Jen: What inspired you to write a story about mothers, daughters, and finding your own way in the world?
Jane: Mothers, daughters, finding your own way in the world: that’s one of the basic stories, isn’t it? A friend of mine said, Jane, the Phoebe book is so brave. I said, what are you talking about? It’s an old-fashioned novel. She said, I know, that’s what I mean! That’s why it’s brave.
This made me laugh because: I didn’t set out to write a brave book or an old-fashioned book. I wanted to write about a specific girl and her mothers, and the problems she faces. And then, when I was done, I thought, Oh! This book is about mothers of various sorts, and it’s a coming-of-age story, and it’s about those solemn and continuing questions: Who am I? What am I? What can I do in this life?
Jen: Phoebe’s relationship with her birth family really shakes things up for her. What made you want to explore adoption and identity through her story?
Jane: I’d heard a few real-life stories from acquaintances about adopted people who meet their birth families wherein they realize that the birth families have been intact all along, and that for whatever reasons, they have been edited out of the family! Holy Major Wow—is what I thought. When people face the question: What is your parentage, it can be very destabilizing, as it was for Phoebe. (I myself had a stable family, and a happy childhood) but I was interested in thinking about what the information Phoebe receives would do to her psyche and soul.
Jen: Her bond with her adoptive mother, Greta, is so central to the story. How did you approach writing that relationship and the tension that comes when Greta pushes Phoebe to meet her birth family?
Jane: I knew that the push from Greta had to come at the very beginning. The beginning of a novel must be built very securely; everything in the book flows from that beginning. I had to make sure that it made sense that Phoebe didn’t have information about her birth family, that it made sense that she had chosen not to engage with the information. That took a little doing.
Jen: Phoebe’s friendship with Luna is such a big part of her journey. How do you see friendships helping us navigate those tricky years of growing up?
Jane: I recently had a reunion with my college friends. We marveled that we’d been talking about our bodies for about 50 years. (And of course, we are still discussing our bods.) I think we are in fact always coming of age, and our friendships help us navigate every tricky phase. I shudder to think about being without my friends.
Jen: Patrick’s chaotic home with thirteen siblings is such a vivid setting. How did you come up with that, and what does it add to Phoebe’s story?
Jane: I grew up in a time when my neighborhood was full of children. It was not uncommon for couples to have many, many, many! children. Some of those households were run strictly and they functioned well. Others were chaotic. I observed both kinds. Those households have fascinated me for decades. (I was one of five, a smaller family at that time.) What does that household add to Phoebe’s story? She has significant encounters with three of those brothers. Encounters that determine what happens to her for the rest of her life.
Jen: The scene where Phoebe cuts her hair feels like a real turning point. What does that moment mean for her, and how does it change her path?
Jane: I think it’s fair to say that losing her glasses and changing her hairdo paves the way for her thinking of herself as a different person. And allows her to break free of who she was.
Jen: If this book were made into a movie or TV series, who would you picture playing Phoebe, Luna, and Patrick?
Jane: If the book were made into a movie, I like to think there are young actors who will appear and stun the world, the way Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet did, as kids. I think of the characters as they are in my head, so it’s very difficult to think of them otherwise. But in the moment, I would root for the unknown.
Jen: Finally, what do you hope readers will feel or think about after finishing the book, especially anyone going through their own journey of growing up?
Jane: I loved writing this book, and I love Phoebe. I hope that readers love Phoebe, too. I hope if there are young people reading this book, they are gentle with themselves as they figure out who they are and what their purpose is. And that they read Jane Eyre! Such a great book about becoming.
Jen: What’s the best way for readers to stay up-to-date on your latest news and happenings?
Jane: My website is slightly of date but I’m working on that. I’m also on Instagram and Facebook.
THE PHOEBE VARIATIONS by Jane Hamilton
An Oprah Daily Best Book of Fall
An Indie Next Pick for October
A LibraryReads Pick for September
The acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World returns with a stunning coming-of-age novel about girls, mothers, and finding one’s way in the world.
Seventeen-year-old Phoebe was never interested in her birth family. But on the cusp of her high school graduation, her adoptive mother, Greta, insists on a visit to meet her biological parents and siblings. The encounter is a jolt, a revelation that derails Phoebe.
With the help of her best friend Luna, Phoebe runs away—as far as their friend Patrick O’Connor’s chaotic home, where she hopes to go unnoticed among his thirteen siblings. But when Phoebe asks Patrick to chop off her hip-length hair, she’s suddenly transformed. Patrick’s older brothers can’t help but notice the striking, Peter Pan–like stranger who has suddenly appeared in their midst.
What starts as an adolescent rebellion soon spirals into a whirlwind of self-discovery and unexpected connections. As she grapples with her shifting identity and strained relationships, Phoebe must navigate the tumultuous road out of girlhood and chart a new and unknown course.
Women’s Fiction [Zibby Books, On Sale: September 23, 2025, e-Book, / ]
Buy THE PHOEBE VARIATIONS: Kindle | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Jane Hamilton
Jane Hamilton is the author of The Book of Ruth, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for first fiction, and A Map of the World, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and named one of the top ten books of the year by Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, the Miami Herald, and People. Both The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World have been selections of Oprah’s Book Club. Her following work, The Short History of a Prince, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1998, her novel Disobedience was published in 2000, and her last novel When Madeline Was Young was a Washington Post Best Book of 2006. She lives in and writes in an orchard farmhouse in Wisconsin.
AMAZON
About Jennifer Vido
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, “Serendipity by the Sea,” secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido’s talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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