Crime novel explores the lines between loyalty and obsession

Stories have always been my way to make sense of the world, and “We Would Never” left a deep impression on me. In many ways, my connection to this story mirrors how Tova Mirvis’ books have impacted me. Her ability to explore the intricacies of family, identity, and relationships has long resonated with me, making her work a must-read. I’m thrilled to be bringing her to Rhode Island for what I know will be a memorable and enjoyable evening for readers.

I recently asked her a few questions about her new book to share with Jewish Rhode Island readers.

“We Would Never” is inspired by a true story, please share a little bit about that.

 The inspiration for “We Would Never” was a true-crime story that took place in Florida that I had a very tangential connection to. It was a terrible spousal murder in the midst of a contentious divorce, and I was horrified and captivated. For years, I followed the story as the ex-wife’s family was implicated and eventually arrested. I read everything I could in search of understanding – not about the facts of the murder or the legal proceedings, but the human story. How do people who once loved each other become so enraged? How does a seemingly ordinary family commit such a horrendous act? As much as I read, I always came away dissatisfied – there was so much information online but not what I most needed to know. I decided to take the bones of that true crime story and transform it into a novel. I came to feel that the only way to understand this story -- and so many stories like it – was to imagine my way into the character’s inner lives.

The title is intriguing, was this always the title?

The title came very late – nerve-wrackingly late in fact. For most of the five years that I spent writing the book, the working title was “Sunshine,” which wasn’t quite right. My editor, agent and I kept a running list of titles, and I tried to come up with something but was really stuck. The book was already in the publication process when my editor said they needed the title by the next day. We looked at the possibilities we’d come up with and there was “We Would Never,” buried on one of these lists and it just felt right. The novel is so much about what a family believes it would never do, until they are doing that exact thing. And for the reader too, we feel sure about what we would or wouldn’t do, but we don’t always know what we might do in situations we can’t yet imagine.

Please talk about the cast of characters and if any were more challenging to write I’d love to hear about those.

“We Would Never” is a mystery about a murder but more than that, it’s a mystery about family love and loyalty and estrangements. In the midst of a bitter divorce, Hailey, the daughter, turns to her parents for help. Her mother Sherry has always done everything for her children and is grappling with the fear that she is losing her children. Her husband Solomon is removed from the family drama but exerts a strong presence that is increasingly threatened. Then there are two brothers, Nate, who is impulsive and brash but also loyal to his sister, and Adam, who is estranged from his parents. These dynamics come together to create a firestorm.

Adam and Nate were the easiest to write, though they’re the farthest from my own life. And Sherry was the hardest – I needed to strike a balance between allowing her to be overbearing but still be relatable. For all the characters, I wanted to write from inside their perspectives, to be inside their heads and hearts.

Family drama is always interesting to me. Do you anticipate hearing stories of your readers’ family drama?

I love family drama, at least on the page. Every family has some kind of drama – maybe not things people talk about publicly but there are always complications, frictions, rivalries, and disappointments. Those are painful in real life, but they can make for great fiction. In “We Would Never,” I wanted to explore love that can be suffocating and family ties that become enmeshed. I hope that people can relate to this family. Even if what they end up doing is so extreme, at the outset, they’re not so different from many of us. I always love hearing from readers when a book makes them think about their own lives – it’s part of the magic of reading, when we can see parts of ourselves in fictional characters.

The family in “We Would Never” is Jewish. What does that mean to you as a Jewish author?

The family in the true crime story was Jewish and as a Jewish writer, I decided to retain that part of the story because it felt familiar to me. And while Jewishness is not a major part of the story, I was interested in the theme of forgiveness. Why are some people able to forgive and some people incapable of it? What happens when we refuse to bend or back down? In the novel, I used Yom Kippur to explore these themes. This is the Jewish holiday that has always moved me the most and it let me deepen these questions for my characters.

Why is “We Would Never” a terrific pick for book clubs?

I think a great book club pick is one where there are meaty questions to explore, where you might see something differently from your fellow book club members. In discussing “We Would Never,” I hope that books clubs will explore where the lines are between loyalty and obsession, between closeness and enmeshment. I hope that readers will talk about forgiveness and escalation and ask questions about their own lives. And not to give anything way, but there is a lot of suspense and a plot twist that I hope readers will enjoy discussing!

What are you reading now and what are you looking forward to reading next?

My two favorite books of the past year were “The Safekeep” by Yael Van Der Wouden and “North Woods” by Daniel Mason. Right now, I am in the middle of Roxana Robinson’s “Leaving” which is so achingly real and empathic. And the two books my nightstand that I am excited to start next are “This Strange Eventful History” by Claire Messud and “Songs for the Broken-hearted” by Ayelet Tsabari.

TOVA MIRVAS will be in conversation with Robin Kall on Feb. 13 at Maven’s Delicatessen, in Pawtucket. The event starts at 6 p.m. and includes:an autographed and personalized copy of “We Would Never,” an exclusive book club Zoom with Tova and Robin after the event and your choice of soup with half sandwich or salad and dessert. Tickets are $60 (inclusive of tax and tip). For tickets go to RobinKall.com.

Taking the advice of her mother, ROBIN KALL, of East Greenwich, never leaves home without a book. Widely known under the moniker Reading With Robin. Kall has been connecting readers and writers via author events and interviews, book clubs, giveaways, a podcast, and online platforms since 2002. She receives advance review copies of books and hosts popular events that have included authors Wally Lamb, Jodi Picoult, and Alice Hoffman, among many others.