The following is an interview with author Namrata Patel regarding the upcoming release of her latest novel, The Curious Secrets of Yesterday, through Lake Union Publishing. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Patel about her creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, what she hopes that readers may take away the story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of The Curious Secrets of Yesterday! For those who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the book’s premise, and what inspired you to tell this story?
Namrata Patel: It’s a story about being stuck between what you owe to your family legacy and finding your own path in life. Tusli is a trained, but reluctant, spice healer who is at a crossroads in life and is actively trying to decide what’s best for her and in doing so she uncovers past secrets that she’d never known that helps her fill in the gaps that lead her to different choices.
BD: Your work so effortlessly capture the realities of generational family trauma, juxtaposed with thoughtful self-discovery. What can you share with us about your creative process in bringing these narratives to the page?
NP: I always think about the quiet parts of life. I have a rich internal life that sometimes in incongruous with the day to day. I start from there and think about how the way we live shapes us. Does a comment or a question from your childhood by a loved one still stick with you? Is that what drives you or keeps you from taking ownership of your own life? Especially in cultures and families where tradition is often used to keep future generations away from stepping into the unknown because of fear or protectiveness. That pressure informs whether you take on life as a rebel or a conformist. And then you add familial love, respect, and reciprocity for the life you have into that mix. All of it adds up and can be imprinted on you without being aware. It’s in the excavation of that where I find the most creativity.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Tulsi’s story may connect with and impact readers?
NP: Well, I think all of us have been stuck in some way, shape, or form, and the pandemic really made us rethink the why behind what we were doing. Why am I in this job? What is my true passion/calling? When is the last time I traveled just to experience something different? We’re at different stages. Some of us have made big decisions and others are still in the same routine. I hope the readers resonate with that theme and connect with Tulsi and perhaps see themselves in the story to relate or as a way to validate the fact that they can’t relate because they acted faster than what Tulsi is doing throughout the novel.
BD: What makes Lake Union Publishing the perfect home for The Curious Secrets of Yesterday?
NP: Two things. One, hands down, the editorial team led by Megha Parekh. They are open to my voice and the stories I want to share. More, they believe that the readers will be drawn to the type of novels I write. For me, that’s key. Publishing means you want readers to resonate with your stories. The second part is finding readers. Lake Union now knows who is more likely to want my books and their digital distribution puts my novels right where a reader is “browsing”.
Each publisher has their own strength and, for me, Lake Union offers the two things that really help my books get in the hands of people who want to read these types of books.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
NP: Yes. I will tease it this way. Mother-daughter road trip with some angst, humor, and, of course, a mystery.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about The Curious Secrets of Yesterday and your other work?
NP:@namratapatelauthor on Instagram is the most current. You can also subscribe to my newsletter, an eclectic mix of news and random things that inspire me, at nampatel.com.
