I’m delighted to have author Antony John join us on the blog today to share about his new book The Other, Better Me and how we find family in unexpected places.
The Other, Better Me by Antony JohnPublished by HarperCollins on October 1, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
Lola and Momma have always been a team of two. It hasn’t always been easy for Lola, being one of the only kids she knows with just one parent around. And lately she’s been feeling incomplete, like there’s a part of herself that she can’t know until she knows her dad.
But what will happen—to Lola, to Momma, to their team of two—if she finds him?
Finding Family in Unexpected Places
At the launch event for THE OTHER, BETTER ME, an observant kid asked me why the main character’s father is absent, just like the absent father in my previous middle grade novel, MASCOT. (In MASCOT, Noah Savino is wrestling with the recent death of his father in the same car accident that has left him paralyzed. In THE OTHER, BETTER ME, Lola Harmon is inspired by a school project to track down the father she has never met.) Believe it or not, I didn’t have a good answer for that, as it wasn’t something I’d considered much before. But I had to admit, it was a striking coincidence. And as so often when I chat with kids, it got me thinking.
For context, the fathers in the two novels couldn’t be more different. In MASCOT, Noah’s father was a devoted, doting, larger-than-life figure. His death has created a void that will be impossible to fill. In THE OTHER, BETTER ME, Lola’s father has never been in the picture, and hasn’t really tried to become a part of his daughter’s life. These diametrically opposed situations create very different sets of needs in the characters. Noah is resistant to anyone who he perceives as replacing his father or growing their family unit in any way. Lola is enamored with the idea of finding her father and “completing” her family, as well as discovering more about herself through him. When it comes to absent parents, the scars they leave, though indelible, are never perfectly alike.
I’m definitely not writing from experience here, either. I was raised in a classic nuclear family: mother and father (still married after 50+ years), brother and me. My wife and I have two kids as well. Very few of our friends face the challenge of raising a kid alone. But I find the old adage “write what you know” to be misleading. If there’s one thing that drives my writing, it’s the opportunity to imagine a world unlike my own. As a former full-time stay-at-home dad, few things have haunted me more than the prospect of raising our kids if anything were to happen to my wife. Writing THE OTHER, BETTER ME and MASCOT reminded me how lucky I am, and also allowed me to explore the prospect that life must go on, however painfully and falteringly.
In general, I try to write aspirational stories. I hope that kids who are being raised by a single mom will find the stories both authentic and optimistic. Because here’s the thing: In my limited experience but thorough observation, family is a fluid construct. It takes a village to raise a child, and for every kid, the village is different. From his elderly neighbor across the street, Noah learns how precarious the father-son relationship can be, and gains deeper appreciation for the special bond he and his father shared. From her elderly neighbor next door, Lola discovers the depth of family loyalty and the notion of loving sacrifice, even though they’re not related. In books, as in life, everyone has a role to play. The important thing is to find out who truly cares for you.
To the kid who asked me if there’s a reason my middle grade novels are dad-free, I’d say . . . no, I never really thought about it. But writing THE OTHER, BETTER ME and MASCOT extended my notion of family. My parents used to say, “You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends.” Your friends are your village. If you choose wisely, or your parents choose wisely for you, your village grows. Grow it enough, and you see family everywhere you look. To me, that seems like a vision worth embracing.
Let’s Chat
What are your thoughts on family? Who are the members of your village? If you’re a writer, do you write what you know, or do you imagine worlds unlike your own? Or both?
Dani @ Perspective of a Writer says
How fascinating!! The author seemed to latch onto this theme of one parent homes and has incorporated it into both of his books yet didn’t realize it. I agree with him though write what you know is misleading. An author writing a murder mystery neither knows what a murderer is feeling and really can’t go out there are try to experience it. Well unless they want to end up in jail. So much imagining has to go on.
Crystal says
It’s interesting how an author may incorporate similar themes into different works! I agree that we can’t always write what we know. Imagination is important to both reading and writing.
John Smith says
The characters in this book sound quite realistic!
Crystal says
They do. I hope you enjoy it!
Danielle Hammelef says
Family is very important to me because it’s my family that will stand by me, even when I’m not at my best or mess up. We may not always get along or even like each other at moments, but all of that gets put aside when one of us needs help.