Interview with Sarah Hanley

Author of Matka

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I’m originally from North Dakota but now live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I grew up and attended college in North Dakota, earning a degree in visual art. After graduating I wanted to pursue a career as an art director, so I moved to the Twin Cities to join the very active advertising and design community here. Now I love living in Minnesota, despite the windchill.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I had the idea to write a book based on my grandfather for a long time—when I was growing up, the stories he told about his life in Europe during and after World War 2 were fascinating. However after I became a mother, my attention turned to my grandmother’s story. I never knew her well because she suffered from severe dementia starting when I was pretty young. Writing this book based on her experiences really helped me to feel closer to her memory.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

Zosia has sacrificed herself to save her dying son from the Gestapo. She takes his place as a prisoner and is sent to work as a slave in Germany, where the only thing keeping her alive is the hope of her children’s survival. Once World War II ends, her goal, like any mother, is to return to Poland and the children she left behind. Instead, she’s collected into a DP camp in Wildflecken, Germany, to wait for stability in Poland. She digs for clues about her family but finds the truth impossible to uncover. Zosia is trapped in a never-ending purgatory. Despite her initial resistance, she falls in love with Czeslaw, who uses his black market network to help her. When Zosia becomes pregnant, Czeslaw offers the promise of a new life but refuses to return to Poland and the tragedy he left behind. The refugee camps are closing and time is running out. Zosia is faced with a decision: return to the ruins of Poland alone to find her older children, or follow Czeslaw in his chase after a better future for their fragile new family. Inspired by the true story of my grandmother, “Matka” is about hope, redemption, and a mother’s undying love.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

“Matka” is unique as a World War 2 novel because it explores a part of the war that isn’t often discussed: what happened to all of those displaced people after the war ended. Anyone with a strong interest in history, especially concerning World War 2, will enjoy the book, though I think parents—and especially mothers—will be drawn to Zosia’s story.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

I grew up always knowing I would be an artist. I earned an art degree in college and then worked as an art director and graphic designer. I sometimes had ideas for stories, but I never thought I would be serious about writing. After a company I was working for closed, I finally started writing a story. I took a few classes and met some amazing fellow writers, but I still didn’t classify myself as a “writer.” Throughout the process of writing and publishing this book, though, that started to shift. I found writing to be very freeing. I didn’t feel as competitive with writing as I did with art and design, and that opened my mind and allowed me to experiment more. I think by letting go of my expectations of myself and learning from the success of others, I’m now able to be a better writer than I ever was visual artist, and I even enjoy it more. So even though I still work as a graphic designer and still like it, for the first time in my life I call myself a writer first.

If you could, what advice would you give to past self yourself before embarking on this journey?

Don’t give up. Don’t stop. Keep going. Have patience with yourself and trust yourself. You’ll get there.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

Oh, everyone!

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

I think my biggest challenge is finding time to write. Unfortunately, I sometimes let it fall to the bottom of my priority list.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I think my strength with writing is accepting constructive criticism. Since I still feel like such a novice writer, I’m happy to listen to criticism and look for ways to improve my writing. As far as publishing and marketing, my strength lies in my background as a graphic designer. Cover design, inside layout, and promotional materials are right in my wheelhouse.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My writing weakness is probably not trusting myself. I feel like I have to edit as I go instead of just plowing forward with the confidence that I can fix things later. It can be paralyzing, leaving me stuck for a long time without moving ahead. As for publishing and marketing, my weakness is that I’m a natural introvert. I get a lot of anxiety from putting myself in front of people, which is exactly what marketing is.

When do you think you will you write your next book?

I’m working on it now! Now that my twins are in Kindergarten, I hope to make some real progress and publish sometime in 2020. It’s another historical novel, but the setting, time period, and themes are very different. I have a number of other projects in the works, too, so I can hunker down over my warm laptop once those windchills hit.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I self-published Matka. It’s available on Amazon and most other platforms, as well as some public libraries.