In 'The Catch,' estranged sisters confront a mystery surrounding their mother's death

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: "The Catch" by Yrsa Daily Ward

Introduction

In this engaging episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbong introduces listeners to Yrsa Daily Ward's latest novel, "The Catch." The episode delves into the novel's intricate narrative, exploring themes of grief, wish fulfillment, and the complex dynamics between estranged sisters. Through an insightful conversation with Yrsa, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the book's inspiration, characters, and underlying messages.

Overview of "The Catch"

"The Catch" weaves a captivating tale of twin sisters, Clara and Dempsey, who have grown up apart in separate London families following the mysterious and tragic death of their mother in 1995. On their 30th birthday, Clara believes she sees their mother boarding the number six bus, a sight that defies logical explanation given their mother's presumed death.

Yrsa Daily Ward describes the novel's central premise:

"The mom is the same age as her girls are 30 years old. The Catch is a novel." ([01:17])

This intriguing setup sets the stage for a suspenseful exploration of reality versus perception, questioning whether Clara's mother has truly returned or if something more sinister is at play.

Characters and Relationships

The novel centers around the complex relationship between the twin sisters:

• Clara: A burgeoning writer whose first novel has garnered attention. Outwardly, she appears to have a perfect life, but internally, she grapples with deep-seated issues and unresolved grief.

• Dempsey: Clara's twin, who has not achieved the same level of success and remains skeptical about their mother's supposed return. Dempsey's suspicion adds tension to their already strained relationship.

Yrsa explains:

"Clara's a writer. She's broken out with this first novel, and she's kind of, like, trying to project this perfect life... And that Dempsey kind of got the raw end of the deal." ([04:09])

This dynamic highlights themes of envy, rivalry, and the search for personal identity amidst familial expectations and personal loss.

Themes and Inspirations

At its core, "The Catch" explores the profound impact of grief and the human desire for wish fulfillment. Yrsa draws from her personal experience of losing her mother in her early twenties, which profoundly influenced the novel's emotional depth.

"My mother passed away a while ago. It was a profound loss... I thought, God, what would it be like if I was to suddenly encounter her again in some way?" ([05:01])

This heartfelt inspiration underscores the narrative's exploration of longing, memory, and the yearning to reconnect with lost loved ones. Additionally, Yrsa touches on the duality of grief as both a painful and beautiful emotion:

"It is grief, but it's also beautiful. It is love, you know." ([05:05])

Notable Quotes and Insights

Throughout the interview, Yrsa shares several poignant quotes that encapsulate the novel's essence:

1. Clara's Conviction:

   "She is my mother and she is on the bus. My mother rides the bus, the number six bus." ([02:03])

2. On Intuition and Belief:

   "Have you ever really wanted anything to be true? Just really wanted or maybe just needed something to be true?" ([03:02])

3. Family Dynamics:

   "Families aren't perfect. And this is... If it is their mother, this is who they've got." ([06:38])

4. Meaning Behind the Title:

   "There are lots of catches, just as there are in life. It's like, you can have this, but there's this part." ([07:43])

These quotes highlight the novel's exploration of trust, perception, and the inherent complexities within family relationships.

Author's Perspective

Yrsa discusses the emotional and psychological layers she aimed to portray in "The Catch." She emphasizes the importance of authenticity in depicting grief and the longing for closure:

"I think everybody who has knows that it gives you access to a kind of empathy that wasn't there before because it's just such a deep grief." ([05:05])

She also sheds light on the enigmatic nature of the mother character, suggesting that her return might not be as straightforward as Clara believes:

"So why is Clara so sure that this woman who seems to be the same age as her, is her mom?" ([02:52])

This ambiguity invites readers to question the reality of Clara's vision and the true intentions of the mother figure.

The Role of Perception

A significant theme in the novel is the dichotomy between how things appear and their underlying truths. Yrsa elaborates on how both sisters perceive their lives and their mother differently:

"Clara is kind of a mess, and Dempsey's kind of a mess, but she's not succeeding the way Clara is... it really looks at that and looks at what that means and how much of that is true and how much of that is perception." ([04:46])

This introspection encourages readers to consider the reliability of their perceptions and the hidden struggles individuals may face despite outward appearances.

Conclusion

Yrsa Daily Ward's "The Catch" offers a nuanced and emotionally charged narrative that delves into themes of grief, family dynamics, and the quest for truth. Through the intertwined lives of Clara and Dempsey, the novel explores the depths of longing and the complexities of reconciling with the past. Yrsa's personal insights and the novel's rich character development make "The Catch" a compelling read for anyone interested in stories that balance mystery with profound emotional resonance.

As Yrsa aptly puts it:

"Everything is like a multitude of things." ([07:58])

This statement encapsulates the layered storytelling that invites readers to uncover the multiple facets of each character and their intertwined histories.

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Note: The timestamps correspond to specific moments in the podcast transcript, providing context to the quoted material.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong.

[Aisha Raska]

Be careful.

