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On the heels of his highly acclaimed and New York Times bestselling debut novel, The Returned, Jason Mott delivers a spellbinding tale of love, sacrifice and the power of miracles. In The Wonder of All Things (October), on an ordinary day, a plane crashes into a crowd of spectators. When the dust clears, a 13-year-old girl named Ava is found huddled beneath a pocket of rubble with her best friend, Wash. He is injured and bleeding, and when Ava places her hands over him, his wounds miraculously disappear. Ava has a unique gift: she can heal others of their physical ailments. Until the air show tragedy, her gift was a secret. Now, the whole world knows, and suddenly people from all over the globe begin flocking to her small town, eager to glimpse a miracle. But Ava's unusual ability comes at a great cost, and as she grows weaker, she soon finds herself having to decide how much she's willing to sacrifice in order to save the ones she loves most.
Why do you write?
I write because it helps me understand and empathize with the world around me. And I like to think that's the best thing a person can ever try to do.
What was the first thing you wrote?
I grew up loving The Odyssey and when I started writing, the first thing I wrote was a short story that was an alternative ending to that tale. In my version, Odysseus was taken away from his family again and forced to adventure around the world for many more years before coming home again.
What inspired your latest book?
The Wonder of All Things grew out of watching a dear friend make the transition from "college wild man" to a wonderful father and husband. Seeing his relationship with his daughter blossom made me want to write a story about a father/daughter relationship that the world threatened to tear apart.
author photo: Michael Becker Photography