In October 2013, I posted a book review of “Comfort of Fences” by Stacy Overman Morrison.    At that time, I asked blog followers and personal friends to read Stacy’s book for the opportunity to connect with Stacy about it.    This blog post is the culmination of that effort.    A hearty “Thanks!” goes out to the readers that participated with the submission of great questions.   Here are those questions with Stacy’s answers following:

Question (Allison M. Dickson)

What was your greatest challenge in writing this book?

Answer:

My greatest challenge was overcoming self-doubt. I questioned whether I had anything original to say, worthy of a reader’s time. I questioned whether putting my daughter in a mother’s day out program so that I could have time to write was being a good mother. I mean, I was not working full-time in order to be home with her then putting her in a program so that I could have time alone to write. I think all mothers struggle with that doubt and I know that struggle helped me flesh out Ruth and her parenting style.

Question (Laura Garza)

Do you think Ruth realized she was becoming her mother by trying to control Denise’s life?

Answer

I think Ruth knew that she was controlling and truly believed that she knew best for Denise. I don’t think she viewed it as the same as her mother. Ruth saw her mother’s controlling ways as conditional love. Ruth loved Denise unconditionally but with many safety checks! 

Question (Laura Garza)

Did Mrs. Yoakum see herself in Georgia?

Answer

Yes, Miss Betsy did see herself in Georgia and had a healthy respect for that spunk steeled with strength. That is why she bequeathed her boots to Georgia. Big shoes to fill metaphorically! 

Question (Laura Garza)

We all choose to be in a fence that is comfortable.  Why did Georgia wish for Denise to expand her fence while Ruth did not?

Answer

Great question, Laura. First, Georgia and Ruth were totally different kinds of mothers. Ruth mentions that when she says that Georgia is more a push them out of the nest mother and she herself is more a hold on forever kind of mother. Also, Ruth lived her life in constant fear and chose the path that seemed safest, for both Denise and for herself. Losing a husband at such a young age, going through a tumultuous marriage, and having a life-threatening birthing experience made her cautious and fearful. Plus, she was raised in fear, always feeling that God or the devil one would “get” her. Georgia helped Ruth through these situations, but Georgia did not have these same challenges. Georgia saw life as more an adventure and wanted Denise to experience that aspect of life. Ruth saw life more a struggle and wanted to protect Denise as much as possible.  

Question (Wanda Moore)

Was Denise gay or did her mom just assume this because she didn’t have any relationships with the opposite sex?  

Answer

Denise was homosexual, yet extremely religious and so she was conditioned to believe that was a sin. Denise chose not to admit her sexual orientation, nor to act on it. She alludes to this early on and throughout, even physically burying her sexuality in the backyard with her mother’s “medicinal” pot.   

Question (Wanda Moore)

What did Denise mean when she said she chose her mom? 

Answer:

She meant that if she wanted to go, she would have. Her mother did not force her to stay. Denise had no desire to be anywhere than where she was. Her happily ever after was her mother, the safety of their lives, the access to her spiritual practice, the comfort of home.

Question (Wanda Moore)

Did Denise decide she just couldn’t live without her mom in her daily life or just that she could not function on her own?

Answer

Denise had nothing that tied her to this world after her mother was gone. She loved Mary, Mother of Jesus, she loved her mother, she loved God and the idea of heaven. She was ready to go to the great “home.” I think society has so conditioned us to develop attachments to things of this world (houses, careers, possessions, etc.) that Denise’s choice seems unfathomable. We are supposed to want to hold on, to do whatever is necessary to stay here. Denise did not buy into this ideology and truly had nothing here that made her want to stay. In fact, she certainly wanted to go on before Georgia died, too. Her greatest fear was not dying, but being left behind. 

Question (Elaine Gray)

The one question I have is related to the women issues you brought up in your story.    Some of the issues you wrote about are somewhat “taboo” in today’s society…….teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, alcoholism among housewives, women living in poverty, women living in the “background” of their husband’s lives…….but this is what made the story realistic because we know women are experiencing these issues every day.    Did you at any point feel challenged to “ease up” on the issues you presented in your story?

Answer

Another excellent question, Elaine. And resoundingly, yes, I did feel the challenge to “ease up.” I knew that my mother would be reading this book, my daughters (someday), my friends, neighbors and strangers, but I also knew that if the world could sing the praises of such taboo subjects as were explored in 50 Shades of Grey, it was my DUTY to try to present a realistic depiction of women’s lives and struggles. I would be honored to call Ruth, Georgia, Denise, and Miss Betsy friends and would hope I have women like them in my corner when I need it!  

I want to thank Stacy for connecting with my blog readers/friends and sharing more insight into the story that kept all of us up late at night because it was SO very hard to find a stopping point!    For those of you that have not read it yet, I highly recommend that you add it to your GoodReads list and pick it up to enjoy on that Spring Break of upcoming Summer vacation.