Lara Bazelon’s A Good Mother is a gripping debut thriller about two young mothers, one shocking murder and a court case that puts them both on trial.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Lara about A Good Mother, writing, the challenges she faced, and so much more!
Hi, Lara! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I am a law professor and a former federal public defender. I am also the mother of a 12 year old boy and a 10 year old girl. We talk a lot of true crime at the dinner table.
My best friend likes to joke that some parts of my brain are over-developed and other parts never developed at all. When it comes to the courtroom, I have a decent amount of talent. When it comes to sense of direction, basic home repairs, or remembering where I parked the car, not so much.
How is your 2021 going in comparison to that other year?
On the whole, much better. My children are back in school part time. And in the Racial Justice Clinic that I direct at the University of San Francisco School of Law, my students and I were able to exonerate our client, who was sentenced to die in prison for a crime he did not commit! You can read more here.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
The first book I remember reading is Little House in the Big Woods. I became obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her entire family. I loved reading the series aloud to my children.
The book that made me want to become a writer was Ordinary People by Judith Guest. I re-read it once a year and it stops my heart every time.
The book I can’t stop thinking about is Room, by Emma Donoghue. It haunts me to this day. I stayed up all night reading it and cried for hours afterward. I truly believe that the characters are real and I am constantly wondering what happened to them. Mostly, I wonder if Ma is okay.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
In second grade. My grandmother told wonderful stories about her childhood. Each story was an adventure where she was the protagonist—a fierce, flawed protagonist. I would write them down in my Mead notebook at school.
Your debut novel, A Good Mother, is out May 11th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Suspenseful, shocking, scary, searing, sexy.
What can readers expect?
To have their expectations thoroughly upended when it comes to guilt and innocence, right and wrong, motherhood and ambition.
Where did the inspiration for A Good Mother come from?
A case from the early 2000s in Los Angeles. Two of my former colleagues defended a young mother accused of murdering her husband on an army base in Turkey. I watched every minute of the trial, riveted.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Oh, where to begin. Writing is excruciatingly difficult and there are always a million excuses not to do it. I have to scrub the bathroom tile with a toothbrush! I need to go to Trader Joe’s for the third time today because I forgot the parmesan cheese! I definitely need to doom-scroll through Twitter for the fifth time in five minutes!
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I had the most fun writing from the perspective of the male co-protagonist. It’s fun being a guy—at least for a little while. My favourite moments came at the end, particularly the short scene with Abby, the female trial lawyer protagonist, and Antoine, the investigator, right before the verdict.
What drew you towards the thriller genre?
Thrillers are the books I love reading most. They tend to have snappy dialogue, edgy characters, and twists and turns that keep me turning the pages into the night.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best: Just do it.
The worst: You should be writing 1,000 words every day. Just reading that sentence makes me feel defeated.
What’s next for you?
I am writing another thriller. Just a germ of an idea for the moment, but I am having fun with it!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Yes. Miracle Creek by Angie Kim is the best book I read in 2020. She is masterful at creating a rich backstory while also propelling the reader forward with one plot twist after another.
