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In Little Mercies (July), her latest ripped-from-the-headlines tour de force, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf delivers a powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice. Veteran social worker Ellen Moore is a fiercely dedicated children's advocate and a devoted mother and wife. But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for. Meanwhile, 10-year-old Jenny Briard suddenly finds herself on her own in a strange town with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen's and Jenny's lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.
Why do you write?
Growing up, I was so fortunate to have parents and teachers who instilled in me the love of reading. I've found so much happiness as a reader. Reading allows people to escape into new worlds, travel back in time, meet amazing characters, feel great joy and triumph. Books also allow readers to journey through tragedy, heartbreak and fear while safely ensconced outside the pages. In my own little way, my hope is to share with others, through my writing, some of these same experiences.
What was the first thing you wrote?
As a young child, I remember being fascinated with the cursive handwriting that my parents and older brothers and sisters used. I knew the intricate squiggles and loops meant something very important, but I had no idea how to decipher them. Using my crayons and markers, I would fill page after page of paper with messy imitations of the cursive script that translated to nonsense, but to me, told wonderful stories. The first real story I remember writing and my mother saved for me, was a short story called "The Emma Dilemma," a fictionalized story about our very real poodle named Emma. In the story, Emma finds herself in the family way and in the end we happily we got to keep all the puppies. Even way back then, there had to be a dog in my stories.
What inspired your latest book?
The inspiration for Little Mercies came as many of my ideas from the news. After hearing several accounts of dedicated, overworked social workers who suddenly found themselves on the other side of a legal system they have diligently supported, I knew my next novel was to be found.
author photo: Morgan Hawthorne