The Real Story Behind the Title of My Book
A lot of people ask me how I arrived at the title of my book, The Violets of March. And the truth is that this wasn’t the initial title for the book. It was actually first called “The Waters of March.” I was completely in love with (and still am) this title as it is also the title of a beautiful and haunting jazz song by the late Susannah McCorkle that inspired my story (if you haven’t heard it, you must download it on iTunes!). But, the sales team at Penguin felt that the title was a bit too somber, so, we had to pick a new one.
As I was working on revising the novel, I was out in my yard with the kids and a guy I’d hired to do some weeding called me over to take a look at these mysterious little flowers that cropped up in my garden. He told me they were called “wood violets” and that he could weed them out if wanted. “No!” I said. “Keep them!” I immediately began to envision violets being a theme of reconciliation and forgiveness in my story. And, sure enough, on my afternoon jog that day, I spotted more of those purple flowers along the roadside. When I got home, I emailed my editor and agent and proposed a new title for the book with a new plot theme. They loved it, and The Violets of March was born! Every time I see a violet, I now think of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Thank you so much, Sarah, for stopping in all this month! I really enjoyed reading The Violets of March, and this lil' spotlight sent a few more people your way. Come back and visit anytime!
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