For me it was a lot harder to come to terms with the death of my grandfather than it was to come to terms with what's happened to the former Yugoslavia.
I am very interested in place, and the influences of place on characters.
In the end, all you want is someone to long for you when it comes time to put you in the ground.
The best fiction stays with you and changes you.
My family lived in Egypt from 1993 to 1996.
At the end of the day, it's about the reader's attachment to and belief in the magical elements that make or break magical realism.