Gone by Nightfall
Dee Garretson
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 21st 2020
Genres: Historical, Young Adult
A young woman is torn between her home and her dreams during the Russian Revolution.
It’s 1916, and Charlotte Mason is determined to make a life for herself in czarist Russia. When her mother dies, Charlotte is forced to put her plans to go to medical school aside to care for her unruly siblings. Then a handsome new tutor arrives. Charlotte has high hopes that he’ll stay, freeing her up to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor. But there’s more to Dmitri that meets the eye.
Just when she thinks she can get her life back, Russia descends into revolution and chaos. Now, not only does Charlotte need to leave Russia, she needs to get her siblings out too–and fast.
Can Charlotte flee Russia, keep her siblings safe, and uncover Dmitri’s many secrets before she runs out of time?
Interview with Dee Garretson
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book,
where should they start?
When I write historical fiction, I’m interested in exploring how a person
in that time and setting deals with a major upheaval in their life. In one
sense, people in the past weren’t much different than people now, but there are
differences in how much knowledge they’ve had access to and what kind of
societal pressures have shaped their world view. In GONE BY NIGHTFALL, I wanted
to look at how Charlotte, a girl who doesn’t quite belong in any one world,
decides what is most important to her when faced with some hard choices.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I went through a phase where I was fascinated by the Romanovs and I read
everything I could about them. I didn’t want to write about Anastasia, but
since I’ve also read many memoirs of Americans abroad, it seemed to make sense
to write a story that took both those interested and put them together.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you
feel you achieved them?
I wanted to help young readers understand what led to the revolution, all
in a context of characters their own age. I majored in International Relations
in college and have always been struck by the fact that there are many causes
and sides to most major conflicts, and how ordinary people have so little
control once a conflict starts. It puts them to an ultimate test of endurance
and wits and working together to survive. I feel good about this book, though
of course there is always more I could have included.
Anything
you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I
hope this book draws you into Charlotte and Dmitri’s world. That’s my goal with
all my books.
What
did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I
haven’t written a story about large families and sibling interactions before,
so it was fun to write a variety of ages and how they all interacted with each
other.
Can
you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the
future?
I
like to write in many different genres and while I want to continue to write
young adult historical fiction, I’d also like to try my hand at fantasy, and
contemporary fiction with some magical elements. I always have about ten book
ideas in my head at any one time and it’s tough to pick which one I should
concentrate on!
How
long have you been writing?
I’ve
been writing a very long time! I started when I was a teenager but made the
mistake of getting discouraged in an English class in college for the silliest
of reasons. I got a B- on a paper and was sure that meant I was a terrible
writer. I didn’t understand then that the professor was trying to help me
improve my writing. When I finally went back to writing as an adult, it took me
about twelve years on and off to finally get published. My first book was
published ten years ago and it’s been quite an up and down ride since then.
Thank
you!
Your welcome and thank you for visiting with us today!
Author Bio:
Dee Garretson spent her childhood helping her father build his offbeat inventions and playing adventure games in the woods. After working as a landscape designer and teaching landscape horticulture classes for several years, Dee returned to writing. Her debut novel, Wildfire Run, has been praised for its suspense and its hero, Luke, who “with his companions, displays generous measures of courage and ingenuity in rising to the occasion” (ALA Booklist). She lives with her family in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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