Themes and Locations

1. Is A Piece of the World a “New England” novel? How much of your depiction of Christina Olson takes into account her deep New England roots? 
2. Does Maine have a particular hold on you in terms of conjuring up a novel?
3. Can one actually visit the old farm house where Christina Olson lived? It seemed pretty dilapidated in the novel, I can’t imagine what remains…
4. What do you hope others take away from A Piece of the World?

1. Is A Piece of the World a “New England” novel? How much of your depiction of Christina Olson takes into account her deep New England roots?

While I was writing this novel I thought of it as not only a New England story but a specifically American one, with its depiction of ruggedly independent people forging a path out of the wilderness and claiming a piece of the world for themselves. Christina Olson’s story is linked (IRL, as the kids say) to the Salem Witch Trials, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and many Maine sea captains. But having traveled recently to remote islands like Iceland and Tasmania, and having read accounts of people’s lives in those places, I now view this novel much more broadly as a story about the human impulse to persevere, to put down stakes, and to carve a life out of the flintiest of circumstances.

2. Does Maine have a particular hold on you in terms of conjuring up a novel?

Absolutely. I was raised in Maine… mostly. And I grew up about an hour and a half from that house that was in that painting, “Christina’s World”, which is in Cushing. A lot of my novels take place in Maine.  I have a house there, now. I find it endlessly fascinating as a place.

3. 3. Can one actually visit the old farm house where Christina Olson lived? It seemed pretty dilapidated in the novel, I can’t imagine what remains…

It was renovated recently and opened again last summer (it’s open from Memorial Day to Labor Day). It’s a gorgeous place to spend an afternoon, and the tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable. Well worth a visit!

3. 3. 4. What do you hope others take away from A Piece of the World?

Christina Olson, the woman in the painting, had a hard life in many ways. She was a “spinster,” as they called it then, and disabled. Despite her brilliance, she was taken out of school at the age of 12. But she found beauty, meaning, and grace in unexpected places. Because she didn’t live a conventional life, she was able to open her home and self to Andrew Wyeth. As a result, I believe her life was profound and meaningful. Ultimately, as the figure at the center of Christina’s World, she achieved immortality.