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Date: 5/24/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW — Families are complex, but that is what made former East Longmeadow resident Nancy Crochiere want to write about them. In “Graceland: A Novel,” Crochiere explores the identities and relationships between three generations of women who undertake a road trip to discover secrets about each other and themselves.
“I’ve had a lifelong fascination with families, especially mother-daughter relationships, which are complicated,” Crochiere said, adding, “I’ve always wanted to write a book, to be a writer and write novels.” Crochiere found she had no time to pursue her passion while her children were younger, but when they left for college, she decided to follow her dream.
“So much of fiction is built on misunderstandings and some of the fun of fiction is understanding where others are coming from,” Crochiere said. In “Graceland,” Hope, a middle-aged woman chases after her aging, former soap opera star mother, Olivia, and rebellious teenage daughter, Dylan, as they take a road trip from Boston to Memphis, each with their own agenda and secrets to hide.
“Each of the characters is grappling identity. Each is trying to figure out who she is in relationship to other people. I’d say the person who is most like me is the main protagonist, Hope, because she is a people pleaser,” Crochiere explained. “The grandmother and granddaughter are more alike than either is to the mother. They plan to reveal a secret that [Hope] left in Memphis 17 years ago.” In addition to keeping her secret from being revealed, Hope also feels hurt and left out that her mother and daughter took a road trip from Boston to Memphis without her, Crochiere said.
“I liked ‘Graceland’ [as a title] because of the comic possibilities. In addition to the fun of being the home of Elvis, there’s also the metaphor” of each character “searching for grace,” Crochiere said. Each character is on a journey of “self-acceptance and mutual forgiveness.”
Crochiere described her book at “fast-paced” and a “good, enjoyable summer read.” She is hoping people in East Longmeadow will find it enjoyable when she appears at the East Longmeadow Public Library on Wednesday, June 14. at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion and book signing, with refreshments.
Crochiere is looking forward to seeing any friends who might attend that still live in East Longmeadow, who may have known her by her maiden name, Nancy Cochran. Crochiere’s family moved to East Longmeadow in the 1950s. She moved away after college and now lives in Amesbury. Crochiere has begun work on a second novel, though she emphasized it was completely different” from “Graceland.”
“Graceland,” published by Harper Collins, is available May 30 anywhere books are sold.