If we grew up with nothing, we're complicated with that. That's the thing I keep hearing from people.

I've certainly faced some raw, real pain in my life. I lost my father to a car accident when I was young. My mother died ten years ago. My son was very sick as an infant. Eventually, I have attempted to transform this pain into art, to make meaning out of it.

I've always felt like my nose is pressed to glass. I always feel a little bit like an outsider.

It's not gender-specific, but I do think it's women who tend to start having that sort of little whispering voice of "I want more here" and "I want more for my family."

I started realising that the themes running through all of my novels were really haunting and obsessing me about my own life.

As a writer we are our own instruments; we need to protect our instrument, because no one will protect it if we don't.

Maggie Shipstead takes hold of the reader and doesn't let go. Astonish Me is a haunting, powerful novel.