The Weight of What Was
by Pip Landers-Letts
Released: May 01, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Why this book and why now?
I was inspired to write The Weight of What Was after an incredible trip my wife and I took to Scandinavia in January 2022. I loved it so much, I wanted to relive it by sending a dysfunctional family on the same Arctic adventure, and of course I wove a Sapphic romance through the heart of it. The ultimate moral of the story leans on the saying — That which is meant for you won’t pass you by. This is something I really needed to believe at the time, as I was very unhappy in my career and realised that I wanted a different path for myself… And then I found writing, or writing found me. Either way, I now know what I want to do when I grow up… and things have started to fall into place.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
The story is told from Anna’s POV, but there are really four main characters. Anna, Grace, Rupert and Edith. This is going to sound a bit whacko but I genuinely wish they were my friends! I’d sometimes tell me wife something funny Grace or Rupert had said (as I was writing) and she’d roll her eyes at me for laughing at my own jokes… Yep, I was next level invested and I miss them all terribly. I guess it’s time to invent some more imaginary friends.
What’s your main character(s)’s favorite book and why?
The Three Musketeers by Dumas – I don’t want to give away any spoilers but it’s referenced a few times in the book, and its relevance evolves with the story. The Edwards are an incredibly close, adventure loving family and the love of this book has been passed down through generations.
One of your main characters is planning a romantic night. Tell us about it.
Anna is pretty introverted, so the romantic night she’d plan for her and Grace would definitely be something at home and understated, but still lovely… Most likely involving a Chinese takeaway, a bottle of wine and a soak in the bath. They’ve spent two decades apart, they have a lot of catching up to do still!!
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Mr. Brightside! One of the few characteristics Anna and I share is our inability to dance, but this song is one that we can both lose ourselves to. Just the opening bars have me screaming and running to the dance floor, throwing my limbs in reckless abandon… And as readers of TWOWW will learn, Anna can’t resist it either.
