News from Heidi

I mentioned a few posts back that the Grandma Doris character isn't much like my real grandmother except for the jokes. But then I realized you don't know either one of them yet! So, let me introduce you to my real grandmother with this short film--and when you read the book you can decide whether the two ladies are similar or not. (And by the way: Happy New Year!) My Real Grandma(mp4 file). You can also watch the movie here--I've embedded below.

My Real Grandmother from Heidi Durrow on Vimeo.

I talked with John Marshall while I was in Seattle last month. He's written a really lovely piece for the Daily Beast about The Girl Who Fell From the Sky. He writes: "Durrow’s stubbornness has now paid off in sweet poetic justice. Her powerful little novel, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, is getting the sort of serious book-industry buzz and media attention that is generated by only a few debuts every season." You can read the rest of the article here. My favorite part is the quote about my fear of licking Barbara Kingsolver's face in glee. And yes, I really said that.

The last time my name appeared in The Skanner I was debuting as a Links debutante!  Now I debut as a novelist.  Yay!  Read the complete interview here.

I had a wondeful time at RiverRun Books. Michele Filgate and the very warm Portsmouth crowd (including new friend & mixed chick Pietra) were a delight. And then I got to hang out with Kathy S. & Michele at the lovely Cava, tapas bar. Thank you Chase!

I had a lovely evening with the folks at Odyssey Books. Here are some of the photos. The big cart of books are the copies of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky that I signed for the very cool First Edition Club that Odyssey sponsors.

"[A] stunning first novel ... What makes Durrow's novel soar is her masterful sense of voice, her assured, nuanced handling of complex racial issues-and her heart." -Christian Science Monitor

Read the rest of the review here.  And listen to the podcast here.

Behind the Book: A child's second chance

Debut novelist takes inspiration from a shocking headline Column by Heidi W. Durrow

I started writing The Girl Who Fell from the Sky after reading a haunting news story about a young mother—recently depressed and despondent—who led her kids to her building’s rooftop, and apparently pushed the children off and then jumped. Reporters interviewed neighbors and friends who spoke of the young mother’s fierce devotion to her children. She’d had a recent setback, but no one could have guessed that the loving mother could do such a thing. No one could put the pieces of her story together to make sense of the reason why. I became obsessed with the miracle of that horrible tragedy: One of the children, the girl, had survived!
Read the rest of the essay here.

If you don't know the work of Batt Humphreys, Brian Ray, Dale Neal, Fran Rizer or Bob Hicks, you should. And they are also very lovely people. As were all the wonderful folks I met over the weekend. I loved the South Carolina hospitality!

Yup, it's true. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is #17 on this week's national Indie Bestseller List, right behind Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol at #16. Whoo-hoo. Happy muppet dance ensues! Thank you guys!

I made it through! I had a great time. I met wonderful students and I hope I did some good. Thank you Yale Law School for such a wonderful homecoming. It was an immensely awesome day.