Suzanne Parry

A new work week is here. With December around the corner, this year is fast approaching its end. I am enjoying this quiet time before Christmas and am reaching out to as many authors as I can. My reading has already led me to connect with some amazing ones and today, I am excited to host Suzanne Parry, author of Lost Souls of Leningrad, and learn from her. First, a look at the book:

---

Hi Suzanne. Welcome to Armed with A Book! Please tell me and my readers about yourself. 

I came very late to writing. I have not studied creative writing, have no MFA, and had no knowledge of the publishing industry when I started. A complete blank slate. But I’ve been an avid reader my entire life and recognize good writing. Some of the things I do in my own writing (for example, affect the emotions of the reader) were things that I found made me enjoy reading.

Other fun facts: I’ve been a runner since my early 20s and while I was at home raising my children, I raced many marathons. We lived overseas, so it was an opportunity to run in other countries. I have some good stories about rats in my hotel room in Hanoi, Vietnam and arriving at the starting line late in Vienna, Austria.

I was able to teach university briefly and part-time. I thought that was the career I’d be pursuing at this point in my life. But from the moment I started writing six+ years ago, it was clear that was the direction I should go. 

You used to be a security specialist. What kind of experiences did you have in your career?

I worked at the Pentagon in the 1980s, dealing with arms control issues in Europe. I was a senior member of the US Delegation to the Conference on Disarmament in Europe in Stockholm, Sweden and helped negotiate the first security agreement of the Gorbachev era. I loved working for the US Defense Department and found policy-making in the US government a fascinating and collaborative process. I worked with many devoted, caring, and honest people, Europeans and Americans, military and civilians. Those years serving the US were what made me such a believer in democratic government as a force for good.

Let’s chat about Lost Souls of Leningrad. You write historical fiction about the Soviet Union. What attracts you to the place and time? Why did you choose 1940s Russia as the setting for Lost Souls of Leningrad?

When I was in college, I spent a semester studying in Moscow. That experience led to a deep interest in the Soviet Union, the Russian people, culture, and history. While on a short trip to Leningrad at that time, I visited the city’s largest cemetery, Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery where almost 500,000 victims of the World War II Nazi siege of the city are buried. There are no names to memorialize those that died, just simple, stark, immaculately groomed mass graves. Conditions at the time were so brutal that it was impossible to identify the dead. Entire families starved to death. I was so moved that when I eventually decided to write a novel it had to be about Leningrad. 

I loved Sofie and Lena. What do you do to get inside your character’s heads? 

That’s such a difficult question! I spend a lot of time thinking about my characters: whether they are shy or outgoing, selfish or generous, high energy or sedate, formal or informal, what drives them, their hopes and dreams. There’s a long list of characteristics that I have in mind as I’m writing, and in every scene I try to let some of those characteristics shine through.

How did you research for Lost Souls of Leningrad? 

I read most of what has been written in English about the siege of Leningrad. Until I knew the intimate details of what the average citizens experienced, I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell the story. I built my story using the most significant events of the siege as the framework. I wanted this to be an intimate epic, if there is such a thing. The siege itself was an enormous disaster. But I wanted my story to be focused on a small group of people. So, I created a family. Each of those family members experiences different things during the blockade which allowed me to include much of the actual siege history. 

After I had written a rough draft, I spent a couple of weeks in St. Petersburg, Russia. I had been there a couple of times already, but this time I had a guide with intimate knowledge of the siege. There is nothing like being there to get all sorts of details correct. The setting is such an important part of the story that I had to spend a lot of time wandering the city.

What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?

The great tragedies. There are two train station bombings that are depicted in detail that were very difficult to write. 

What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft? 

It’s fair to say that I learned to write as I was writing the book. The first draft was entirely miserable! I knew nothing about writing when I started. Oh, the bones were there, but I had yet to figure out point of view, establish a voice, develop pacing and tension, and so many other things. So, I held onto the bones but rewrote nearly every sentence.

Moving on, I am curious about your practice of writing. What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you? Have you ever experienced it? 

I haven’t been a writer long enough to have experienced writer’s block! Seriously, when the words won’t come or the scene seems murky, I go for a run or a walk. I get some of my best ideas when I’m out in nature. Just today I had to stop running, pull my phone out and record five or six sentences.

How long have you been writing or when did you start? 

I started writing this novel in early 2016. It was my first writing project.

It’s November and writers around the world take part in NaNoWriMo! Have you taken part in it? 

I have not. But last November I used NaNoWriMo as incentive to finish the rough draft of my second novel. I managed to write 30k words and nearly completed the difficult sections that had been unfinished. I’m disciplined, so NaNoWriMo would suit me. I’d like to do it with a brand-new project sometime.

What advice would you give to a new writer to historical fiction?

Don’t skimp on the research. And write lots of backstory so you get to know your characters. You won’t use most of the backstory in your novel, but it will help your characters come alive.

Are there parts of history that you want to explore next in your writing?

After I’ve written my fill about the Soviet Union in World War II, I’d like to explore the Cold War era. As a student in Moscow, I had an interaction with the KGB (Soviet secret police) that I’d like to find its way into a novel.

Now for a few questions about reading, what book (or books) are you currently reading? 

I am reading The Empress Chronicles by Suzy Vitello. I don’t watch much television but recently devoured The Empress on Netflix. This book is about the same Empress Sisi.

How important is reading for a writer?

You cannot be an accomplished writer unless you are an avid reader. The sound and rhythm of language need to be accessible to a writer. Years of reading does that. 

What are some fiction novels you would recommend to readers who loved your book?

In terms of books about Leningrad, I highly recommend City of Thieves by David Benioff, The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean, The Siege by Helen Dunmore, and The Conductor by Sarah Quigley. For readers who enjoy multiple points of view and short chapters, I recommend Once Night Falls by Roland Merullo. His book is about Italy in WWII, but resembles mine in terms of structure.

Thank you so much for your time Suzanne! 🙂

You are so welcome! Thank you!

---

Thank you for hanging out with Suzanne and me! Connect with Suzanne on her website, Facebook and Instagram.

Add the book to your TBR on Goodreads. Read my review here.

---

Cover Photo by Serj Sakharovskiy on Unsplash