The Boy in the Photo by Nicole Trope is a touching story about reuniting with one’s child and trying to get to know him again. Daniel was taken from Megan by her ex-husband when he was six years old. Since his abduction, Megan put all her efforts in finding him, with no success. Then, six years later, Daniel walks into a police station, two hour drive from where Megan lives, and identifies himself. What follows is a narrative about bringing a lost child home, getting him adjusted to his mother’s new life, while trying to get him out of the shadow of his now-dead father.
I had the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley as well as talk to the author, Nicole Trope, about her inspiration for the story, book recommendations and much more! My thoughts on the book can be found in this post.
My curiosity about The Boy in the Photo
- The Boy in the Photo is the story of a boy returning to his mother after many years. Why did you choose to address this idea?
I think the idea arrived when there was a lot of press in Australia about a mother who had attempted to kidnap her own children back from Lebanon, where their father had taken them. Her heartbreak was terrible to see. The attempt failed and she was left without her children who remain in the custody of their father. I thought that the father could only keep them away from their mother as long as they were children and I hoped that one day the family would be reunited. I began to wonder what they would be like as adults and that’s how the novel began. Children are so easily manipulated because they have no choice but to trust their caregivers. I wanted to explore the idea of what happened when a child, raised by an abusive sociopath, returned home to the mother he’d been taught to hate. - How do you select the names of your characters – Megan and Daniel? Are they just names that appeal to you, did you look them up for a special meaning?
I’m really not very good with names and sometimes have to sit and think about them for some time. I don’t really look for special meanings. With this novel Megan was just Megan from the minute I thought about her. Daniel did actually have a different name before he revealed himself to really be Daniel. I prefer it when character’s names arrive with them, it makes them much easier to write about. - Technology played a huge role in Megan’s life to help coupe with her situation. However, people on the Internet are not always who we think they are. What advice would you offer to someone who is in emotional pain and looking to the Internet for comfort?
The internet is both a disturbing and wonderful place to find connection. I would have loved to have it as a resource when I was a teenager and imagined I was the only one feeling the way I was feeling. But there is, of course, a dark side to sharing your pain with strangers because you can never be certain of what motivates them to listen and to share. I think you have to be careful who you allow into your life and how much you share. I constantly remind my children to never give out personal details about themselves. But I do feel that sometimes it’s easier to discuss something with a stranger, with someone who has no agenda or personal connection to you. A stranger can never be hurt by your feelings about your situation; whereas a family member or a friend might not be able to separate your pain from their relationship with you. - For someone who was introduced to your works through this novel, which of your other books would you recommend to them to read next and why?
My Daughter’s Secret is my first novel published with
Bookouture and it was published in March this year. I have loved working with my editor and the whole team at Bookouture and I believe that they have really pushed me to achieve my best work so far. For older books, I recommend, The Boy Under the Table because it is such a different story and Blame is also one that had very good critical reviews. I love them all of course. - At the end of the story, Daniel starts to see Michael as a father. What do you think brought about that change? I would have loved to know more about how that relationship developed! 🙂
This answer contains some spoilers…
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I think Daniel develops his trust of Michael over the weeks he is home as he sees the way Michael treats his mother, and even the careful way he treats him. Michael doesn’t push and he is acutely aware of Daniel’s boundaries. He makes the final jump to viewing Michael as a father figure at the end after he has been completely betrayed and everything descends into chaos. Daniel takes Evie and realises that he and his sister will both be safe when Michael comes. He has absolute faith that he will come to take care of them and he does. I do see them as very close in the future. Michael is a great father.
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My curiosity about Nicole’s writing routine
- Some people take a notebook or notepad with them wherever they go, in case of a sudden flash of inspiration hits them. Are you one of them?
No, I’m a scrap of paper person, which does not always work to my advantage. The house is littered with bits of paper with vague sentences like: ‘How come he isn’t dead yet?’ written on them. I have no idea what visitors make of them. If I’m out I sometimes send myself or my husband a text. He never knows quite what to make of my messages either😊I’m sure he would prefer me to text: bring milk, instead. - Are there any books that you would say influenced and shaped you as a writer? I got some good recommendations from this article that you have on your Goodreads.
I read so much. I read on my kindle and I borrow from the library and aside from the books I’ve mentioned in the linked article, I think it’s just the act of reading that shapes me. It is my very favourite thing to do. I like to go to the library and pick a letter and discover a new author so that I can widen my reading. I have just discovered Barbara Pym and I can’t believe I haven’t read her before. - Do you hide any secrets in your books that only readers will find?
Not really, although sometimes I will reread a passage and have an emotional reaction to it and realize that I have worked through something that’s been bothering me in my own life. It seems as though my writing often reveals something to me about myself that I was unaware of. - How did you write this book? Did you have a preferred time of the day when you worked at it, a special place where you would go?
I write when my children are at school, usually after a morning spent on domestic chores. But it feels like the act of planning a novel is always happening regardless of where I am or what I’m doing; hence the pieces of paper all over the house. - What would you tell your younger self when it comes to writing?
If this is what you really want then you’d better be prepared for years and years of rejection. Before you begin along this path you will think only of the reward but the work will eventually be the reward itself. Don’t get too despondent at your first big rejection-there will be many more and you’ll become, not used to it, but more able to deal with it. And then finally there will be readers and bloggers who make it all worth it.
The Boy in the Photo is now available in stores. My thoughts on it can be found here. 🙂
I have come to really enjoy your writing, but I wish there were book club questions for “the Boy in the Photo”
I do too! Thanks for checking out the interview! 🙂
I like this post. I wish you had asked her if she wrote anything that was NOT about missing children or dead children. I read Step Child and this one The Boy in the Photo. I liked them very much. However I don’t want to read only about missing kids. It is kind of the same book with different names. Thanks for the article.