.
. >>>
. >>> WELCOME BACK TO "PORTLAND
TODAY."
TODAY."
TODAY." WE HAVE CHRISTINA McMORRIS WHO
CALLS PORTLAND HOME, A NEW
YORK TIMES BEST SELLING THOR.
THIS IS A REAL LIFE -- SELLING
AUTHOR.
AUTHOR.
AUTHOR. THIS IS A REAL LIFE
INSPIRATION.
INSPIRATION. YOU ARE TELLING US YOU SAW A
FAIRLY FAMOUS, OR AT LEAST
WELL KNOWN HISTORICAL PHOTO
THAT SPURRED A WHOLE BOOK FOR
YOU?
YOU?
YOU? >>
YOU? >> IT DID.
YOU KNOW HOW THEY SAY A PICTURE
IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
IT IS WORTH A WHOLE NOVEL,
APPARENTLY.
APPARENTLY. THIS STORY IS INSPIRED BY A
STORY A LOT OF YOU HAVE SEEN,
1948, NOT THE GREAT DEPRESSION
IN CHICAGO.
IN CHICAGO. IT SURPRISED ME.
BUT MY STORY TAKES PLACE IN THE
GREAT DEPRESSION.
GREAT DEPRESSION. AS MY MOM MYSELF OF TWO YOUNG
BOY, THAT YOU WOULD ASK FOR
MONEY IN RETURN FOR YOUR KIDS,
AND NOT JUST TRY TO GIVE THEM A
BETTER LIFE.
BETTER LIFE. SO THAT IS ARE THE STORY CAME
FROM.
FROM.
FROM. >>
FROM. >> THE STORY CAME FROM THERE
AND THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE PHOTO,
BUT THAT DIDN'T REALLY IMPACT
YOUR STORY?
YOUR STORY? >> WELL, I DIDN'T THINK IT
WOULD AT FIRST, BUT I CAME
ACROSS A MENTION IN AN ARTICLE
THAT SAID SOME FAMILY MEMBERS
CLAIM THE PHOTO WAS STAGED.
I THOUGHT THAT IS INTERESTING.
THAT WOULD HAVE ME BRINGING
SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE.
HE MAKES A QUESTIONABLE CHOICE
THAT SEEMS DEVASTATING AT THE
TIME BUT THE PHOTO PRETTY MUCH
GOES VIRAL AT THE TIME.
>> AND IN REAL LIFE YOU TRACKED
DONE ONE OF THE CHILDREN?
>> I DID.
>> I DID.
>> I DID. A COUPLE OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS.
SPECIFICALLY ONE IN THE PHOTO,
ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL,
SWEET, WARM SURVIVORS I MET.
SHE WAS SOLD FOR $2 A YEAR
AFTER THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN.
THERE IS QUESTION ABOUT THE AWE
TENTIESTY OF THE FIRST --
AUTHENTICITY OF THE FIRST
PHOTO, BUT THAT SHE CLAIMS HER
MOTHER SOLD HER FOR BINGO MONEY
AND HIS BROTHER WAS CRYING
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE
HIS SIS, SO A FARMER TOOK HIM,
TOO AND THEY WORKEDDARD LABOR
ON HIS FARM.
SO A VERY DIFFICULT LIFE.
>> AND WHERE DID YOU FIND THE
TIME TO RESEARCH ALL THIS?
>> WELL, I AM A FULL-TIME MOM
AND ALSO A FULL-TIME WRITER.
IT IS A JUGGLE.
I HAVE A TOUR OF 50 STOPS IN
THREE MONTHS.
THREE MONTHS. IF GOOD NEWS IS YOU ARE
CATCHING ME IN THE EARLY PART
AWHILE I STILL KNOW MY NAME AND
THE BOOK'S NAME.
>> ARE YOU AN EARLY MORNING
WRITER, LATE IN THE EVENING?
>> USUALLY WHEN THE KIDS GO TO
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. THE BUSINESS HOURS.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH I DON'T FEEL
LIKE WRITING, IT DOESN'T
MATTER BECAUSE YOU HAVE A 3:00
DEADLINE BEFORE THE KIDS COME
HOME.
HOME.
HOME. >>
HOME. >> IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU
DON'T FEEL LIKE WRITING I HAVE
HEARD, BUT THAT A WRITER MUST
WRITE.
WRITE.
WRITE. >>
WRITE. >> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. YOU HAVE DEADLINES FROM YOUR
PUBLISHE
PUBLISHE
PUBLISHE >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. NOW WHY ARE YOU DROWN TO
STORIES FROM YOUR OWN FAMILY,
WORLD WAR II.
>> I LOVE THE TIME PERIOD, THE
'30s AND THE '40s, THE MUSIC
AND HARDSHIPS PEOPLE WENT
THROUGH, YET FINDING HOPE ON
THE OTHER SIDE NO MATTER HOW
HARD LIFE WAS FOR THE WORLD AT
THAT TIME.
THAT TIME. I LOVE THE STORIES YOU FIND A
NUGGET OF HISTORY THAT YOU
THINK HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS?
EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW THIS.
WHEN IT COMES TO WORLD WAR II
AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION,
THERE ARE ENDLESS STORIES.
YOU THINK YOU HAVE HEARD
EVERYTHING AND YOU HAVEN'T.
I LOVE THOSE STORIES.
>> YOU JOKE ABOUT DEADLINES BUT
WHAT KIND OF DEADLINE ARE YOU
ON?
ON?
ON? A
ON? A YEAR'S WORK?
A COUPLE YEARS?
IS THERE A TIMEFRAME?
>> THIS ONE I CHANGED
PUBLISHING HOUSES WITH THIS.
IT WAS REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE
THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT
PUTTING THE BOOK OUT THERE AND
PUTTING A LOT OF EFFORT AROUND
IT, BUT I HAD TO BUCKLE DOWN
AND NUT A LOT OF HOURS BECAUSE
-- AND PUT IN A LOT OF HOURS
BECAUSE THEY WANTED IT IN A
SHORTER TIMEFRAME.
SHORTER TIMEFRAME. SO I THINK I WROTE IT IN ABOUT
EIGHT MONTHS.
EIGHT MONTHS. >> WOW!
>> WOW!
>> WOW! WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT
NOW?
NOW?
NOW? >>
NOW? >> WELL, TOURING AND
PROMOTING.
PROMOTING. A LOT OF EVENTS, BOOK CLUBS --
PEOPLE WANT GO ON MY WEBSITE.
SO, WE ARE GIVING AWAY FREE
GIFTS FOR PEOPLE READING THE
BOOK IN BOOK CLUBS.
THE WEBSITE IS KRISTINAMc