Described as “a speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power“, we had the pleasure of talking to author Kim Liggett about her upcoming novel, The Grace Year. She chats about what inspired her to write this story, along with the challenges she faced, the novel being optioned by Elizabeth Banks, and book recommendations!
Hi Kim! Tell us a little about yourself!
I’m originally from the rural Midwest, but I live in New York City. It’s probably because I’m a massive introvert, but I really enjoy the anonymity that comes with city life. I can be alone without ever being lonely.
Your new novel, The Grace Year, publishes on October 8th. If you could only use five words to describe your novel, what would they be?
Feminist. Survival. Gutting. Hopeful. Magic.
What inspired you to write The Grace Year?
I’ve never had a book come to me this way. And I probably never will again. It felt like magic.
I was in Penn Station, staring up at the board, willing my train to arrive, when I noticed a girl in front of me. Probably thirteen or fourteen, long and lean, bouncing on the tips of her toes, thoroughly annoying her parents and younger siblings. She had the nervous energy of a girl on the verge of womanhood. Of change.
A man in a business suit walked by, instinctively looking her way, stem to stern, as they say. I knew that look. She was fair game now. Prey.
And then I noticed a woman pass, drawn to that same energy, but I imagined for entirely different reasons. As she surveyed the girl, a look of sadness, possibly disdain, clouded her eyes. Maybe it was a reminder of everything she’d lost…everything she thought she’d never get back, but this girl was now competition.
As the family’s train was announced, they rushed to the gate and said their goodbyes. They were clearly sending the girl back to boarding school. She waved the entire escalator ride down and I couldn’t help but notice the relief on her parent’s faces. For another year, she’d be tucked away from the world. Safe.
“The things we do to young girls,” I whispered under my breath.
In a daze, I walked to my train, and when I sat down in my seat, I began to weep. I cried for that girl. I cried for my daughter, my mother, my sister, my grandmothers.
I opened my computer and by the time I got to D.C. the book was completely plotted. The beginning and ending had been written, and I knew I didn’t have a choice. I had to write this book.
Were there any challenges you faced while writing?
It was a really difficult headspace to be in for such a prolonged period of time. Writing this book was the only way I knew how to unpack everything I was feeling—all of the pain, fear and resentment over what was happening in the world. It felt like I was carrying around a heavy weight. It definitely took a toll—mentally, physically, spiritually—but I came out so much stronger in the end.
This book changed me. It changed the way I write, the way I see the world and my place in it, but more importantly, it changed the way I view women. As soon as I softened my gaze, a whole new world opened up. Instead of standing back, silently passing judgement, I began to lean in with empathy and compassion. There’s wisdom to be found in meeting women where they are, not where you want them to be. Because, after all, there are a million ways to be a feminist. There are a million ways to fight.
From start to final revision, how long did The Grace Year take you?
We sold it on proposal, but I had to set it aside for half a year while I finished up another book. I remember being so worried that I would lose that spark, but the break only seemed to intensify my resolve. One rough first draft. Three intense revisions. And lots of tinkering in pass pages. All in all, three years.
What do you hope readers will take away from your novel?
I can promise lots of chills and thrills, but my hope is that by the time they’ve turned the last page, they’ll feel as if they survived right alongside the remaining grace year girls, that they’ve come out the other side, changed.
What was it like when you found out that The Grace Year had been optioned by Universal with Elizabeth Banks at the helm?
Everything happened so quickly! I had just turned in my revision when a slew of foreign offers came in and “film interest” started entering conversations. Honestly, I didn’t think much of it. It seemed so pie in the sky. It wasn’t until my agents suggested that I get an entertainment attorney that I realized this was serious. And Elizabeth Banks is serious business. She’s an actress, director, producer, activist, and probably a dozen other things that I don’t even know about, but her company, Brownstone Productions, is at the forefront of bringing female centric projects—especially books— to the screen. As soon as we spoke, I knew it was the perfect match. I went out to Los Angeles last week to meet with the entire team, and I can tell you that The Grace Year is in excellent hands.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
On the writing side: Keep learning. Keep reaching. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Every time I start a new book, I think I’m out my depth—that the skill level needed is way above my paygrade. I’m terrified that I won’t be good enough, but I do it anyway. That’s the only way I know how to grow.
On the business side: Let the success of others be a motivator, not a hindrance. The Grace Year is my fifth book, and let’s be real, most of my author friends were a lot more successful than I was out of the gate. You can either look at it like, why do they have that and I don’t? or That’s so cool. Maybe I’ll have that someday. It’s a subtle shift in perspective, but really necessary if you’re going to be in this for the long haul. There’s an ebb and flow to everything. If you stay focused on the craft, you will only be competing with yourself.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on two books, one for adults, the other for young adults, both centering around similar themes—the unusual circumstances that bring women together, and how we can find understanding in a world that wants to tear us apart.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for us?
I have a million, but here are a few of my latest reads that I’m still thinking about.
I loved Three Women by Lisa Taddeo– it was such a compelling read.
The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker—smart, thought provoking, binge-worthy.
The Night Country by Melissa Albert – a beautiful dark modern fairy tale
And I adored Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga—a stunning middle grade novel told in verse.
