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We're launching the Book Tour for A SILVER WILLOW BY THE SHORE by Kelli Stuart! #SilvWilPrism


On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Author Interview

What is your motivation behind A SILVER WILLOW BY THE SHORE? Why did you want to write it?

I have had a decades-long fascination with the former Soviet Union and their rich, layered history. As a Russian minor in college, I spent a semester in Ukraine studying and traveling, and I realized that there are a world of stories to be told from that region. Fast forward twenty years, and after the release of my award-winning debut novel, Like a River From Its Course, set in World War II Soviet Ukraine, I began combing through books for the next story that I felt needed to be told.

I stumbled on a book called The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin’s Russia by Orlando Figes, and I learned about the generation of men and women who grew up in the shadow of Stalin’s purges. It was not uncommon for young people in those days to betray their families and change their identities in an act of desperation to escape the persecution they were facing. It sparked a question that I wanted to answer, because every book must answer a central question: What would it be like to be raised by someone who never told you who she was or where she came from? Elizaveta Mishurova, the central character and matriarch of A Silver Willow by the Shore, was birthed out of that question and the rest of the book followed.

What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?

My desire for readers is always a bit multifaceted. First, I want to simply transport them to another day and time as a means of readerly escape, because isn’t that one of the great pleasures of reading? Second, in a time of tension between our country and Russia, I think it’s important to recognize how similar we all are as human beings. We desire love and acceptance, and the need for family when life gets hard is a universal longing. Whether Russian, Ukrianian, or American, we all long for the same thing – to be seen and known and loved. Finally, as an author of historical fiction, I always hope to bring history to life in a fresh way. A Silver Willow by the Shore offers readers a glimpse into different parts of the world’s history that perhaps they haven’t seen before. My desire is that they finish the book having learned something new without even realizing it.

A Silver Willow by the Shore has a sub-theme as well, and one that I am passionate about: It celebrates adoption, and the many hard and beautiful ways that adoption makes up a family. A Silver Willow by the Shore is my love letter to the birth moms who make unbelievably difficult decisions, and to those who choose to raise and love children that they themselves did not birth.

Do you have a favorite scene that you can share with us?

I think my favorite scene of the book is near the end when they’re celebrating Christmas with new friends. It’s a happy scene as evidence of healing is on the horizon, but there’s still palpable tension as Elizaveta sifts through the memories fighting to surface. I loved writing about the Slavic Christmas traditions, and blending them with adopted American traditions in a single scene that brought families together.

If you could sum the book up in one sentence, what would you say?

A Silver Willow by the Shore is a story of loss, love, forgiveness, and the unshakable bond of family.

Share something about you that is unique - maybe about how/where you write... or favorite snack foods?

I am the mother of five children, which means that my time to work is limited, and usually takes place when it’s dark outside. I have a desk set up for my writing in a beautiful room filled with books, but I typically end up doing most of my writing on my couch with a cup of coffee by my side.

A Silver Willow by the Shore
By Kelli Stuart
Adult Historical, Contemporary, Time-Slip
Paperback & ebook, 380 Pages
October 15th 2019 by Fine Print Writing Press

How do you face the future if you don’t know your own past?

When an unexpected pregnancy changes her dreams, seventeen-year-old Annie tries to keep it from her mother and her grandmother. But secrets have a way of coming out. In a household of strong women, the arrival of a new life sets off a spiral of truth that reveals a past full of whispers and lies—a past that existed in another world under the heavy hand of Soviet oppression. This history has dictated the circumstances of the present, but hope, redemption, and forgiveness will grow in the rocky places of these generational differences.

A Silver Willow by the Shore is the story of the unshakeable love between mothers and daughters and of the impact that past decisions can have on present day circumstances. This novel weaves together the stories of generations of women, from the gulags of 1930’s Siberia, to the quiet oppression of 1980’s Soviet Moscow, to present day Tennessee. It is an unforgettable narrative of the treachery of secrets, and of the light that unites the heart of a family.

(Affiliate links included.)

Tour Schedule

November 4th:
Launch
Remembrancy
November 5th:
My Life, Loves and Passion
Christian Chick's Thoughts
November 6th:
Jennifer Silverwood's Blog
Paulette's Papers
For Him and My Family
November 7th:
By The Book
Heidi Reads...
November 8th:
Pause for Tales
Locks, Hooks and Books
Andi's Book Reviews
November 11th:
The Power of Words
Wishful Endings
Edits and Reviews by Leslie
November 12th:
Hearts & Scribbles
thechroincfangirl
Red Headed Book Lady
November 13th:
Paper, Ink, & Lizard
Beauty in the Binding
November 14th:
Cover Lover Book Review
Faithfully Bookish
Christy's Cozy Corners
November 15th:
Liberty's Literary Loves
Hallie Reads
Reading On The Edge
November 16th:
Grand Finale

Bookstagram Tour


This has its own giveaway, so go check it out! Enter at each stop for extra entries.


About the Author


Kelli is a wife, mother, novelist, and the driver of a smoking' hot minivan. When she isn't wrangling her five children, she can be found tapping away at the keyboard. Kelli is the award winning author of Like a River From Its Course, her debut novel which won the ACFW Carol Award for Best Historical and was nominated for two Christy Awards. Kelli is also the co-author of Life Creative: Inspiration for Today's Renaissance Mom with Wendy Speake. You can find more information on her life and writings at www.kellistuart.com.


Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a Kindle Fire Tablet with Alexa Hands Free + $50 Amazon Gift Card
US only
Ends November 13, 2019

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