"The Glovemaker"

Ann Weisgarber was born and raised in Kettering, Ohio. She has lived in Boston, Massachusetts, and Des Moines, Iowa. She is the author of The Promise and The Personal History of Rachel Dupree, which was longlisted for the Orange Prize and shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers.

Weisgarber applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, The Glovemaker, and reported the following:

I wasn’t sure what I’d find on page 69 in the hardback edition. I had visions it might be the end of a chapter with just a paragraph and a lot of white space. To my surprise, it’s a full page that hits most of the plot points along with brief references to the main characters. There’s even a quick reference to snow, an important influence in the story. What are the chances it would all come together on this one page?

As per usual, the action takes place in a kitchen with the main character, Deborah, getting ready to wash dishes. Deborah has helped hide a man who is charged with a felony, and on page 69 she’s convinced that her sister knows what she’s done. Instead, her sister reveals something that further complicates Deborah’s situation.

To my amazement, there are two sentences that speak to the novel’s theme. One is “The air in the cabin was heavy with unspoken thoughts,” and the other is “Michael’s troubled by what goes on here.”

Unspoken thoughts. Troubled. And washing dishes as if that could cleanse the past.

Visit Ann Weisgarber's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Promise.

--Marshal Zeringue