A film adaptation threatens marital bliss in Rainbow Rowell’s ‘Cherry Baby.’
On this week’s episode, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell joins us to discuss her eagerly anticipated new novel, Cherry Baby (William Morrow, April 14), a bittersweet page-tuner the Times calls “sexy, messy, funny, and raw.”
Rowell is the author of Slow Dance, Eleanor & Park, and the Simon Snow trilogy, as well as several other award-winning novels, short stories, and comics—including Runaways, Pumpkinheads, and Lois and Clark. She lives with her family in Omaha, Nebraska.
Cherry of Cherry Baby is a woman whose world is coming apart: A Hollywood movie based on her husband Tom’s wildly popular, semi-autobiographical comic strip, Thursday, is about to be released—and their marriage is on the rocks. While Tom’s away in Los Angeles, Cherry’s at home, managing her high-level job, their house, and the big shaggy dog Tom always wanted (whose hair gets all over her cute clothes). Meanwhile, the Thursday movie is all anyone in Omaha seems to want to talk about. It features an exaggerated version of Cherry that’s too close for comfort. So close that people she meets call her by the character’s name: Baby.
In an attempt to jolt herself out of her funk, Cherry buys a ticket to see her favorite band play her favorite album, and runs into an old crush at the concert. Sparks fly. Will this rekindled connection lead to something more? Will Tom’s move to LA be a permanent one? Will her loud, loving sisters stop roasting her in the group chat? Rowell take you on a bumpy, beautiful ride.
In a delightful conversation, Rowell and I discuss the challenges of writing sex scenes and action scenes, as well as character development and relatability. We dive into the complexities of genre and the importance of gaining the reader’s trust. At the end of our interview, she recommends a novel by one of her favorite authors, an innovator, who does something different with every book.Follow @kirkus_reviews on Instagram, DM us the title of that book—along with your name, location, and email address—and you’ll be entered in a drawing to receive a $100 Visa gift card, courtesy of Kirkus.
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Fully Booked is produced by Jessica Lockhart and Megan Labrise.
