Booked for Surfside Park: Bestselling Authors Katherine Center, Meg Donohue Coming to Avalon
By Mary Byrne Lamb
Romance and a touch of magic will be in the Avalon air in July when bestselling authors Katherine Center and Meg Donohue make highly anticipated appearances at Surfside Park as part of the Avalon Library’s Summer Spotlight Series. The fun begins with Center’s author event on Monday, July 20, followed by Donohue’s event on Monday, July 27.
The critically acclaimed authors with fans around the world both explore relationships through endearing, three-dimensional characters, and write about the human spirit with joyful curiosity.
“Katherine Center and Meg Donohue are very popular at the library,” says Kara Buono, the Avalon Library’s assistant director of programs and engagement. “We are so excited to be hosting them at Surfside Park. Both of their events will include a discussion led by a member of our staff, followed by a Q&A session with the audience, and then a meet-and-greet book signing period.”
Both events will begin at 7pm in the outdoor amphitheater at Surfside Park. Patrons are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket to sit on, their own refreshments, and of course, a book to be signed. For those who want to purchase a book, Beach Bound Books will be on-site selling books at each event.
Here is more information on each author and what to expect at their exclusive July appearances in Avalon:
Katherine Center
The author of 13 books, Katherine Center has mastered the art of the literary rom-com, building worlds with wit, heart, and unforgettable characters, where love always wins out. Center’s novels are frequent “Book of the Month” picks, have appeared on countless “Best Of” lists, and two have been made into Netflix movies, with “The Lost Husband” starring Josh Duhamel hitting No. 1 on the streaming service in 2020.
A few of her popular novels include “How to Walk Away,” “Things You Save in a Fire,” and “What You Wish For.” Her most recent work, “The Shippers,” vaulted onto bestseller lists upon its May 19 release.
“We think our patrons are going to be excited about Katherine Center not only because she is such a dynamic writer, but because she writes to people. You can tell that her books are love letters to her readers,” explains Buono. “You really get to love her characters.”
And love is certainly the central theme in all of Center’s books. In fact, in an author’s note she recorded for the audio version of “The Shippers,” she explains her inspiration and affinity for love stories.
“I was asked, ‘Why do you write love stories?’” Center says. “And my answer was – why would I write anything else? What better thing is there to write about than love? Love’s the best thing humans invented … What more beautiful life could I possibly create for myself than one built on studying, reading, obsessing over and writing love stories?”
Clearly her readers, including Buono, agree. “With Katherine Center, you know you’re getting a good romance with ups and downs and the beauty that comes along with those things. Her writing is also just so sweet. She allows us to care about her characters in a really significant way.”
But Center’s books aren’t simply an ode to love. They’re also a deeper exploration into relationships, family dynamics, and the motivations and apprehensions that propel us through life.
“I really work to create characters who have a lot to learn and heal from, then throw them into situations that rob them of all their usual defenses … and then see what they do,” the Houston-based Center explained in an interview with Brené Brown. “I believe that if we do it right, our struggles can lead us to our strengths. That’s why I love stories about people who get knocked down and have to figure out how to get back up.”
Center’s novels also dive into the relationships surrounding the central characters, adding depth and dimension to the central love story.
“She explores all types of relationships in her books,” says Buono. “Her books aren’t just about the romance; they’re about all facets of these lives. She delves into the relationships between two lovers, between family members, siblings, platonic friends. You really get to feel the characters because she encourages that kind of exploration in her books.”
In “The Shippers,” Center is true to form, with a tale that is filled with heart, humor, complicated characters, and true love. “This is a book about childhood friends to lovers, and it’s all aboard a cruise ship,” explains Buono. “It’s really funny, you get some really dynamic characters, a lot of family interaction, the tradition of fake flirting and fake romance that turns into real romance. If you’re looking for a quintessential summer romance, ‘The Shippers’ is the book for you.”
Currently on her book tour for “The Shippers,” Katherine Center is having a blast. With an Instagram feed filled with enthusiastic crowds and joyous photos, Center clearly loves meeting her fans. And surely the crowd at Surfside Park on July 20 will love meeting Katherine Center as well.
