Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.
Recently, we talked to Caroline Kellems about her writing and her soon to be published novel, THE POPPY FIELD, a sincere and deeply absorbing story that beautifully delves into the repercussions of choices made in pursuit of personal happiness (Read the review here).
Caroline Kellems, a native Californian, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UCSB upon completion of a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with a study emphasis in English literature. A few years later she received a Master’s Degree in Education from Framingham State College.
In 1985, she joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Guatemala. For three years she walked the countryside visiting distant villages and teaching peasants how to build fish ponds and raise fish to feed their families.
It was here in the green fertile lands of Central America she met her husband, Eduardo Godoy, whose family has been involved in coffee for generations. Intrigued by the culture and people of Guatemala, she felt compelled to write The Coffee Diary, a novel influenced by her family’s life and an expression of love for her adopted country. The Coffee Diary was released in September 2010 by MacAdam/Cage Publishers. The prevalence and acceptance of drug lords in Guatemalan society inspired her second book, The Poppy Field.
She and her husband own a coffee plantation in Guatemala and a coffee roasting company in Guatemala City. Caroline spends her time between North and Central America, working and writing.
What does literary success look like to you?
I’ve been an avid reader all my life and to have several published novels is my idea of literary success. I believe that, next to my children, it is my most important legacy. It matters not to me whether my books make it to best-seller status, the important thing is that they are out there contributing to society and opening the minds of readers.
Do you try to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
First, I write for myself, for my own fulfillment. If readers enjoy the story, that’s wonderful. Reading is a very personal and I understand that my perspective will differ from that of each reader. I hope to take the reader on a journey to see the world (Guatemala) through my eyes.
How often do you read?
My life has centered around books and reading. I learned to read at four and never turned back. When I was seven, I won an award at our local library for reading over 50 books in a summer. I read from the time I wake until I sleep, except when I’m writing. Last year, including audiobooks, I read 94 books. I average 75-100 books a year.
Who and what ultimately inspired you to be a writer?
Writing is something that has come to me from my mother and her father before her. My grandfather, Henry Phelps Gates, wrote a manual, You Know You Can Write. He taught creative writing at different colleges and penned many short stories. He worked for many years as managing editor at the Christian Science Monitor. My mother, Ann Gates, was editor of several newspapers in Northern California when I was growing up. She self-published an autobiography, From Cages to Kayaks, about her life from being a lion trainer in a circus to adventure kayaking around the world. Her book was intended for family. Shortly after its initial printing, I began my first novel.
Would you rather read a book or watch T.V.?
I think it goes without saying I’ll pick up a book before flicking on the television. On the rare occasion the T.V. at our house is on, it is likely local or international news.
Were your parents interested in literature? Did they real a lot? What books did you have in your house?
My parents divorced when I was seven and we were limited economically. Every Tuesday we would trek to the library to check out three or four books for the week. My mother is a reader, like me. As she has gotten older (she’s 93) and her mobility has decreased, she has increased her reading to a book a day.
We read a smattering of everything from self-help to historical fiction to fantasy and science fiction. Literary fiction is my favorite.
What life experiences have shaped your writing most?
I joined the Peace Corps in 1985 and was sent to Guatemala. Though relatively close to the U.S., this Central American country is very different from home. I read everything I could find about Guatemala, but I only found literature that dealt with the civil war, nothing like how the country is from my perspective, modern-day Guatemala. That was the push to write The Coffee Diary.
What inspired the premise for this book?
During my time in lovely Guatemala, my husband and I have met and become friendly with over a dozen drug traffickers. We didn’t initially understand what their line of work was, but in time, it dawned on us and we backed off, cooling the friendship. Americans are very open and trusting, in general. I also saw several people from a church we attend get involved with shady people, people we knew to be Narcos. The idea for The Poppy Field was born from that experience.
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