A Conversation with Author Eldonna Edwards

You’re a preacher’s kid, right? How much of 'This I know' is autobiographical?

I grew up one of seven children with an evangelical pastor at its head. I did steal a few bits from my own dad’s habits, like clipping coupons, leaving religious tracts in public places and studying in the bathroom, but Grace’s father is not at all like my dad, who was a loving and kind-but-firm parent who’d give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. In creating Reverend Carter, I made the character big—much bigger physically than my own father. I made him insufferably controlling and close-minded. But I also inserted a tiny wedge of vulnerability: a woman that he adores and without whom he feels unlovable. And then I wrenched her from his assured grasp.

The Carter sisters are a quilt of characters molded from my imagination and childhood friends, with an homage to certain quirks of my real-life siblings. I’m not clairvoyant, but like young Grace, I was a quirky kid who often felt a little out of sync with those around me. I had an extraordinary imagination that often got me into trouble but thankfully, as a writer, serves me well.

'This I know' explores clairvoyance and the afterlife. Do your personal beliefs align with the story?

I believe there is so much unknown to us, far beyond the capacity of science or the ability of the human mind to grasp. This story hinges on a family’s inability to reconcile Grace’s uncanny abilities with their black-and-white version of good and evil forces in the world. The Bible is filled with experiences where individuals communicate with voices from “the beyond” and foretelling the future that are considered holy. Why does Rev. Carter assume that Grace’s deep intuition is not also a sacred gift?

Which scene was your favorite to write?

Hands down, when Grace’s sisters convince her to dress up as a fortune teller and charge the neighborhood kids to get their questions answered. What child doesn’t love turning a refrigerator box into a store, a space-ship or a fortune-teller booth? This scene allowed me delve into human insecurities that begin at an early age. Do my parents love me? Will I find my soul mate? Will I overcome these awkward years to enjoy a successful life?

Why did you choose to set your novel in the 1960s/70s instead of a contemporary setting?

Having been born just a wee bit too late to fully experience the turbulent sixties, I’ve always felt a little like a left-behind flower child. The music was so good, the civil rights movement was blowing up, and people started pushing back against the war machine. Writing about this era is a way for me to vicariously experience what I missed but I also think it was a fascinating time in our cultural history and makes a perfect backdrop for this story.

Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will come away with?

We live in very divisive times. If there’s one message I’d love to convey it’s that we are all universally connected and seeking the same things: to love and be loved.