Meg Donohue
Born and raised in Philadelphia, novelist Meg Donohue spent summers growing up in Avalon. So, it was a thrill to local readers when she set her mega-popular second novel, “All the Summer Girls,” on our beloved island in 2013.
Since then, Donohue has published four more books covering a range of topics. Thoughtful, detailed, and rich, Donohue’s books have been translated into seven languages and touched the hearts of readers around the globe. Now living in San Francisco with her husband and three daughters, Donohue will be returning to her summer roots to talk about her latest novel, “The Memory Gardener,” at Surfside Park on July 27.
“Many patrons recognize Meg Donohue from ‘All the Summer Girls,’ which was kind of like a love letter to Avalon and the Jersey Coast area,” says Buono. “And we are so thrilled to welcome her back for this event. She is so popular with our readers. Her books are cozy and comforting.”
Donohue has a gift for exploring different ideas and genres in each of her books. And “The Memory Gardener” is no exception.
“This new book has a little bit of magical realism in it, which is a new avenue for Meg Donohue,” explains Buono. “It is extremely sweet and tells the story of a renowned gardener who can help bring back memories for people through the scent of different flowers. She comes back to her hometown and finds a job rehabbing the gardens of a retirement facility, where she ultimately helps residents experience long-lost memories through her gift. There is so much more to it, but it’s a real feel-good story that explores deep topics in new lights. With magical realism, you can delve into things in a different way.”
Buono is clearly a big fan of “The Memory Gardener.”
“I absolutely flew through it,” she says. “I laughed. I cried. I highly recommend. It’s definitely in my top 10 reads of the year so far.”
For her part, Meg Donohue is excited to return to Avalon and meet and greet readers in this beloved spot.
“My favorite part of any event is taking questions from the audience,” she says, “There is always a surprise question, and I really enjoy that part. Of course, I’m happy to sign books afterward, too.”
Friendly, engaging, and talented, Katherine Center and Meg Donohue both have so much to share with audiences in Avalon. So be sure to grab your beach chair, blanket, and books and head to Surfside Park on July 20 and 27 to see these two beloved authors light up the stage as the sun fades over the summer dunes.
For more on Meg Donohue, her inspirations and explorations in her new book, check out our “Conversation with the Author: Meg Donohue” below.
CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHOR: Meg Donohue
By Mary Byrne Lamb
Memory is a funny thing.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Meg Donohue for the first time a few years ago. In my mind, we had spoken about two years ago. But before talking with her again recently, I looked up the date of our previous conversation. To my surprise, I found that we had last chatted in 2017. Nine years ago! Certainly, the disconnect between my memory and reality only heightened my connection to Donohue’s latest novel, “The Memory Gardener.”
It turns out that much has changed for Meg Donohue in these last nine years. Her three children have grown from tots to teens. She’s written two more books and grown an affinity for gardening.
And yet, much remains the same. She’s still as passionate about writing, curious about the world, and as engaging and warm in conversation as ever.
Here is an excerpt of our wide-ranging discussion about writing, inspiration, memories, characters, and adding a little magic into reality.
What was your inspiration behind “The Memory Gardener”?
This book is about a gardener who grows flowers whose scents can awaken lost memories.
Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve really fallen in love with gardening. I have this tiny little garden in San Francisco, and I’ve enjoyed spending more and more time out there, just tinkering around as a very amateur gardener.
Especially during COVID, when we were stuck at home, it became such a place of comfort and refuge for me. That’s really what inspired wanting to write a book about the comfort that can be found in gardens.
I’ve also always loved the connection between scent and memory. I started looking more into the science behind it, and there are anatomical reasons why scent is more triggering of memory than any of our other senses, which I find fascinating.
Our olfactory system is very close to the parts of the brain that store memory and emotion, so scent goes directly to those areas. It’s a much more immediate response than our other senses.
There are biological reasons for that as well. Humans needed to remember which plants were poisonous and which weren’t. Our brains developed so that scent could trigger memory immediately. I find all of that fascinating.
