We chat with author Renée Ahdieh about Park Avenue, which marks her adult debut and features an enchanting cast of characters holding dangerous secrets set against luxurious backdrops with distinct style.
Park Avenue follows ambitious junior partner Jia Song on the high-profile case of the Park family involving family drama, chilling secrets, and deceit. Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to write this book?
I’ve always wanted to write a book celebrating my Korean heritage, and something clicked when I read this NYT piece a few years ago about a wealthy couple who were going through a difficult divorce because it turned out the husband had hidden the majority of their wealth in bank accounts around the world so he could cheat his wife out of half of their jointly earned estate. I wanted to examine what would make a man justify stealing hundreds of millions of dollars—money she earned—from the mother of his kids. And, of course, I loved and hated Succession for the same reason. The question of money’s power to corrupt and the effects of extreme wealth is something in the forefront of so many people’s minds today, and I thought exploring the inner workings of a badly behaving billionaire Korean family would be fascinating, especially in the context of these different immigrant experiences. Jia comes from a working class family of Korean immigrants, and the Park family’s American Dream is in stark contrast to that.
Park Avenue is your adult debut! What are you most excited for your fans to encounter with this book? How was writing Park Avenue a different experience than writing your previous titles?
I love writing for young adult audiences because the feeling of something being new and fresh—with every emotion and experience ringing true to life—is what I look for in a book. That nostalgia and earnestness just can’t be beaten. But in an adult book, I get to approach things from a lens of deeper world experience. There’s a jadedness to it, of course, but it feels real in a different way. And I like getting to have characters behave badly without any need for redemption or the kind of lesson I often want to impart to younger readers. The Park family is filled with broken people, but, to me, this brokenness is what makes them relatable when so much of their lived experience is the stuff of fantasy.
The Park siblings Sora, Suzy, and Minsoo all have intriguing and, oftentimes, conflicting personalities. As readers get deeper into the Park family drama, it becomes more apparent how their flaws and individual aims may cause larger conflict in their case. How did you approach writing each of the Park siblings and their relationships with each other? Who was the most fun character to write?
Fittingly, I can’t really choose whom I preferred writing, especially between Suzy and Sora. Suzy is such an id kind of character, while, to me, Sora embodies ego. Writing about someone who seemingly doesn’t care about anything, like Suzy, is so fun. She’s an agent of chaos. Sora, to me, is like a living house of cards. An intricate one with turrets and many stories and architectural intrigue, but so close to toppling over at the first well-timed breeze. With Minsoo, I wanted to write about a character whose pain is turned fully inward. At first glance, he seems to be the most well-adjusted of the three, but in reality he’s a dormant volcano waiting to erupt.
Jia’s relationship with her own family is a driving force for her Fifth Avenue aspirations as she struggles with the pressure she feels to succeed. Why was it important for you to include these pressures she feels? What foundation of support do you believe Jia’s family provides for her as she reckons with her own high expectations?
I think this is something universal among immigrant families, regardless of where they come from. Any kid from any walk of life bears the weight of their parents’ expectations or choices, of course, but immigrants carry another layer. Often I think the children of immigrants put too much on their shoulders because they see on a deeper level the sacrifices their parents made to give them these opportunities. It’s like an odd kind of privilege tinged in a specific kind of guilt. I know Jia’s family is always rooting for her, but her need to prove herself isn’t just about getting that Birkin bag. It’s about being able to provide in a real way for the people who gave up everything—their homeland, their security, their sense of self—on the promise of nothing more than a dream. How do you pay someone back for that? Moreover, is it even possible, or are the children of immigrants always fighting a losing battle between who they want to be and who they know they need to be?
Set against the luxurious backdrop of the Manhattan elite, Park Avenue also carries readers across the globe to places like Seoul with its elaborate night life and the gorgeous Cayman Islands just to name a few. How did you approach writing about these wondrous landscapes? What research or inspiration did you draw from when writing about the world of this socialite family?
