"THE ART OF FALLING" Blog Tour: Review And Q&A With Author Kathryn Craft

Now that her dreams are in tatters, Penny must find a way to rebuild what is broken

THE ART OF FALLING

A Novel 

by

Kathryn Craft

Sourcebooks Landmark; January 28, 2014

Trade Paperback, 368 pages;  $ 14.99

Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Blurb

All Penny has ever wanted to do is dance--and when that chance is taken from her, it pushes her to the brink of despair, from which she might never return. When she wakes up after a traumatic fall, bruised and battered but miraculously alive, Penny must confront the memories that have haunted her for years, using her love of movement to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

Kathryn Craft’s lyrical debut novel is a masterful portrayal of a young woman trying to come to terms with her body and the artistic world that has repeatedly rejected her. The Art of Falling expresses the beauty of movement, the stasis of despair, and the unlimited possibilities that come with a new beginning.

Review And Q&A With Kathryn Craft

Chances are that Kathryn Craft's debut novel will grab you by the heart, whether you have experienced first-hand some of the issues and trials the protagonist, Penelope, has to suffer throughout her young life (lack of self-acceptance, body-image over-consciousness, eating disorders, passion for self-expression through arts, conflictual mother-daughter relationship, dreams and ambitions crushed by an hostile environment and self-doubt, self-destructive impulses), or you simply are capable of empathy for characters and situations that, although fictional, are so well-drawn, so expertly nuanced to deceive you in an unrelenting suspension of disbelief. It's not what we achieve or lose in life that really defines us, but the way we rise and fall through our personal victories and downfalls. Craft's novel is an intense and highly emotional read, amazingly accomplished for a debut novel, but that doesn't surprise when we consider the author's background. Kathryn Craft has graciously accepted to answer a couple of questions and share with our readers what's behind the heartgrabbing story of THE ART OF FALLING.

Q. Welcome to Mina's Bookshelf, Kathryn. Is your professional background the reason why you started to write or becoming an author has always been on your bucket list?

A. My educational and professional background tilled the soil for life as an author, to be sure. I was in a school track that required more writing than reading, which was fine since I read so much on my own. Some of my high school classes had little lecturing—we just wrote papers, and by the time I finished grad school, I saw the beauty in that! Facts will fall by the wayside, and are easily re-accessed by smart phone—but every day I write to apply order to my thoughts.

Becoming a dance critic allowed me to deepen my relationship with movement by giving me a reason to generate and organize thoughts about it. But while I’d always loved to read novels, I never aspired to write one.

The day would come, though, when storytelling turned into a deep need.

I began writing fiction when I got caught up in the kind of real life drama that demands close attention. In 1997, after fifteen years of marriage, my first husband committed suicide. Nerves jangled, questions yammered—I’d never had a greater need to order my thoughts. I needed to find a way to relate to the kind of despair that might result in the decision to self-destruct—a challenge, considering that I am by nature an optimist.

The heroine of The Art of Falling, Penelope Sparrow, was my path.

I placed her in a harsh environment—in a dance world with even harsher expectations about a woman’s body than those of our celebrity-driven society—then watched as inner conflict about her imperfections imploded her dreams and relationships. I dismantled her support system. Gave her talent and passion and exclusive training then whittled away at her faith and resolve with years of rejection. Then I gave her a taste of success, a taste of love, then yanked both away at the same time. Finally, at that point, I thought, maybe.

But I wasn’t sure. So when Penelope wakes up at the start of the novel in a Philadelphia hospital room, after falling from her fourteenth story penthouse, what happened on that balcony remains a mystery that Penelope must reckon with.

This novel turned out to be more than a result of my writing preparation or a line item on a bucket list—for me, after the suicide, it felt like a calling. Penelope Sparrow’s courageous fight against hidden demons as she struggles to rebuild her shattered life fulfilled my lingering need to create a better story from the chaos of those real-life events.

Q. Dance is a matter of carefully choreographed movements. Did the writing process follow the same steps for you? Did you carefully plan the layout of the story or did you let your characters lead the way?

A. I let the characters lead the way—but like my husband, they kept their secret desires and despair tucked away. It took years to get to know them—eight, to be exact. I do not recommend this approach! I now embrace a hybrid approach between outlining and journaling longhand in each character’s voice.

In The Art of Falling, though, Penny’s and my mutual healing demanded a less controlled exploration. The questions I asked of her and my other characters were the questions I needed to ask of myself: What makes life worth living, specifically, for you? Where do you find the hope to go on?

I wrote for years, never giving up until I’d pushed my characters to the brink of confession.

Kathryn Craft serves on the board of the Philadelphia Writers Conference.. She is also a contributing editor of the Blood-Red Pencil blog. She lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with her husband. Visit her website at www.kathryncraft.com.

***Review copy generously offered by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and honest review

***Photo Credit: Instagram 

Blog Tour Schedule

Jan 20	A Bookaholic Blog	Review + Guest Post
Jan 21	So Many Books, So Little Time	Review + Guest Post
Jan 21	Broken Teepee	Giveaway
Jan 22	The Life (& Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object	Review + Guest Post
Jan 23	Cocktails & Books	Review + Interview
Jan 23	So Many Books, So Little Time	Giveaway
Jan 24	Mom-Spot	Review
Jan 24	Chick Lit Central	Giveaway
Jan 25	I’d So Rather Be Reading	Review + Giveaway
Jan 26	A Bookish Affair	Review + Guest Post + Giveaway
Jan 27	As I Turn The Pages	Review + Guest Post
Jan 28	Tina Says…	Review
Jan 29	Fallen Angel Reviews	Interview
Jan 30	CLP Blog Tours	Review
Feb 1	Broken Teepee	Review
Feb 2	Lori’s Reading Corner	Guest Post
Feb 3	Radiant Light	Review
Feb 4	Mina’s Bookshelf	Review + Interview
Feb 5	Read Lately	Review
Feb 6	The Good, The Bad, & The Unread	Review
Feb 7	Steph the Bookworm	Review
Feb 8	Dew on the Kudzu	Review + Guest Post
Feb 11	Chick Lit Central: The Blog!	Review