Laura Dave's latest novel, The First Husband, is a romantic comedy about where we find love and who makes us feel at home.
Annie Adams' world is turned upside down when her boyfriend of five years leaves her. On the rebound, she meets Griffin quickly marries him and follows him to a small town in Mass. But then Nick returns and Annie is forced to choose between them...
CommitmentNow.com: The First Husband is a novel about love and how the dream of it is often different from its reality. In The First Husband, Annie Adams thinks she has it all. She believes her five year relationship with Nick is perfect until he announces that he’s moving out. Soon thereafter, Annie meets Griffin, different in almost every way from Nick, and three months later they’re married and living in rural Massachusetts. Then Nick returns and Annie has to decide between them. Were there events or stories that you experienced or heard about that provided the first seed of creativity for this book?
Laura Dave: The First Husband didn’t come from any one specific event or story—but it was definitely inspired by experiences friends and people I know have been through. And since The First Husband came out, many readers have contacted me to say they feel like they are Annie: that their experiences match up to hers in a variety of ways. I’m excited that so many people relate to her and have embraced the book in the way they have.
CommitmentNow.com: Which came first – the character of Annie or the plot?
Laura: Annie came first for me. I knew I wanted to write a book about a woman figuring out how to make good choices. And, so, I developed important elements of Annie before I resolved where her story would lead her.
CommitmentNow.com: The First Husband would make a great movie! It that a possibility?
Laura: I’d love that. We’ve definitely had some interest, but nothing concrete to tell you just yet.
CommitmentNow.com: The First Husband is your third novel, are you working on a fourth?
Laura: I am! I hope to have a working draft this winter. I think my fourth novel is going to be a fun one and I’m really enjoying working on it.
CommitmentNow.com: Where can we learn more about you and your writing?
Laura: My website is a good place to start: http://www.lauradave.com -- I also have a facebook page where I post often: www.facebook.com/lauracdave
Laura Dave is the author of the acclaimed novels The Divorce Party, London Is the Best City in America, and - most recently - The First Husband. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Glamour, Redbook, and Self Magazine. Dave graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and was recently named as a "Fun and Fearless Phenom" of the year by Cosmopolitan. She lives in California, where she is at work on a new novel.
To purchase The First Husband, click here.
