Another month gone, another book club coming to an end—but it's not completely done yet! Before we put aside Girls Like Us by Randi Pink and move on to our next Read Fierce book club pick, we want to take the time to stop and ask Randi Pink some very important questions. Keep reading to find out some behind-the-scenes info about this brilliant and timely novel. What was your research process like for this book? I began researching this book long before I officially became an author. In the lively conversations with my grandmothers and aunts and mother, I had the wisdom as a small child to shut my mouth.  I’d sit on the floor at their feet, cross-legged and listening. Always listening. To cadences and tenses and drawls and sentences strung together so beautifully that words on a page could never do them justice. These women spoke without restriction, and for some reason, they allowed me the honor of sitting in their midst. Variation and mashups of Ola, Izella, Sue, Sippi, Mrs. Mac, Mr. Turner, Evangelist and every other character in Girls Like Us existed in those rooms. And decades later, I’d pump life into them on the page. As for the historical portions, I researched clothing, music, and popular culture of the 1970’s. Some of the most prolific songs and truest artists arose within that decade. It was an absolute pleasure rediscovering it. As for the historical backdrop, I spent a fair amount of time sifting through library archives for news stories of the time. And I watched many documentaries and read many books written in and about the decade.  buy Viagra Black generic newonlineandblo.com over the counter Friendship and sisterhood play a really vital role throughout this novel can you talk about why you choose to focus on these roles? I’m so proud of the friendships in this novel. These girls hold each other up, refusing to allow one another to walk alone. Friendships like this are forged through fire, and once they are, it is impossible to tear them asunder. As for the sisterhood, I’m fascinated by sibling relationships in general. They’re our first friends. Our first competitors. Even our first loves, in some cases. In the beginning, Ola and Izella are typical sisters tugging each others pigtails, but the dynamics shift when Ola’s pregnancy is revealed. Though younger, Izella has always been considered stronger and wiser, leaving Ola labeled as flighty and weak. Their power dynamics are off and that ends tragically.  As for Sippi and Sue, what a pleasure to write such a duo. They come from two different worlds but care so deeply for one another that none of that matters. When I think of them, I think of soul mates imprinting upon one another. I love them and they stay with me. In the end, when Izella, Missippi, and Sue come together as a trio. Well, we should all have friends like that.  What was your favorite line or scene to write in the book? The last chapter of the book flashes forward to the present day. We meet Tye, Missippi’s granddaughter, who’s just found out she’s pregnant. Tye closes Girls Like Us with a poem-like tweet to her followers, and it’s been popping into my head since I wrote it years ago: #girlslikeus I love that bit of writing because I see myself in every line. I’ve run too fast at times and I’ve walked too slow. I’ve given myself over to the undeserving and tried hard not to regret it. I’ve been loud and silent. I’ve certainly been traumatized. I still am. I’ve even had a brief glimpse at what wealth feels like, and then, suddenly, I was broke again. I’ve tried to change the fucking world. I’m still trying. buy vidalista generic newonlineandblo.com over the counter Finally, what is one deleted scene or idea from Girls Like Us, that you can share? Hiding in my Girls Like Us Deleted Scenes folder are a few scraped pages titled Boys Like Us. It tells the story from the perspective of Tye’s football star boyfriend, not-yet-named, when he finds out the love of his life is pregnant.  He then tells his football coach that he’s giving up his top tier full-ride scholarship to follow Tye to Harvard to support her on her journey. He’s making a conscious decision to raise his child and fall into the background while his passionate girlfriend shines. He’s smashing the behind every great man is a great woman trope and his family, friends, and coaches are not supportive, to say the least. I live in Alabama where football is king and rereading that deleted scene after many years, it’s almost an unthinkable sacrifice for a southern boy. I’d like to explore him further one day. He seems pretty spectacular.  Favor to ask, if I may- He deserves a fantastic name. Suggestions are appreciated and seriously considered. ☺ If you haven't read Girs Like Us yet, you can pick up a copy wherever books are sold. You can also continue the conversation with your friends and download the discussion guide.

Girls Like Us by Randi Pink

Girls with few choices have to make tough decisions on their own. Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that they’re dealing with unplanned pregnancies. In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out she’s pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesn’t fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator. Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story – as timely as ever – about a woman’s right to choose her future. buy vilitra generic newonlineandblo.com over the counter Be sure to check out Randi's other book  Angel of Greenwood, available wherever books are sold.