In today’s Author Spotlight, Sydney Dunlap chats with author Jenny Mattern about her highly acclaimed new middle-grade novel, Where the Light Shines In.
Jenny Mattern is a crafter of stories, a fledgling poet, and a cake-for-breakfast enthusiast who wishes she lived in a tiny cottage on a windswept cliff above the sea. Alas, she lives in the mountains in a landlocked state—lovely, yes, but much too far from the roar of the ocean for her liking.
All About the Book!
“If there’s one thing my thirteen years of life have taught me, it’s that having parents who love you doesn’t erase the somebody else who brought you into the world.”
Despite being adopted into a loving family, thirteen-year-old Gloria feels as if her life is a bit too much like the crossword puzzles she and her dad enjoy solving together: too many empty spaces and not enough clues.
For as long as she can remember, Gloria has studied the faces of random women in the hopes of finding her birth mother. But when she finally lands on the perfect candidate, it’s in a place she never could have expected–an obituary photo. Determined to learn more about this dead woman who looks just like her, Gloria embarks on a secret mission to fill in the gaps of her origin story.
At first, finding answers about her past feels exactly right. But as the lies Gloria tells keep piling up, and as each step toward her biological family takes her farther from the parents who have loved her forever, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever be able to fill her empty spaces. Because how can you feel truly whole when you’re shattering from the inside out?
Interview with Jenny Mattern
I absolutely loved Where the Light Shines In. The characters were so real and so relatable. What a beautifully-written, heartfelt story about a girl adopted into a loving family who seeks to find out the truth about her birth parents. What was the inspiration behind it?
Thank you so much! This story was inspired by my youngest daughter, who first joined our family as a 3-week-old foster baby. We later adopted her, and that “baby” turns 15 in a few months. I recently heard the term “adoption constellation,” which I prefer to what I’ve always called the “adoption triangle.” In its simplest form, adoption touches the lives of birth parents, adoptive parents, and—most of all—adoptees, who also happen to be the most powerless ones in the equation. However, it can have ripples far beyond these three. The experience of fostering and adopting opened my eyes to some of the emotional complexity at play within this constellation.
I am not adopted, and I would never claim to understand all the nuances that go along with that, but I began writing Where the Light Shines In with the goal of helping my daughter—and all adoptees—feel seen. Though this book is for anyone who enjoys character-driven, heartfelt middle grade, my main goal for this story is that it would help open lines of communication in adoptive families and beyond.
Craft
Kirkus calls it “a sensitive, introspective look at the complexities of being an adoptee” in its starred review. Congratulations! You do such a great job exploring Gloria’s journey to fill in the gaps in her history, and to show how one lie leads to another until she is in over her head. Please share a bit about your writing process. Are you a plotter or pantser?
I definitely fall on the pantser end of the continuum. In order to start writing, I need to have a good idea of who my main character is and at least a vague idea of the overall plot, but if I try to plan too much beyond that it makes me feel trapped.
You crafted a complex mystery that is sure to leave readers turning the pages quickly to see what happens next. What were the hardest and the easiest parts of writing this story?
Every single one of the characters in this story walked onto the page fully formed. That was by far the easiest part of writing! The hardest was probably tackling all the big feelings. Adoption is such a complicated issue and is always born of loss. I really wanted to do justice to that while avoiding a storyline that felt too heavy. Trying to authentically represent deep emotions and write scenes that are balanced with lighthearted moments ended up being far more difficult than I expected. Along with what it might be like to be adopted and on a quest to find one’s biological family, readers will also learn a bit about DNA. The scientific elements fit into the story seamlessly.
What was your research process, and how did you decide which facts to include?
Once I started researching DNA, it was hard to stop. It’s such a fascinating subject! I ended up learning a lot and tried to cram in as many interesting facts as I could without distracting from the overall storyline.
Characters
Gloria’s relationships with the other characters were nuanced and heartwarming. Do you have a favorite secondary character? Who and why?
Oh goodness. I love them all, but writing the scenes with Lottie and Gloria was my favorite part. I love Lottie’s spunk and sass, and her loyalty to Gloria is a beautiful part of who she is. It was so much fun to juxtapose these two characters’ very different personalities alongside one another.
Setting
I adored your description of the Pacific Northwest. It was so immersive and authentic. What is your connection to that area?
I grew up in the Seattle area—Kent, to be exact. I’ve also lived in Federal Way, Puyallup, and Port Orchard, and have/had family in Gig Harbor and Fox Island. Although I’ve resided in Montana for most of my adult life, my mom and much of her family still live in western Washington, so we visit a fair amount. As for Orcas Island, I grew up spending a week in that magical place every summer. It is one of those places that anchors itself in your soul.
Fun fact: I wrote many of the scenes that take place there soon after my husband and I returned from our 20th wedding anniversary getaway, which we spent in a cottage near Obstruction Pass State Park. If you look at Google images from there, you will be transported to the setting of Amanda’s little cottage by the sea and might just catch a glimpse of Curtis and Rudy coming into the cove in their boat.
Takeaways
Shifting gears, what do you hope readers take away from this story?
When I read a book I love, it’s the feeling I had while reading it that stays with me. After a year or more has passed, I probably won’t be able to readily recall much of anything that happened plotwise. My hope for this book is that many readers will come away feeling a deep emotional connection to the characters and story. I know not every book is for every reader, and I certainly don’t expect everyone to love this story, but I hope there are people out there for whom Where the Light Shines In will be their hug-it-close-and-read-it-again-for-comfort book.
Writing Process
Where/when do you prefer to write?
I am very much a fits-and-spurts writer. For me, writing every day feels absolutely impossible, so my tendency is to obsess for short periods where I am bent over my laptop for hours at a time and then have long dry spells when I read a ton instead.
Influences
What are some current books that have influenced you as a kidlit writer?
Instead of naming specific books, I will tell you the middle grade authors who made me want to write for this age group: Kate DiCamillo (the absolute GOAT, in my opinion), Jacqueline West (her Books of Elsewhere series is what inspired me to actually put pen to paper for the first time), Gary D. Schmidt (who is a master of making his reader laugh and cry in the same paragraph), and Elizabeth Enright. Nobody would call Elizabeth Enright—who died in 1968—a current author, but her book series The Saturdays was hugely influential to me as an adult.
Other Works
Can you give us some insights into what you’ll be working on next?
I have a few projects in the works—all middle grade contemporary like Where the Light Shine In—but for now I’m soaking up all the debut year goodness.
And the Lightning Round:
Coffee or tea?
Both!
Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset
Favorite place to travel:
The San Juan Islands in Washington state (which includes Orcas Island, an important setting in Where the Light Shines In)
Favorite dessert:
All of them, but I don’t want to see nuts in any dessert ever.
Superpower:
Resourcefulness
Favorite music:
Indie Folk, à la Noah Kahan or the Lumineers.
Favorite book from childhood:
On the Banks of Plum Creek
Thanks again, Jenny! It was so much fun to learn about you, your writing journey, and your amazing novel! Learn more about Jenny on her website and follow her on Instagram and Bluesky.
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