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Author Interview: Erika Castiglione Talks Inspiration and Love for Classic Literature

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I’m excited to share an opportunity I had to interview interview Erika Castiglione, author of The Hopper-Hill Family, a middle-grade book about a girl whose family cares for her three cousins after their parents’ unexpected deaths. If you missed my review of Erika’s heartwarming story, you can check it out here.

Erika CastiglioneA Little Bit About Erika Castiglione

Erika Castiglione was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and she has lived in Tennessee, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Georgia, North Carolina, and China. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in English. She’s an avid reader, a mother of three, a part-time English tutor, and a young adult fiction writer. (from her Goodreads Author Page)

Author Interview

A story is often inspired by a question. What question inspired you to write this novel?

Most of my adult life I have lived far from extended family (when my children were preschoolers, we lived in Asia while my parents, siblings, and in-laws lived in the U.S.) and, like many parents, I sometimes wondered what life would be like for my children if something happened to my husband and me.

I think you’re right that many people have thought about things like that. Scary thoughts, but you’ve turned them into a really heart-warming story. What made you choose to write this story from Piper’s point-of-view? (as opposed to her cousins, who are most directly adjusting to the loss and new family)

I don’t think it was a conscious choice when I began writing from Piper’s perspective, but looking back now I think I needed a character who was affected by the tragedy, but from the outside. Cora, Seth, and Sam were still too devastated to be able to piece their story together. I also tend to like stories with peripheral narrators (like Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby or Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird)

That makes sense. Piper brings a unique view to the story. Also– The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird are two of my favorite books. Who is your favorite character in The Hopper-Hill Family? Were there things about your favorite character which couldn’t be included in the novel?

That’s a really hard question to answer. Would it be a cop out to say that I love them all the same? There were definitely things about all of them that couldn’t be included–especially stories from their past and interactions with others outside of the family. I’d like to fill in some of those gaps in a sequel.

Ha! I guess it’s like asking you to choose a favorite child, so maybe it’s not a perfectly fair question. I’m excited to get to learn more. I like the idea of a sequel. What do you most hope that readers take away from The Hopper-Hill Family?

I hope that they will enjoy reading it. I love the way I feel when I read a book that I like and I would love to be able to give others that feeling. I hope it might also cause them to ponder and appreciate the gifts of life and family.

Definitely worthy goals. I think the book definitely communicates the gift and value of family. Is there an up-and-coming author you’re following with interest right now? Can you tell us about an author or novel you think deserves a greater spotlight?

A good deal of my reading time is spent on the classics and I’d love to see a new generation of readers shining a spotlight back on writers like L.M. Montgomery and Louisa May Alcott. As far as more recent books, my twelve-year-old daughter and I really enjoyed the historical fiction novel, Blue by Joyce Moyer Hostetter. I recently made a list of my favorite middle grade fiction books on my blog.

We are BIG fans of L. M. Montgomery in our house. My daughter has been reading the Anne books with me. We will definitely add Joyce Moyer Hostetter to our reading list! Thanks for sharing a link to your list of favorites!

The Hopper-Hill Family by Erika Castiglione Giveaway!

Enter to win a copy of The Hopper-Hill Family by following the instructions below. One winner will receive a paperback copy of the book. US addresses only, please.

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Review: The Hopper-Hill Family by Erika Castiglione

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

The Hopper-Hill Family
Erika Castiglione

Amazon | Goodreads

Twelve year-old Piper has always dreamed of having a sibling. She never imagined gaining three siblings in one weekend. But that’s exactly what happens when a tragic car accident brings her three orphaned cousins to live under her roof. Between their grief and the shock of the cross-country move, the cousins’ first days are rough. Piper tries to be her best self, to comfort them, but it’s hard to know what to say and do. She and her parents wrestle with the desire to welcome the three into their family without making them feel they have to forget their parents.

I think telling this story from Piper’s perspective was an interesting choice. She functions primarily as an observer, watching her parents wrestle with this unexpected change and watching her cousins work through grief in different ways. It’s not that Piper doesn’t have her own adjustments to make. She’s pretty mellow and even, kind of just goes with the flow of things, but she does have to face her own trials in the course of the story.

The conversations between Piper’s parents felt real and true to life for people experiencing not only grief and regret over lost loved ones but also feeling torn about bringing three children they feel they barely know into their home. While I loved the relatability of those moments, I felt like I didn’t get to hear enough from Piper. I wanted more dialogue between her and other characters.

As a divorced and remarried parent, I’m always looking for books that address issues of grief and blended families. Though The Hopper-Hill Family doesn’t merge families due to divorce, I felt like it presented some of the same questions, fears, and grief that children in a newly blended family might feel, as well as creating a sense of hope. Piper doesn’t experience the loss of her own parents, but her close observation of her household and her care for and patience with her cousins shows empathy and kindness in the face of the kind of grief that often leaves us not knowing how to respond to survivors.

All this might make the story sound really heavy – it’s not. I read through the whole tale in an afternoon. Despite the sad topic, it’s got a lot of hope and a lot of emphasis on what it means to become a family.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Sam, Cora, and Seth’s family all attended church in their Colorado town. Sam requests prayer at bed time after he moves in with Piper’s family. Cora continues to pray and keep in touch with a spiritual mentor. Piper’s parents worry that their non-religious home will be uncomfortable for the kids, but don’t make any changes regarding their own practices.

Violence
References to a car accident which killed two people. A child and dog are injured in a car accident as well.

Drug Content
Seth smokes cigarettes. Piper’s family eventually confronts him about this and he agrees to try to quit. Piper’s Uncle Carlos comes home drunk and vomits on the floor. He briefly tells Piper that he’s addicted to alcohol but moves out rather than getting any help. Later he sends a note to the family explaining he’s been clean for a few weeks.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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