I’m so excited to be a part of the book tour for The Song of Us that is hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. I was really excited to also be able to interview the author for this book!
INTERVIEW
How would you describe The Song of Us in one sentence?
A queer middle grade novel-in-verse, THE SONG OF US is the story of two seventh grade girls destined to learn to love themselves as they love and lose each other forever.
Can you introduce us to the main character(s) of The Song of Us?
Olivia, a capital P Poet and a capital S Stubborn Seventh grader, believes she can write her way through any situation. Whether it’s trying to cure her mother’s depression (which Olivia fears she will inherit) or capturing the heart of new girl, Eden, Olivia believes her powerful poetry can triumph over everything. Eden, whose life has been tumultuous ever since her mother left her living alone with her homophobic father, hasn’t figured out who she is and hasn’t had time to figure out how to fit in, as she’s had to change schools several times over the past few years. Questioning and closeted, Eden has parts of herself she isn’t sure how to face but her place at her keyboard as a musician is the one part of herself she never fears.
Do you know from the beginning how your books will end or do you let your characters decide their journey?
It was a combination of both, truly. When the idea for THE SONG OF US came to me, I knew (since it was based on the tragedy of “Orpheus and Eurydice”) that my two main characters could not end up together, and I knew how their goodbye would play out. But it wasn’t until rewriting the ending, to add additional details about what happened to each of them after they could no longer see each other, that the characters revealed to me how they would heal and grow into the next part of their lives.
Do you have a favorite scene, moment, or quote from the book?
There are so many favorite moments for me, but one of them is most certainly when Olivia shows Eden how to hang upside down from the monkeybars. I love the quieter moments when Eden and Olivia get to build their relationship together, before the world makes their relationship much more complicated.
What is something readers will find in The Song of Us that they may not realize based on the
synopsis?
Olivia has a secondary journey throughout the novel with her mother, who is struggling with severe depression. Readers will find that Olivia has a lot of fears about developing depression, and about asking for help from her mother because she struggles so much. But readers will also find that despite her mental health challenges, Olivia’s mom does show up for Olivia and help her through some key obstacles.
What’s something you hope readers will take away from The Song of Us?
Towards the end of the novel, our musician Eden shares in a poem called Fake Book that she feels like her whole life she’s been simplifying who she is so that she can blend in and belong with others. Despite the challenges that it brings for Eden, she decides that it’s time for her to be her true, full, complicated self. Although this does not make life easier for Eden, it eventually helps her find a space to be herself. I hope readers are comforted by the fact that Eden is able to be her true self, and that there will come a time when they, too, can be their authentic selves.
What are three books you would recommend if someone enjoyed The Song of Us?
If you enjoyed THE SONG OF US, there are so many great middle grade novels-in-verse waiting for you on the shelves! I recommend Rajani LaRocca’s MIRROR-TO-MIRROR, Andrea Beatriz Arango’s IVELIZ EXPLAINS IT ALL, and Jasmine Warga’s OTHER WORDS FOR HOME.
ABOUT THE BOOK
TITLE: The Song of Us
AUTHOR: Kate Fussner
GENRE: Middle Grade Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: May 30, 2023
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Rep: Queer, Fat, Mental Health, Questioning
Synopsis:
This stunning debut and wholly original queer middle grade novel-in-verse retelling of “Orpheus and Eurydice” adds a new chorus to the songs of great love, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World.
Love at first sight isn’t a myth. For seventh graders Olivia and Eden, it’s fate. Olivia is a capital-P Poet, and Eden thinks she wants to be a musician one day, but for now she’s just the new girl. And then Eden shows up to Poetry Club and everything changes.
Eden isn’t out, and she has rules for dating Olivia: don’t call. Don’t tell her friends. And don’t let anyone know they’re together.
But when jealousy creeps in, it’s Olivia’s words that push Eden away. While Eden sets out to find herself, Olivia begins a journey to bring Eden back—using poetry. Both Olivia and Eden will learn just how powerful their words can be to bring them together . . . or tear them apart forever.
Content Warning: Homophobia, mental illness
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kate Fussner writes books for young people and bakes the perfect chocolate chip cookie. She holds a B.A from Vassar College, an M.Ed. from University of Massachusetts Boston, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People from Lesley University. After over a decade of teaching English for the Boston Public Schools, Kate now spends her time writing and walking her dramatic dog, Mrs. Weasley. She is represented by Eric Smith at P.S. Literary. Her writing has appeared in the Boston Globe, WBUR’s Cognoscenti, and elsewhere. She and her wonderful wife live in MA.
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