We chat with author Lai Sanders about The Plans I Have For You, which is a timely, razor-sharp thriller exploring race and privilege.
Hi, Lai! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Of course — thank you so much for having me. My name is Lai, pronounced like the English word “lie”. I grew up outside Atlanta, went to school in Washington D.C., and now split my time between Lebanon and France. As well as being a writer, I work in international development and find great joy in collecting shiba inu-themed souvenirs during my travels; between bathmats, cushions, stickers and socks, I’ve amassed a pretty robust collection.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was extremely fortunate to have grown up in a family that loves reading. My parents taught me how to read in both Chinese and English when I was very young, and by age six or so I was already reading novels and fantasizing about writing my own. I sketched out a story in my school notebook about a tiny girl who’s small enough to fit in a flower petal and was so proud of myself, thinking I was some child author prodigy — that was before I realized I had essentially plagiarized the plot of Thumbelina.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: There’s no way this won’t sound ridiculously pretentious, but I think it was Jane Eyre, when I was around six. I was staying at my grandparents’ apartment that summer, and it was one of the few books on my grandfather’s bookshelf that wasn’t about engineering. All I remember is having recurring nightmares about the scary lady that lived in the attic.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, about a young girl from a modest middle class background who struggles to fit into a wealthy New England boarding school. I read it at fourteen and couldn’t stop crying; I had never felt so seen by a novel before, and it was so powerful.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: One of the best books I’ve read recently is There Is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone, a brilliant and heartbreaking work of narrative journalism that follows the stories of five working families in Atlanta that are struggling to find housing. It’s opened my eyes so much to the brutal, systemic challenge of housing insecurity in a capitalist society, and I hope it reaches as many readers as possible, especially policymakers.
Your debut novel, The Plans I Have for You, is out March 17th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Angry. Uncomfortable. Provocative. Tragic. And perhaps bittersweet.
What can readers expect?
I’m very happy to leave that part up to the reader, as the way we connect with stories can be so personal — but my secret hope is that readers will feel conflicted. Is this character a hero or a villain? Do the ends always justify the means? Who gets the final say on what it means to deliver justice? My favorite stories are the type that refuses to offer easy answers and black-and-white judgments, so I hope I’ve been able to do that as well in my own book.
Where did the inspiration for The Plans I Have for You come from?
Before writing The Plans I Have for You, I had written two other manuscripts but wasn’t able to find a literary agent to represent them. Every day, a new rejection would pop into my inbox, and I’d feel completely dejected and ashamed, as though the agents weren’t just rejecting my book, but me as a person. Around this time, I started working with a great new therapist, and she helped me to not only identify parallels between being rejected as a writer and all the other ways I’d struggled with rejection throughout my life — universities, dream jobs, relationships — but also trace the roots of this pain back to the ways in which some of my core needs weren’t met as a child. This book is a work of fiction, of course, but its exploration of how unresolved childhood trauma can shape our actions and belief systems as adults is both very personal and very universal.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
In my original manuscript, at a pivotal point of the story, the two main characters break into MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, at midnight. My agent and I didn’t think it was that implausible, but when we were trying to sell this novel to a publisher, we received one very lengthy rejection from an editor who cited this scene as the reason she was passing; she simply couldn’t buy that two ordinary people could sneak into such a prestigious and well-guarded museum and get away with it. The editor who eventually acquired the book also thought it was unrealistic, and I ended up moving the scene to a new location and rewriting the whole chapter from scratch. It’s now one of my favorite parts of the book. (Although, in light of the successful Louvre heist of October 2025, I am slightly tempted to say “told you so.”)
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
It was often difficult to find a healthy equilibrium between my full-time job, my writing, and other aspects of my personal life. If I’m being honest, my interpersonal relationships were sometimes relegated to the back seat while I was feverishly drafting the book, and so did other important things like sleeping properly, exercising, and setting aside time for other meaningful activities. Two years later, I’m still digging myself out of that deficit — and learning to slow down and be present, physically and mentally.
What do you hope readers might take away from The Plans I Have for You?
Writing is such a lonely craft that it’s already a huge gift just to hear that someone has read my book; I’m happy for them to take away whatever they’d like.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I don’t come from a “traditional” writing background; my degree is in international affairs, and I’ve spent my entire career working for nonprofits. Publishing is a very opaque industry that favors connection and privilege, and even with one book under my belt, there are still days where it feels like a completely foreign world. I take great comfort in the fact that I’m far from the only person who feels like the odd one out: two of my dear friends are trained lawyers, and they are both brilliant, beautiful published novelists with many stories to tell. If they can do it, then so can I.
What’s next for you?
I’ve finished drafting a second book that readers who liked The Plans I Have for You might find enjoyable as well. It’s not a thriller, but it also weaves together female rage, an intoxicating romance, and elements of Chinese folklore that add a speculative edge. Fingers crossed that this book will also find its way into bookstores one day.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I attended a writing conference last week and learned about two forthcoming books through word of mouth: The Blue Hours by Stephanie Krzywonos, a memoir of grief and healing in Antarctica, and Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu, a novel inspired by the Hawaii false missile alert of 2018. I can’t wait to get my hands on these books.
