"Rowan and Gemma"

Sally J. Pla is the author of five acclaimed novels—The Someday Birds; Stanley Will Probably Be Fine; The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn; Invisible Isabel; and Rowan and Gemma—and a picture book, Benji, the Bad Day, and Me. She is an autism/neurodiversity advocate who has worked as a business journalist and in public education. She lives with her family in Southern California, not too far from the ocean.

Pla applied the Page 69 Test to Rowan and Gemma with the following results:

From page 69:

Mother gasps. “I’m so deeply sorry. I’m more than glad to pay for the repair. I’m sure it will be—should be easy to buff out.”

Mrs. Monahan is livid. “Buff out? I’m going to need a whole new bumper! And you’re darn tootin’ you’ll pay for it. We have traffic laws in this town, you know! You must obey them, especially around the school. Safety First, Ms. Caplan!”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone lecture Mother quite like this before. And it was supposed to be a friendly neighborhood visit!

Yikes. I’m glad I stayed hidden.

Page 69 wraps the chapter where Gemma’s and Rowan’s mothers first meet. Gemma, who’s non-speaking and social-phobic, has hidden behind a curtain to eavesdrop on the exchange. Mrs. Monahan came, a tray of brownies in hand, for a friendly welcome-to-town visit. But once she notices that Gemma’s mom’s car was the one that scraped her bumper in the school lot earlier that day, she's furious. It confirms her suspicions that Gemma's mom is a terrible person. Now, Rowan's mom seems ready to spit in that tray of brownies she’s just handed over.

Rowan + Gemma is a small-town love story -- and a tale about the power of words. Both lead characters struggle with speech such that they know the value of choosing words carefully and well. Rowan and Gemma's mutual attraction and affection speaks louder than words.

But their mothers’ escalating rivalry and ultimate political feud splits the town. These two women get so carried away flinging cruel words out into the community, they lose all sense of civility.

Rowan + Gemma is about the danger of making assumptions, and letting hearsay and bias color our feelings and allow us to prop up our false beliefs about each other. And it's about what happens when adults act like children, and it's up to the children to show grace and caring.

I think this scene aptly demonstrates the start of all that. For me, the Page 69 Test holds as an accurate assessment!

Visit Sally J. Pla's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Sally J. Pla & Leo.

The Page 69 Test: The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn.

Q&A with Sally J. Pla.

--Marshal Zeringue