“The Memory Gardener” has a fascinating central character, but some of the plot also involves a retirement community. How did that become part of the story?
Some of my favorite books are comforting and heartwarming, and they often feature unlikely friendships between an older character and a younger character, or two people from completely different worlds.
I absolutely love seeing those relationships develop on the page.
As I get older, I find myself gravitating toward books with older characters. I used to read books where everyone was 25. Now I enjoy stories with characters of different ages.
From the beginning of this novel, I knew I wanted older characters and a relationship between a younger character and older characters, though I hadn’t necessarily settled on a retirement community right away.
Around the same time, I read an excerpt from a book by Dr. Oliver Sacks, the neurologist and writer who worked with elderly patients and people with neurological diseases.
He wrote that the two most effective non-pharmaceutical therapies he found were gardens and music.
When I read that, it felt like all these little pieces started coming together in my mind: the comfort of gardens, older characters, unlikely friendships, scent and memory.
I thought about how awakening gardens can be for elderly people. And who has more memories than someone who has lived a long life?
All those pieces were coming together at the same time and helped inspire the book and shape the story.
This book took longer to write than some of your others, why?
Two reasons.
One was COVID. Suddenly, I had a kindergartner, a third grader, and a fifth grader home from school, and I was trying to become a teacher, which I had never been before. That slowed things down significantly.
The second reason is that this book has magic in it, and I had never written magical realism before.
I knew I didn’t want it to be a fantasy world. I wanted it to be our world. But it took time to figure out how to make the magic feel real.
In the book, her magic is really just a heightened reality. There is already a connection between scent and memory. Her gift takes that idea and exaggerates it a little bit.
She guides someone toward a flower because she senses it will be meaningful to them. They smell the flower, and for a moment they’re back in time, re-experiencing an important memory they’ve forgotten.
That memory helps them make a decision, move forward, or understand something in the present. It’s not completely disconnected from reality – it just takes reality one step further.
What made you want to move into magical realism instead of staying strictly reality-based?
That’s a really good question.
There are authors whose work I love, Heather Webber and Sarah Addison Allen, for example, who write stories with this kind of gentle magic. People have a slightly heightened version of reality, and I really enjoy reading those books.
I think it also goes back to this core idea that I wanted to write a book that was comforting and felt like a hug. A lot of it was written during COVID, when it felt like the whole world could use a big hug.
There’s something about the idea of a little bit of magic in our lives that feels wonderful and comforting. It’s a little escapist, which we all need every once in a while.
I also like challenging myself. I don’t want to write the same book over and over again. This was a way to challenge myself to write something different than what I’d written before.
What do you love most about the book now that it’s out in the world?
I’ve received a lot of reader comments, either in person at events, through email, or through my website, from people telling me stories about a scent that brings them back to a person or a moment from childhood.
That connection people have to scent and memory has been really wonderful to hear about.
I had a similar experience with “All the Summer Girls,” which was set in Avalon. I heard from so many readers who grew up going to the Jersey Shore or lived in Avalon and felt those places were an important part of their childhoods.
I had the same experience with “Dog Crazy,” where readers reached out to tell me about the connection they had with their dogs and how important those relationships were in their lives.
With this book, it’s been really gratifying to see people connect so strongly to the theme of memory and scent and feel moved to write to me about it.
It’s nice when readers reach out and say, “This idea is very meaningful to me, and here’s why.”
Since it’s summer and you’ll be speaking in Avalon, why do you think “The Memory Gardener” could make a good “beach read”?
I have a pretty broad definition of a beach read. If you’re reading a book on the beach, it’s a beach read.
If you love historical fiction and you’re reading it on the beach, that’s your beach read. If you’re reading nonfiction on the beach, that’s your beach read.
But I think what’s nice about this book is that it contains ideas that make you think and reflect, while also being uplifting and heartwarming.
You’ll close the book feeling good.
It’s great to feel uplifted and happy when you’re on vacation. You’re not going to finish this book and feel sad. You’re going to finish it and want to go spend time with your family and friends and talk about it.
I appreciate books that leave you feeling good. Life can provide enough sadness on its own. I love a book that you close and feel happy about.
