Today, it is my pleasure to welcome Naomi Milliner to the Mixed-Up Files! I first got to know Naomi after reading her funny and deeply touching 2019 debut, Super Jake & The King of Chaos. She then went on to co-edit and contribute to the MG anthology On All Other Nights, a collection of short stories centered on the Jewish holiday of Passover. Her sophomore MG, The Trouble with Secrets, a heartfelt story of a tight-knit Jewish family impacted by secrets and tragedy, has been lauded by Kirkus as “A touching, intimate exploration of universal themes of trust, conformity, and the impact of family dynamics,” and by author Jeff Zentner as “A moving, gorgeous, and life-affirming exploration of grief, faith and how we can build ourselves a joyous life after everything seems to have fallen to pieces.” The book is out tomorrow, April 8, from Quill Tree Books.
The Trouble with Secrets: A Summary
Twelve-year-old Becky has great expectations placed upon her. Not only does she need to be as perfect as her older brother and sister, but her upcoming bat mitzvah needs to be perfect, too. She is the rabbi’s daughter, after all. The trouble is, Becky’s intentions often lead her astray. At least when she plays the flute, she feels like the best version of herself. Until playing the flute causes Becky to do something not so perfect: keep a secret from her parents.
Then Becky discovers that Sara, her “perfect” sister, has an even bigger secret; one that could turn the family upside down. The sisters couldn’t be more ready to keep each other’s secret safe…until the excitement turns to guilt, and Becky is forced to make an impossible choice.
MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Naomi. I’m so happy to have you here!
NM: Thanks so much, Melissa! There is no place I’d rather be. 🙂
Inspired Choices
MR: First, I have to tell you how much I enjoyed The Trouble with Secrets. It was incredibly touching, warm, and highly relatable. Can you tell us a bit about the novel? What inspired you to write it?
NM: Thank you! Secrets is a before-and-after story: before there are secrets; before there are consequences of those secrets; and after everything changes as a result. In fact, before and after play such a pivotal part that the book is divided into two sections: Part One (Before) and Part Two (Now). Although I do sprinkle glimpses of Now throughout Before, to warn readers that Something Bad Is Coming!
As far as the original inspiration… it was a very minor subplot in a TV show I loved back in the day (whose name shall remain a secret!). Although the storyline involved a pair of teenage siblings, they actually never had a single scene together!
Character Study
MR: Becky Myerson, the 12-year-old protagonist, is a flawed but incredibly likeable character. She may not always do the right thing, but the reader roots for her nonetheless. What’s the secret to creating believable and nuanced characters, warts and all?
NM: I think fictional characters, like the rest of us, have to be flawed to be believable. And, so long as their flaws are relatable and understandable – maybe even justifiable (lying to protect a friend or sibling; doing something bad for a good reason) – a character can remain sympathetic.
The Magic Flute
MR: Another important aspect of Becky’s character is her love for music (she plays the flute). Are you a flautist, Naomi? If not, what kind of research did you do to make Becky’s love for the flute so realistic?
NM: I am not a flautist, but I did piano for ten years when I was much younger. My husband and younger son, however, do play the flute, and my older son plays trumpet and a few other instruments – and is a music teacher. Both of my sons were in All-County, and my older one was in All-State as well as All-County Jazz, so I had plenty of inspiration!
Secrets: A Slippery Slope
MR: Secret keeping is an important, overarching theme in this book. What were you trying to say about secrets, and the burden of keeping them?
NM: Keeping secrets can be a slippery slope! They can be fun and exciting, but also have the potential to cause harm – sometimes minor, sometimes major. They can bring people closer together or tear them apart. In Becky’s case, she suffers double the guilt by keeping two secrets, her own and her sister Sara’s; on the other hand, she would feel just as guilty if she betrayed her sister’s confidence. Keeping her own secret is hard enough; keeping her sister’s proves to be even more difficult. There’s really no way she can win.
Exploration of Grief
MR: Another important theme in your book is grief, and how people grieve in such different ways. You explored this theme in Super Jake & the King of Chaos, too. Could you speak more to this?
NM: Thank you for asking. You have such a good memory! I did explore that theme in Super Jake, as well as “Chocolate Tears,” the short story I wrote for On All Other Nights. Apparently, I’m still not done exploring it!
As painful as grief is, we all experience it at one age or another: there is no avoiding it. And there may be no getting over it. But there is getting through it. When I hear that my stories have helped readers (both children and adults) cope with their own losses, it means everything.
Jewish Joy
MR: The Trouble with Secrets is a book that oozes Jewish joy: Becky comes from an observant Jewish family, and her dad is a rabbi. Your debut novel, Super Jake, also features Jewish themes, and the MG anthology you co-edited and contributed to, On All Other Nights, celebrates the Jewish holiday of Passover. Can you tell us why it’s important for you to feature Jewish characters and themes in your books?
