The morning of Feb. 1 began like any other in the life of Jillian Cantor: coffee, breakfast, help get the boys off to school.
But it was hardly another everyday day for one of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 most popular and successful authors. It was 鈥減ub day,鈥 publication day, release day for her 11th novel, 鈥淏eautiful Little Fools.鈥
HarperCollins is betting it will be Cantor鈥檚 biggest seller yet. Harper鈥檚 first edition in the U.S. had a press run of 100,000 copies 鈥 a big number for anyone writing popular fiction. The book released last month in Australia, and was chosen 鈥渂ook of the month鈥 by Australian Women鈥檚 Weekly.
Still, pub day came with butterflies.
鈥淚 get nervous every time,鈥 Cantor said. 鈥淪o, I have this book I鈥檝e been working on and thinking about every day for two or three years. Then, at long last, it鈥檚 out in the world for everyone to read. I feel the way I did during finals in college. I鈥檝e done all this work. Now I鈥檓 about to find out how I did.鈥
People are also reading…
There was a time when authors would start pub days at the airport, embarking on book tours that would include stops at bookstores, libraries and book festivals.
These numbing adventures were grounded by the COVID-19 outbreak two years ago, so today鈥檚 鈥渂ook tours鈥 are digital 鈥 virtual conversations shared with readers on Zoom, Crowdcast and Facebook Live.
On Feb. 1, Cantor took part in two of these sessions. One was with a Facebook reading group. The other was staged by the Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and included fellow novelist Fiona Davis.
鈥淚f I have my own pub day tradition, it鈥檚 a glass of Champagne in the evening,鈥 Cantor said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 out on tour this time, but I did have that glass of Champagne.鈥
In the last two weeks, Cantor has visited with 10 book groups from coast to coast. In the next week, she will speak with readers in Seattle, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
In-person and on-screen book tours both come with pluses and minuses, she said. 鈥淲hat I miss from an in-person tour is physically being in a bookstore and surrounded by books 鈥 and real people who love them. One of the rewarding things about digital tours is being able to present with authors I love to read. Like Fiona Davis. I鈥檝e been in conversations with authors all over.鈥
In 鈥淏eautiful Little Fools,鈥 Cantor revisits East Egg, Pembroke and the events painted so vividly by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his American classic, 鈥淭he Great Gatsby.鈥
Fitzgerald鈥檚 book concludes with Gatsby at the bottom of his pool. Cantor鈥檚 book begins there, with the investigation into the homeowner鈥檚 murder.
The women of Gatsby quickly become suspects, so their stories 鈥 and their lives 鈥 take centerstage in 鈥淏eautiful Little Fools.鈥 Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker and Myrtle Wilson said next to nothing in Fitzgerald鈥檚 novel. It turns out they had a lot to talk about.
Cantor describes her book as part retelling, part mystery and part historical fiction. The cultural context is key. In 鈥淏eautiful Little Fools,鈥 Cantor explores the role played by women in the early 20th century, an era better known for loud, brash men.
Strong-minded, underappreciated women have become Cantor鈥檚 calling card since she published her first historical novel, 鈥淢argot,鈥 in 2013.
It featured Margot Frank, Anne鈥檚 sister. 鈥淭he Hours Count鈥 introduced us to Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. 鈥淗alf Life鈥 reimagined the career choices made by Marie Currie.
Cantor鈥檚 biggest seller so far was 鈥淭he Lost Letter,鈥 which honored World War II freedom fighters in Europe. It has been translated and published in 12 languages.
Cantor says he she found her 鈥渧oice,鈥 and her audience, with 鈥淢argot.鈥
鈥淚鈥檝e always been drawn to strong women, extraordinary women who do extraordinary things but have been forgotten by history,鈥 Cantor said. 鈥淢argot Frank was the first one I wrote about. I loved doing it. It was pretty well-received. That kind of got me going.鈥
Cantor was one of the early travelers down the road of historical fiction that featured little-known women. Today, it has exploded into one of the most popular subgenres in fiction. Dozens of such stories dot the bestseller lists. Particularly popular are tales of heroic women during World War II.
鈥淏eautiful Little Fools鈥 is an interesting departure. Instead of featuring real-life characters, Cantor鈥檚 protagonists are fictional. No one is likely to complain. Daisy Buchanan may be the most famous woman in literature, perhaps better-known today than any of the women Cantor has featured before.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun,鈥 Cantor said. 鈥淟ike everybody else, I read the book and saw the movies. At some point I realized we never learned much about Daisy, Jordan and Myrtle. So 鈥︹
Not all of Cantor鈥檚 upcoming audiences will be digital. She will take part in the 蜜柚直播 Festival of Books March 12-13 at the University of 蜜柚直播.
FOOTNOTES
Writer, author and graphic designer Wynne Brown will serve as the 鈥淲riter in Residence鈥 this Spring at the Pima County Public Library. She has written four books and a number of deeply-researched stories for newspapers and magazines. She will offer eight, one-hour, one-on-one sessions each week to discuss your own story or book. She also will do interactive writing workshops on March 12 and April 23. For further information, visit the library鈥檚 website, library.pima.gov
Joy Williams, who divides her time between 蜜柚直播 and Laramie, Wyoming, is a finalist for this year鈥檚 Jean Stein Award from PEN America. A Pulitzer Prize winner and finalist for the National Book Award, Williams most recently authored 鈥淗arrow.鈥 The Jean Stein Award comes with a cash prize of $75,000.
Historian Annette Gordon-Reed will receive this year鈥檚 Founders Award from the 蜜柚直播 Festival of Books. It will be presented March 11. Gordon-Reed will be here for the book festival, which will begin the following day at the University of 蜜柚直播.
