Connie and Melinda begin the interview discussing the context of the novel in rural Mississippi, and the main character’s difficult upbringing. They proceed to talk about the other characters in the book, and the importance of family, love, and race and racial injustice in the narrative. Connie and Melinda then consider the current state of race relations in the Deep South and Melinda’s own background and life and how it contributed to her insights, particularly her early experiences with a panic disorder as a child. Connie has Melinda read a passage from the book before they discuss her transition into journalism and writing, and the significance of a trip to Jamaica in changing her life. Melinda then reads an additional passage from the work, and Connie closes the interview requesting an autograph for her copy of the book.
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