[Andrew Limbong]

What you wish for is an age old trope in storytelling, right? You rub on a monkey's paw hoping to, I don't know, be super rich and then you get it, but everyone hates you and you end up alone and sad at the end. That sort of thing. Yrsa Daily Ward has a new novel out. It's called the Catch and it is very much playing with this idea of wish fulfillment. The book is dedicated to readers who have lost a parent and it's about a character who desperately wants her mom back, so much so that she'll let herself believe anything. Daily ward talks to NPR's Aisha Raska about what it felt like to lose her own mom and the questions she'd have if she could meet her again after the break.

[Aisha Raska]

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[Yrsa Daily Ward]

She isn't a ghost. She's a con woman. That's a key line from a new novel with a mind bending premise. Twin sisters Clara and Dempsey grew up apart, raised in separate London families after their mother's mysterious serious death years ago. Then on their 30th birthday, Clara swears she sees their mom on a city bus. Here's the thing, or the Catch. The mom is the same age as her girls are 30 years old. The Catch is a novel by Ursa Daily Ward. She's a poet and an award winning writer. Welcome to the program.

Hi. Thank you for having me.

Could you read from that moment when Clara thinks she sees her mom?

Yes, sure. She is my mother and she is on the bus. My mother rides the bus, the number six bus. Let me help you understand because I need to be understood. Though I might never have known my mother, I know my mother when I see my mother. She died in 1995, they told us. Or she was missing, presumed dead in 95. And then they found her remains, or what they said were likely her bodily remains, what they said likely were her remains, what can't have been her remains, all washed up on the banks of the River Thames, swollen as two people, slick with green moss. There was no foul Play none at all.

So why is Clara so sure that this woman who seems to be the same age as her, is her mom?

Well, have you ever really wanted anything to be true? Just really wanted or maybe just needed something to be true?

Yeah. Or you see a person and you think they're the one.

Right. Well, there's so much in life that is just intuition, isn't there? You just think, my gut knows this, even though it doesn't appear to make sense.

But Dempsey is suspicious from the start. Dempsey's like, no, this lady. It's not what you're thinking, Clara.

Absolutely. If somebody said that somebody that went missing, presumed dead 30 years ago was back and they were the same age. Age, not a day, I would be suspicious as well. So I can understand sort of the reasoning for both sisters and why they think or say what they think and say.

You know, talk to us about who these twins are when we first meet them.

Like.

Cause Claire's a writer. She's broken out with this first novel, and she's kind of, like, trying to project this perfect life. Claire is kind of a mess, and Dempsey's kind of a mess, but she's not succeeding the way Clara is. They're both kind of messes, though, right?

Yeah. And I wanted to play with that. Like, what we perceive is a mess. And some people, it's all happening inside, but on the outside, they look great. And that's what the novel is really about. These twins, set of twins who were all but estranged and grew up quite separately. And it seemed that Clara had a lot of the advantages and was seen as the successful, beautiful twin. And that Dempsey kind of got the raw end of the deal. And inside of the book, it really looks at that and looks at what that means and how much of that is true and how much of that is perception.

Is it you know? Cause you write in the acknowledgments of the book. To my readers who have lost one parent or the other, they remain inside and around us. They keep coming back. Was that the starting point of this book for you?

Yeah, absolutely. My mother passed away a while ago. She passed away in my early 20s. And it was a profound loss. It was a profound loss, but also gave me so much insight, and it softened me a lot. You know, when you've. When you've undergone a loss. And I think everybody who has knows that it gives you access to a kind of empathy that wasn't there before because it's just such a deep grief. And to this day, I'll be walking down the street and see people, see somebody that maybe the stature, maybe something about her reminds her of my mother or what I remember of my mother. And that longing is still there. That yearning is still there. And it's. Yes, it's grief, but it's also beautiful. It is love, you know? And so I thought, God, what would it be like if I was to suddenly encounter her again in some way? You know what? Wish fulfillment. Right. And what better wish fulfillment can you have than writing a book? So I invented it. What would it be like? And what if she was my age? Would I like her? Would we get on? Would we be friends? So that's what brought the book to life. That inquiry and that kind of wanting.

The mother character who we come across, she's kind of threatening. She's kind of just. She seems. There's something that. It's like, I don't know about this lady. Okay, you're not necessarily happy for the twins when she shows up, right? Like, it almost seems like the fairy tale is like, this is not a good lady who's coming up here.

[Aisha Raska]

Right?

[Yrsa Daily Ward]

Yeah. But this is the thing. Like, you don't choose your power, do you? So we gotta be realistic about this. It can be anyone. And as I said before, families aren't perfect. And this is. It's like, you know, this. If it is their mother, this is who they've got.

We should say your novel is the first to be published under the new imprint for well read Black girl. Gloria Adams started that Instagram book club. It really took off. Like, what does it mean for you to be a part of that?

I think that what Glory has done and has created is so fantastic. And I'm honored to be. This is the inaugural book, so it feels wonderful. Well timed, well placed. Everything. There's just something so special. And I'm honored to be in this space right now.

The title of your book, there are a couple of potential meanings, and I kind of played with that a little bit, But I like this idea. Like, how do you see it? Like, the catch.

Well, I mean, there are lots of catches, just as there are in life. It's like, you can have this, but there's this part. Or you can have this, but guess what? There's this. So I wanted to play with that a little bit because, you know, everything is like a multitude of things.

That's Yrsa Daily Ward. Her new novel is the Catch. Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

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