This episode of Marginalia features a nice chat I had recently with Laura Barnett about her first novel, The Versions of Us. The book actually features three stories that focus on one couple, Eva and Jim. The stories vary quite differently because at some random point during each story, a seemingly harmless decision was made which altered the characters’s course. And instead of presenting one version of their life in its entirety before moving to the next, Laura shares three different beginnings, followed by three versions of what happened next, and so on, making for a very careful read.
Laura spoke to me via Skype from her home in England. Here’s our conversation.
The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Marginalia was produced at KMUW - Wichita. Discover new episodes at kmuw.org or through iTunes.
Editor: LuAnne Stephens
Engineer: Jon Cyphers
Producer: Beth Golay