I sometimes surprise myself the way different strands of things I write come together, and sometimes quite tiny threads can tie the different parts of a narrative together, or link seemingly separate characters to each other. I really try hard to make everything fit within a context, and although there are some surprises, I want things to be believable, I don’t want to darn a hole in my plot with a wool which doesn’t match or looks ridiculous or out of place. I am my own editor, which is not necessarily a good thing, and I always appreciate readers comments; I do try really hard to be objective and have different way of trying to distance my self from what I’ve written, so I can make sure all the threads come together, and that the different strands are not so complicated that it is just a jumble and with no pattern emerging.
I really admire writers who create a story which flows so smoothly and to continue my analogy, brings all the threads together to create a gorgeous cloth of narrative. Khaled Hosseini is very much admired for his books set in Afghanistan, ‘The Kite Runner’ and ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ but his latest novel, ‘And The Mountains echoed’ is the first one I have read. It is fascinating, absolutely fascinating, the setting ranging from different areas of Afghanistan, including a poor rural village and Kabul, the USA and Paris. The story weaves backwards and forwards in time, telling the stories of the different characters at different times in their lives. The plot is complex but believable, extraordinary… It is an amazing book, and I recommend it; Hosseini is a master at creating a tapestry of a story!
Lois Elsden 