Christina Consolino
Author Interview - Christina Consolino
Author of The Weight We Carry
Marissa Raffaelo-Moretta is used to shouldering the burden. As the middle child, she’s played the mediator role for longer than she cares to admit. As a mother, she’s taken on the exhausting task of primary caregiver. And as a daughter and nurse practitioner, she’s spent her adult life being responsible for her parents’ physical and mental health.
When her stubborn and impulsive father, Frank, falls and refuses to stay at rehab, she and her brothers bring him home, and Marissa upends her life: she temporarily moves into her parents’ house, which takes precious time away from her two sons and jeopardizes her job. Soon, Marissa recognizes that life as they’ve all known it is about to change: while Frank’s ineffective legs are worrisome, her mother Angie’s memory issues might be a more urgent dilemma.
A heartbreaking and emotional story of the toll that health crises can have on an entire family, The Weight We Carry reminds us of the fine line between reliance and independence, tending and mothering, and love and obligation.
Author Interview - Christina Consolino
Author I draw inspiration from:
Honestly, I draw so much inspiration from a multitude of authors (and their works)--too many to count! Those authors fall into three camps, though: two writing groups and the folks at the Women's Fiction Writers Association. Positivity abounds with all three groups, which is inspiring and uplifting.
Favorite place to read a book:
There's nothing like sitting in a comfortable chair in a cozy corner of the room. But I also enjoy reading at the library, where I'm surrounded by the general aura of books, and while at the track--audiobooks are best there. All three places tie for my "favorite."
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
I would love to pick the brain of Elizabeth Zott from Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. To be frank, she'd probably loathe the day she got stuck with me in such a tight place because I have so many questions for her, and I'd like to chat with her about changes that have come about since her time in the chemistry lab. I earned my PhD in 2003 (in physiology), and men still outnumbered women (as is STILL the case now), but I was lucky enough to have a wonderful and supportive woman advisor. I think Elizabeth and I would swap stories and she might be just as shocked by things I could do as I was horrified by things she couldn't (or wasn't allowed) to do.
Author Interview - Christina Consolino | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I don't remember a time when I didn't want to be the author of something, I just didn't know what. Right after I learned to read, I began to realize that so many stories resided in my head, and at some point, they needed to come out. I wrote as a child, as a teenager, and as an adult, and once my children were born, I knew I didn't want to put off the dream anymore because I wanted to be a good role model for them.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I love the feel of a hardback book, but they are heavy. I love the weight of a paperback, but I tend to worry about their covers. Ebooks are handy to cart around, and I always have some loaded on my phone, but my aging eyes despise the screen. Audiobooks are my favorite option these days, as they allow my eyes to rest, but sometimes the narrator is incongruous with the storyline, and that frustrates me!
The last book I read:
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Historical fiction is not my genre of choice, but I'd heard such good things about the book that I went ahead and borrowed it from the library. There was a lot to love in the book--the description, the characters, the conflict, the writing. I loved the realism and authenticity that seemed to leap from the page, and the characters strength and resilience reminded me of what's wonderful about humanity. Kristin Hannah is known for her sweeping sagas, and I can certainly see why!
Author Interview - Christina Consolino | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
A mix of both! I often start off with something on the computer, but I almost always need to haul out my trusty yellow legal pad and do some writing there. It could be a quick outline, a timeline, a character sketch, a suggestion for a structural overall, what have you. I'll go back to that pad repeatedly to hone what's on the screen. However, the bulk of the actual writing is done on my computer, which desperately needs replacing!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Jo from The Change by Kirsten Miller. Actually, I'd be good friends with all three characters (Harriet and Nessa and Jo). I'm not good with plants like Harriet, and I don't really want to speak to the dead like Nessa, but I find myself dealing with annoyances (big and small) in an active manner, so channeling my rage with body would be something we'd have in common. Like them, I'm ready to say what I mean and speak up for myself and others. Like them, I'm tired of the patriarchy. Like them, I'm trying to make a change everyday. Mutual interests, mutual respect--I think we'd be friends for life!
Author Interview - Christina Consolino | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
People I know (and sometimes those I don't) often ask me for advice. And usually, I listen and give adequate (sometimes excellent) advice. "Have you ever thought about being a therapist?" they'll ask. Why yes, yes I have. If I hadn't already subjected myself to an undergraduate and graduate degree, I might pursue that option. But I bet people would still talk to me, and my characters would still need to get out of my head!
Favorite decade in fashion history:
This is the most difficult question yet, as I have been wearing jeans and sweatshirts/sweaters since 1991 (sort of as a mini-rebellion after being subjected to twelve years of Catholic school uniforms). So I guess I don't really have a favorite decade or era in fashion history, but I love my jeans!
Place I’d most like to travel:
I'm a homebody, but if I could get to New Zealand, I would do so in a heart beat!
My signature drink:
Nonalcoholic: water. (That's awful, isn't it? But it's true!)
Favorite artist:
I can't nail down a favorite here. With respect to the visual arts, it's more about the color: I'm drawn to warm earth tones no matter the subject. In terms of music, I love tunes whose lyrics speak to me.
Number one on my bucket list:
Taking a cross-country road trip with my four kids and husband is something I'd love to do. The route doesn't really matter, though I'd love to make sure we see the Grand Canyon. With the kids all leaving the nest, this is getting much harder to coordinate!
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/cmconsolino/
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaConsolino
https://christinaconsolino.com/
Author Bio:
A graduate of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) with a BA in French and PhD in physiology, Christina taught college-level anatomy and physiology for fifteen years before concentrating her passion on writing and editing. She's the author of Rewrite the Stars and The Weight We Carry, and she's co-author of Historic Photos of University of Michigan. She lives in Ohio with her husband, four children, and a rotating cast of pets.
