Episode Summary: Angelica Baker Discusses "When We Grow Up" on Totally Booked with Zibby Owens

Podcast: Totally Booked with Zibby Owens
Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Angelica Baker, Author of When We Grow Up: A Novel
Release Date: March 6, 2025

1. Introduction to Angelica Baker

In this episode, Zibby Owens welcomes Angelica Baker, a distinguished author known for her novels When We Grow Up and Our Little Racket. Angelica's work has been featured in esteemed publications such as the New York Times, Vogue, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Literary Hub. Residing in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband and two sons, Angelica brings a wealth of experience and insight to the discussion.

2. Exploring "When We Grow Up"

Premise and Inspiration

Angelica delves into the intriguing premise of her latest novel, When We Grow Up, which centers around a group of friends in Hawaii who receive a false missile alert, believing they might face imminent death. This real-life event from January 2018 serves as the catalyst for the novel’s exploration of human behavior in crisis.

Angelica Baker [02:24]: "This happened in January 2018. This is not a made-up circumstance. And when it happened I was on a vacation with people I had known since I was 12 years old... it was like, well, we're waiting to see. And your mind wanted to think it wasn't real because as it turned out, it wasn't."

Themes and Character Dynamics

The novel delves deep into themes of fear, friendship, loyalty, and personal growth. Angelica discusses how the false alarm forces characters to confront existing tensions and insecurities within their longstanding relationships.

Angelica Baker [05:25]: "From that point on, just the ground beneath their feet doesn't feel solid anymore... there are a lot of directions that could go. It really is kind of like you may... this may have no effect. Which is often what happens in real life."

3. Writing Style and Narrative Choices

Third-Person Perspective

Angelica explains her deliberate choice to write When We Grow Up in the third person, contrasting it with her first novel, Our Little Racket, which employs a similar narrative style. This approach allows her to present multiple viewpoints while maintaining a close connection to the protagonist, Claire.

Angelica Baker [07:16]: "I really wanted it wasn't the narrator, wasn't Omniscient... you’re only hearing about them, really, from her perspective still."

Comparison with "Our Little Racket"

In discussing her first book, Angelica highlights her focus on the women affected by their husbands' careers in a male-dominated finance world, emphasizing marginalized female perspectives rather than a financial thriller.

Angelica Baker [07:29]: "I was very uninterested in writing a financial thriller about the bank. And I was very interested in writing about the women that were sort of frustratingly sidelined..."

4. Personal Reflections and Growth

Impact of Writing on Personal Development

Angelica shares how writing When We Grow Up has been a journey of self-discovery, reflecting on her own transition into motherhood and the associated feelings of rootlessness and decision-making pressures.

Angelica Baker [17:39]: "I just felt like I was turning 30, and it was like, okay, I've made these decisions that I didn't know were decisions at the time... it makes sense."

Balancing Motherhood and Writing

The conversation touches upon the challenges Angelica faces in balancing her roles as a mother and a writer, particularly with the demands of raising two young children while embarking on new literary projects.

Angelica Baker [21:26]: "I was trying to finish this draft for my editor. I have pictures with my second son where he's like asleep on my chest and I'm like on my computer. So it was so crazy."

5. Advice for Aspiring Authors

Angelica offers valuable advice to budding writers, emphasizing the importance of maintaining consistent engagement with their projects, even during periods of inactivity.

Angelica Baker [22:44]: "Do it, if not every day. There are going to be plenty of times in your life when you can't do it every day. But try to keep it at the forefront of your mind."

She also underscores the necessity of reading regularly and keeping a writing log to track progress and maintain inspiration.

Angelica Baker [22:44]: "I keep a log of what I'm reading... I'm almost always reading all the time."

6. Conclusion

Zibby Owens wraps up the episode by congratulating Angelica on her thought-provoking and beautifully written novel, When We Grow Up. She encourages listeners to pick up the book and engage with the insightful discussion Angelica brings to the literary world.

Zibby Owens [24:47]: "Angelica, congratulations. When We Grow Up. Totally thought-provoking and beautifully written. So congrats."

Notable Quotes:

• Angelica Baker [04:46]: "This disaster movie scenario. And your brain does not really widen to take into account what if you're in a disaster movie... If it's real, you're sort of like both over and under reacting at the same time."

• Angelica Baker [14:50]: "I just can't really remember this feeling of feeling this kind of panic. But it's very much what the book is about."

• Angelica Baker [22:44]: "Try to keep the notebook that you have in your bag that's only for this book... and trust that that's going to pay off in the future when you have time."

Final Thoughts

This episode offers an in-depth look into Angelica Baker's creative process, the underlying themes of her novel, and the personal experiences that shape her writing. Listeners gain a nuanced understanding of how real-life events can inspire fiction and the delicate balance between personal life and creative pursuits.