Behind The Book: A Note to Amazon Readers from Author Sophie Kinsella It's hard, in hindsight, to say exactly how a book comes into being. There are so many ideas and themes that get explored and discarded along the way; so many layers that are built up. Plus it's a bit like having a baby—once the hard work is over it becomes a blur!
But with all my novels, I usually start with one little kernel of an idea--and gradually build it up over months of thinking, plotting, the "coffee shop stage" as I call it. With
Can you Keep A Secret? it was: what if you told someone all your secrets? With
Remember Me? it was: what if you woke up and didn't recognize your life? What if you lost three years of memory--and everything had changed in that time?
All my books involve some kind of wish-fulfilment; some kind of escapism--whether it's shopping, or a whirlwind romance, or stepping off the career treadmill--and
Remember Me? is maybe the ultimate form of wish-fulfilment. What if you didn't recognize your life... because it had become so perfect?
The image that kept coming to me was of a girl, blinking up at her Greek God of a husband, whom she doesn't recognize. It made me giggle every time I thought about it. And so I created my amnesiac heroine Lexi, and her perfect new glossy, unrecognizable life--from the new shiny teeth to the designer handbag, to the perfect millionaire husband. The potential for comedy was irresistible.
Another theme I wanted to explore was identity, which I've always found fascinating. Our lives take unpredictable turns and we all change over time. But it's so gradual we don't always notice it. Would your younger self recognize your older self? Put another way, if you woke up tomorrow in the year 2011... what would you find?
I grew incredibly close to Lexi whilst writing this book, and really felt all her ups and downs. I laughed and cried and cringed at every embarrassing moment (of which there are plenty!) I think of all my heroines she has maybe the biggest challenge to face and journey to make--as her biggest obstacle is herself.
I hope you enjoy her journey!
Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it s 2004 and she s atwenty-five-year-old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life. But, to her disbelief, she learns it s actually 2007 she s twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she s the boss of her department and she s married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life?! She can t believe her luck especially when she sees her stunning new home. She s sure she ll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He s drawn up a manual of our marriage , which should help. But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up… and lands a new bombshell. What the **** happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?