This Tri-City author’s family loss to Spanish flu inspired her new young adult novel
Maureen McQuerry always feels a little nervous when she puts a new book out into the world.
But this latest release feels especially heightened.
That’s because “Between Before & After” — a historical fiction novel that debuts Feb. 5 through Blink, a division of HarperCollins Focus — is her most personal yet, with a poignant tie to her own family history.
It’s set partly in the early 20th century, during the Spanish influenza pandemic that killed millions.
McQuerry’s paternal grandmother was one of the victims. Her death left McQuerry’s father an orphan.
“I grew up hearing stories about what it was like to try and survive as a child (on the streets), and I could see firsthand the damage it did,” the Richland writer said. “I was really interested in how one event could change the trajectory of generations of lives.”
That’s a theme in “Between Before & After,” which ultimately is a tale of resiliency.
“I’m excited to share this story,” McQuerry said. “I’m excited to share a story that I think is full of hope.”
Crossover appeal
A release party is 6:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 5 at Adventures Underground in Richland.
On Feb. 9, McQuerry heads out on a book tour with two other Northwest authors, including fellow Tri-Citian Stephen Wallenfels and Mary Cronk Farrell of Spokane. The first stop is at Barnes & Noble in Kennewick.
McQuerry hails from California, but settled in the Tri-Cities more than 30 years ago with her husband, Dennis, who’s retired from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. McQuerry spent 18 years teaching in Richland schools and at Columbia Basin College.
She’s an award-winning poet and novelist. Her first novel, “The Peculiars,” was published in 2012.
She followed it up with “Beyond the Door” and “The Telling Stone.”
All three are classified as young adult books, as is “Between Before & After,” although McQuerry said the latest novel has ample crossover appeal and is especially fitting for mother and daughters.
The book has dual narrators, jumping between 14-year-old Molly in mid-50s California and her mom, Elaine, in early 1900s New York.
McQuerry did extensive research for the novel, even traveling to New York to get the details right.
A resilient fairy tale
While her father’s story helped plant the seed for “Between Before & After,” McQuerry also was inspired by her mother, who passed on a love of fairy tales. The classic “Hansel and Gretel” is re-told between chapters.
McQuerry sees connections between it and her own novel.
“At its heart, (Hansel and Gretel) is a story of resiliency. One thing that fairy tales tell us is that childhood isn’t always easy, and that not everyone survives. But you can, and you can survive with your humanity intact,” she said.
“I think resiliency is a topic that we really need to pay attention to. How do you build resiliency in the lives of kids?” she said. “My story touches on that. The characters go through some difficult things, but in the end they are resilient.”
McQuerry spent years on the book, from nurturing the seed of an idea to fully realizing her vision.
During that time, her own life had a familial plot twist: she connected with two older “surprise” brothers she didn’t know she had, on her father’s side.
“Meeting them felt like closure on my own family story,” she told the Herald.
She dedicates “Between Before & After” to them.
McQuerry, who has several other projects in the works, said hopeful stories like “Between Before & After” feel vital right now.
“I think it’s really important today, in our climate, (to share these kinds of stories). And I think it’s important in the YA market in particular, that young people are reminded that there’s light on the other side of the woods,” she said.
For more on McQuerry’s writing and her upcoming book tour, go to maureenmcquerry.com or follow her on Facebook.
This story was originally published February 2, 2019 at 10:27 PM.
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