I love writing about places I’ve had the privilege of visiting because travel is one of my greatest joys in life. All the locations I describe in Park Avenue, I’ve been able to see in person, and I think that’s what makes writing about them so fun. I get to return to a memory and convey the experience through all the senses. I always think every place has its own unique scent and its own patina. It was especially fun to write them from the vantage of extreme wealth. That’s not my personal experience, haha, but getting to imagine what it must be like flying on private jets and spending a ridiculous amount of money on something frivolous is just that. A peek behind the curtain. I also think it helps put into focus the things that truly matter. Being on a gorgeous beach in the Caribbean with a mansion behind you is wonderful, but the person or people you’re with? That can make or break anything. I am thrilled with a backyard BBQ as long as I’m with my people. But I won’t deny that Paris with a bestie or Seoul with my soulmate is also pretty special.
Romance is also a key part of the narrative in Park Avenue through Jia’s journey of healing from past wounds and the possibility of finding new love. What did you enjoy most about writing Jia’s romance arc? How do you feel that love impacts Jia’s overarching character development?
I can’t help but write a romance into any book of mine. To me, love and fear are the greatest equalizers. They are the highest highs and the lowest lows. I think when we truly love ourselves, we learn to love other people, and vice versa. Jia is someone who has never really had a chance to explore what she loves about herself. What she truly wants in life. She has ideas and goals and hopes and dreams, but she doesn’t really have a grounded sense of what gives her peace. There’s a line spoken by a character in Park Avenue that represents something I often think about. She says that all she wants for those she loves is the space to dream. When we allow ourselves to dream, we get closer to that true sense of peace. Jia has a lot of pain in her past, but she also has a lot to be proud of and a lot to be thankful for. To me, that balance of recognizing the lessons learned and the path to growth is key, especially in finding love.
There are so many wonderful food references in the novel! The way you describe different recipes in Park Avenue makes each dish sound truly mouth-watering. What was your favorite dish to include while writing this novel? What role do you believe food plays in Jia’s story?
I will never turn away a bowl of freshly made tteokbokki. That rosé style one is a personal favorite of mine, but I also had so much fun describing the outlandish meal the Park family shared in Paris. I’ve always loved scenes of a family around a dinner table, because it doesn’t matter how fancy the food is or how stunning the backdrop may be. Family is going to family at a table, for better or for worse. Also, to me, food is a universal language. I may not be able to understand what someone is saying, but if I try their food, I instantly learn something about who they are and where they came from.
Park Avenue is a perfect blend of legal mystery, family drama, romance, and more. How did you manage to blend these different genres together into this captivating literary marvel? What made you want to include all of these elements in this particular story?
First of all, thank you so much. Honestly, I always try to write what I want to read. These kinds of transportive stories that blend different genres are what excite me. I don’t want to be pigeonholed into any one thing, and I think a well-written story should make me cry and laugh and swoon and sit on the edge of my seat turning pages into the wee hours of the night. If I can give a reader that experience, it is the greatest compliment.
Without giving away any spoilers, what was one of your favorite scenes in the book to write?
There is a scene in a fancy Korean karaoke bar that delighted me for many reasons. It’s emotional and ridiculous and, hopefully, gutting because it was so human. The pain and anger of deep betrayal shows itself in so many ways, and I love writing something where a reader can understand all sides of the story. You may have a preference, but you get where each person is coming from because the emotions ring true.
What books are currently on your nightstand?
I just started Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis after getting to hang out with her at a book festival! I also have the latest Kerri Maniscalco book, Allison Borstein’s Wear It Well, and a book about poison that’s research for my next project.
Lastly, we have to ask – what are you working on next? Without giving too much away, can you give readers any hints as to what they can expect from your next book?
I am so in love with the book I’m working on now. Without giving too much away, it’s about a serial killer who targets bad men. She is fun and funny and dark and unapologetic, and I can’t wait for readers to meet her.
