"Interference"

Kay Honeyman grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Baylor University, graduating with a Bachelors and Masters in English Language and Literature. Her first novel, The Fire Horse Girl, came out in January 2013. She currently teaches middle school and lives in Dallas, Texas.

Honeyman applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, Interference, and reported the following:

From page 69:

Dad looked up from the pages India had given him. “Kate is not available during the election.”

“Why not?” India asked.

“She’s focusing on her studies.” He looked at me. “Right, Kate?”

India tilted her head and lifted her chin. “Is that the real answer or the answer we’re giving?”

“You can consider it both,” Dad said.

I was skeptical that any one page could represent the entire book, but I was delighted when I turned to page 69 and saw so much of my story on that page – a daughter’s tense and sometimes distant relationship with her political father, the strain of an election, reality vs. perception, adjustment to West Texas life, and photography. This is one of Kate’s more vulnerable moments in the early chapters, so much of what she will struggle with surfaces.

I flinched at the dismissal before I could catch myself. India’s brow wrinkled for a second. “Good luck,” she said to me.

I rummaged around my room and found a small box and a piece of paper. When my hand brushed my camera sitting on my desk, I picked it up and slung it around my neck. The weight grounded me.

It’s a glimpse into the hurt, the shield she uses to mask it, and the photography that will eventually help her see things more clearly.

Visit Kay Honeyman's website.

--Marshal Zeringue