Seneca Lake by Emily Heebner – a YA coming of age novel set during WWII
Hello again, dear Audiobooks friends!
In today’s feature article, I want to tell you a few things about a YA novel that flew under my radar last year when it was released. Seneca Lake, written by Emily Heebner is a nice story set in the United States during WWII that sees the struggles of two teenagers during those troubled times… The audiobook version is narrated by actor Ann Marie Lee, it’s almost 5 hours in duration, and it was published in 2019 by The Wild Rose Press.
Stay tuned, because below there are more details about the story, the narrator and even a short Q&A with Emily.
It’s 1944, and high-school senior Meg Michaels has always obeyed her grandparents’ wishes, till now. They’re urging her to give up her dream of Cornell University and accept a ring from wealthy Hank Wickham before he deploys overseas. But Meg has studied hard and yearns for something better than life in the rural Finger Lakes. Plus, Meg’s suddenly fascinated with her childhood friend, Arthur Young, a handsome Seneca Indian farm worker.
When Meg and Arthur nurse a sick puppy to health, their friendship transforms into love. But locals look down on “injuns” and resent the fact that Arthur’s farm job exempts him from military duty. While the war rages in Europe, Meg and Arthur must fight their own battles at home….
Emily Heebner is a writer, actor and lecturer at Chapman University. Acting credits include Broadway, commercials and regional theater (Berkeley Repertory Theater, Actors Theater of Louisville, South Coast Repertory). Writing credits include The Christian Science Monitor and Sparkhill Inc. DVD special features: “A Visit With Natalie Babbitt” (Tuck Everlasting), “Life and Times of Virginia Woolf” (The Hours), “Paths of the Journey,” “Anno Domini,” “Crucifixion” (The Passion), “The Pen” (The Count of Monte Cristo). Seneca Lake is her first novel, published July 2019 by The Wild Rose Press.
Ann Marie Lee, the narrator of this book, is a Los Angeles–based actress with television credits that include ER, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and Nip/Tuck. Her stage performances for Broadway national tours and regional theater include Peter Pan, As You Like It, Heartbreak House, and The Cherry Orchard.
Now, after we made our author’s and narrator’s acquaintance, it’s time for me to tell you about what Emily answered to my short Q&A:
– Victor: As I am an aspiring writer myself, I can’t pass along the opportunity to ask you what has inspired you to write Seneca Lake?
– Emily: My mother grew up in the rural Finger Lakes during WWII. Most of her family stayed in the area but she followed my father’s career, winding up in Buffalo, NY. We visited Seneca Lake often as a family and I became interested in the history of the region. The brutal displacement of the Iroquois, the birth of the Women’s Movement, the Underground Railroad.
Sadly, my mother died rather young. Writing Seneca Lake became a way for me to spend time with her in my imagination. The story is fiction, but Meg’s personality and moral code are based on my mother’s. She was a great social activist, a wonderful parent and friend.
– Victor: I see this is very personal to you and I think that it will be quite a great listen. Tell me, what are your plans for the future, on the writing front?
– Emily: I hope to write the sequel to Seneca Lake, currently in the planning stages. I’m also writing a New Adult novel that takes place during the AIDS epidemic.
– Victor: Thank you, Emily! Wishing you the best of luck and don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any new release.
– Emily: I will. Thank you for taking the time to talk about my book and to review it!
– Victor: It was a pleasure :).
So, this is it, Seneca Lake is available in print, in digital format and in audio from Amazon and Audible. Also, if you want to find out even more about Emily, you should take a look on her website. A review is forthcoming in the following weeks. But, until then, stay safe, take care, and don’t forget: always listen with your heart.
I also post reviews or articles at the author, narrator, or publisher’s request, so, if you are in need of assistance in finding the perfect narrator for your book or just want to have a review on my blog, do get in touch.
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Victor Dima
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