divorced kids and have interviewed a lot of these kids. I have seen the anger and hurt. Parents have to get ...