Nathan Westerfield
If you’re looking for a captivating new read to curl up with on these long winter days, look no further than Franklin resident Jill Fordyce’s debut novel, Belonging.
Out January 30, this coming-of-age story spans three decades and centers around Jenny Hayes, a resilient young woman trying to break free from the wounds of a painful childhood while remaining connected to the generations before her and the place she called home. At 13 years old, Hayes is bedridden with a life-threatening illness and grappling with the reality that she will never be adequately cared for by her alcoholic mother and enabling father. After an unexpected turn of events, Hayes and her best friend Henry leave for college together, fleeing a broken heart and a hidden secret, respectively. When she returns to her hometown years later, the life Hayes so carefully created collides with the one she left behind. It’s a story of family and sacrifice, friendships and first loves, and the peace that comes with faith and forgiveness.
We chatted with Fordyce about the inspiration behind her debut novel, how she developed these fundamental themes, and her hopes for how it impacts readers.
Getting Started: Prior to writing my debut novel, I practiced law. I always knew I wanted to be a novelist, so I took classes, read, and studied the craft while practicing law and raising my family. I was an English Literature major at USC, and my senior year, I took a short story class from the novelist and short story writer T. C. Boyle, and it was the first time I ever had something workshopped. I remember classmates reading my story and discovering themes and ideas I never saw while writing. This revealed the magic in storytelling to me—that I could put words on the page, but once it was in the hands of readers, they each brought something different to it, and the story would have a life of its own. That experience sparked my interest in a writing career, and I knew I wanted to write a novel someday.
What to Expect: I hope that readers will find an authentic, homegrown, all-American story—a slice of Americana in a certain time and place. Belonging depicts the important moments that make us who we are, and how they affect us throughout life—our first friendships, the first person we say “I love you” to, how our hometowns shape us, the long-term effects of being part of a family that is both nurturing and destructive. If Belonging were a film, I would describe it as The Notebook meets Friday Night Lights, as it is both a lifelong love story and a coming-of-age story with underlying social issues. My original inspiration for the book was the notion of a childhood friendship so deep and abiding that it lights the way across time and distance, throughout life, and even death. I was inspired to tell the story from Jenny’s point of view because I wanted to convey her experience of growing up in a home with an alcoholic mother in an intimate and realistic way. I wanted to show those things that a young girl would rely on when her home life is so tumultuous: friends, extended family, faith, music. Finally, I wanted to understand how she would emerge from it and create the life that she longed for—and those things are possible primarily due to the circle of loved ones around her.
Key Themes: The major themes of Belonging include family, faith, forgiveness, and coming of age. Several of these themes are tied together in the portrayal of Jenny’s young life and the effect of alcoholism in her family. I wanted to portray both the difficulties and a path forward for children who grow up in homes with an alcoholic parent. It is said that these children have a unique burden when trying to find trusting love relationships, and I am hopeful that Jenny’s relationship with Billy [her first love] shows some of those difficulties, and also how they can be overcome. I wanted to delve into the push-pull that, in some ways, define Jenny: a fierce independence that is often at odds with a deep need for the love and connection she did not receive as a child. Forgiveness is explored as an individual choice that allows one to move forward in a manner that acknowledges the past but does not dwell in the suffering. I wanted Jenny’s story to depict how you can both love and forgive the alcoholic and also, step away and live your own life. Even if the alcoholic is never better, is never able to see her way out of the disease, the people around her can find grace and peace. The concept of Jenny’s faith is an important theme that emerged organically from a few images I had early on in the writing process. I imagined that Jenny collected folk art images of the Virgin Mary and sorted prayer cards in her lonely bedroom. I saw her in the hospital covered in prayer cards that formed almost a quilt over her. Eventually, as I came to understand Jenny more deeply, I could see that her faith was central to her character, and that the comfort she derived from it was critical to her survival as a child. Her faith stays with her, and when she is with Henry at the end of Part II, she absolutely believes what she tells him: “To love forever is to live forever.” If she didn’t have her faith, I don’t know if she would have had the fortitude and resilience that she does. She knows she’s not doing it all alone.
Beyond the Words: “Belonging” is fundamentally the undoing of aloneness, which is a primary need for all of us. I am most proud of telling a story that I hope will make people feel less alone. I would be so happy if the book resonates with readers who see themselves in Jenny or Henry. I would love it if the portrayal of these characters encourages acceptance, forgiveness, and faith. I hope that Belonging feels like listening to a favorite old song—lyrical and bittersweet, full of hope and longing. While writing the novel, I actually thought a lot about the craft of songwriting and how a great country song, in particular, uses imagery to evoke something universal. While every reader brings their own experiences to the page or the song, the story resonates in some way with each of them and triggers a memory of their own coming of age. I hope that the novel brings understanding of childhood wounds and how they are healed, the patterns that keep us small and hidden, and the peace and freedom that come with forgiveness. I hope that readers take away the idea that we can start anew, break generational patterns, and recreate family despite our past. Most of all, I hope the novel conveys a sense of warmth, hope, and belonging.
In support of the book, Fordyce will be at Bound Booksellers in Franklin on Feb. 10 from 1 to 2 p.m. for a reading, book signing, special giveaway, and to answer questions. Book club guides will also be available at this special event.