NM: The simple answer is, “Write what you know.” I was raised in a very religious family (my grandfather and mother were both Hebrew school teachers and principals; my brother is a rabbi), and Jewish holidays like Passover and Hanukkah were, and are, part of what makes me, me. Some of my fondest childhood memories are tied to Jewish holidays and events, and I did my best to share them with my own children, from participating in our synagogue’s musical services to blowing the shofar on the High Holidays. I am proud to share my Jewish heritage through my books and characters, and hope that all readers can relate in some way.
Path to Publication
MR: Can you tell MUF readers about your path to publication? Was it smooth sailing, choppy seas, or a combination of both?
NM: How long is this interview? 🙂 I guess, in the end, it was a combination. My debut novel took 16 years from first draft to publication (not that I counted)! But the anthology came together quickly (probably thanks to my incredible friends and coeditors, Chris Baron & Joshua S. Levy), and Secrets was acquired just a few weeks later. However… the current version of Secrets is not the original, which I had first written, several years ago, as a YA novel.
The Caffeinated Writer
MR: What does your writing routine look like? Do you have any particular writing habits or rituals?
NM: Nothing gets done before I am fully caffeinated. And fed. And, preferably, after a few word games on my phone… what was the question? 🙂 I am not one of those writers who are disciplined enough to get up at the crack of dawn and write for three hours straight. But, somehow, I always make my deadlines – usually ahead of schedule. And when I’m excited about what I’m writing, I can be found happily scribbling away (yes, I write the first draft in longhand) late into the night, or even sending myself emails on my phone when I come up with a bit of dialogue or a scene I don’t want to forget.
MR: What are you working on now, Naomi? Care to share?
NM: Sure! Thanks for asking. My next book is about four girls who meet at the beach, become fast (and lasting) friends, and try to help each other: save a pet store; uncover a secret origin story; and keep a marriage from falling apart. I’m also revising another mg book about a girl who is an unreliable narrator, which is proving to be a fun challenge!
Magnificent Mah Jongg!
MR: And finally, rumor has it that you’re an avid mah jongg player. (Okay, it’s more than a rumor. I know you love the game as much as I do! 🙂 ) How did you first get interested in mah jongg, and why does it appeal to you?
NM: I was always curious and intrigued by the tiles! I grew up loving board games and card games, but this was something new. My favorite thing is that there is a new card every year, and each card presents endless combinations, so it never gets old or predictable. I only wish my mom had been around when I finally learned how to play. She would have loved it – and been amazing at it. We would have had a lot of fun.
Lightning Round!
MR: No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…
Preferred writing snack? Chocolate. Period.
Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning; tea in the afternoon.
Cat or dog? This one is tricky. We have a (very fuzzy, sweet and adorable) cat, but I really do love dogs… But what I really want is a quokka! 🙂
Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Nay.
Superpower? Can it be losing weight while still eating whatever, and whenever, I want?
Greatest indulgence? See preferred writing snack above. 🙂 Also books, whether by the armload from local libraries and bookstores, or a filled-to-the-brim virtual cart.
Favorite place on earth? Highlights. No question. I have formed wonderful and lasting friendships (see Chris Baron and Joshua S. Levy above) at this magical place. It is bursting with talented, creative writers and illustrators, and it’s impossible to leave feeling uninspired (or hungry).
If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?
My 1900-page Riverside Shakespeare (and reading glasses!); Hermione Granger’s fabulous expandable bag (filled with essentials like sunscreen, conditioner, non-perishable foods, and emergency flares); and either Tom Hanks – he knows a thing or two about being a castaway! – or Tom Hiddleston, because he would make excellent use out of the Shakespeare tome… and is tall enough to get plenty of coconuts down from the tree!
MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Naomi—and congratulations on the upcoming publication of The Trouble with Secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will, too!
NM: Thank you, Melissa!
Bio:
Naomi Milliner is the author of Super Jake & the King of Chaos (Running Press Kids) and The Trouble with Secrets (Quill Tree/HarperCollins), as well as coeditor and contributor of On All Other Nights, a Junior Library Guild Selection. She created the Author Book Club for her SCBWI chapter, served on The Women’s National Book Association’s Great Group Reads Committee since 2009, and enjoys mentoring both children and adults. Naomi lives in Olney, Maryland, with her family, too many books to count, and one very fuzzy cat. Learn more about Naomi at https://naomimilliner.wordpress.com.
Jon: When I make books about various STEM topic I want them to mix and match up. There’s a universe where you could have a periodic table that’s couched inside of a narrative – like a 50’s surfing narrative. So I was looking for the genre/theme that would fit the periodic table. I felt like I was exploring the elements. They mix and match. There are similarities between some of them. Some of the qualities of the materials felt so wildly alien.
Jon: Yes – Mel is really paralyzed by her fears. I had huge test anxiety when I was in school but at the same time I knew all the information. I could have used some of the confidence that Mel gains by the end of the book.
Jon: It’s hard but also easy. I have a lot of practice. There is not an upper ceiling in what you can make accessible to young readers. Physics of Life in Germany is a biophysics facility focused on using physics to understand biological organization. I work on 
