by Staff Writer Jennifer Grimes

After the death of her brother, heroine Meg Kavanagh realizes that she is made of glass―she’s fragile, and she’s about to break. But moving to Wyoming and attempting to hold together family bonds begins to change things, and Meg realizes she’s not as fragile as she seems. It isn’t until she meets cowboy Henry that she discovers the one thing that will really make her strong: faith in Jesus Christ. Glass Girl by Laura Anderson Kurk is a story packed with sorrow, hope, redemption, and love.

I loved having the opportunity to read Laura Anderson Kurk’s first novel; I even got to ask her some questions about the book! My favorite thing about Glass Girl is the writing: the characters are really intriguing and the storyline kept me from putting the book down. My least favorite thing was the romance. More often than not it took away from the real point of the story: Meg realizing that God loves her and can make her whole. I asked Laura about this and some other things:

Why did you write Glass Girl?

My inspiration for the story came from a difficult time in my own life where I had to learn what it means to grieve and what it means to love. My heart is in writing for young adults, so while I used some trying things in my own adult life, I wove them into a relatable story that would have broad appeal to young adult readers in different stages of faith. My goal was to “meet them where they are” so that we could take the journey together.

If you could sum up the meaning of Glass Girl―the story is at its core―what would it be?

This is a story about what it means to no longer feel fragile―and that can only happen when we’re made whole through Christ. It’s a story about loving people through the hard times and being compassionate enough to offer grace.

Who did you write Glass Girl for?

I wrote Meg’s story, really, for a couple of groups.

First, I wrote it for all the girls out there who are seeking a better way. Maybe they’ve made some choices that have started them down a road they never intended to travel, or maybe they’ve been battered by circumstances out of their control that have left them wondering if there’s more to life. I wrote it for the girls I know personally who are honorable, intelligent, exquisitely compassionate and moral, but who haven’t necessarily embraced a meaningful relationship with Christ. Maybe they are “Easter Christians” or maybe not. And these are the girls I want to reach. I want to ease their way, if I can.

Second, I wrote for the girls who have pursued faith passionately and already know what it means to have a moment of grace like Meg had. These are girls who love others with open and compassionate hearts who may have a faith like Henry’s but they have friends who are brand new to the idea, like Meg. These are girls who put themselves into the world to be the essence of Christ. They’re no dummies; they know there’s another side. They know their friends are behaving in questionable ways and ending up broken. But they are seeking ways to connect with the people in our world who are dying for grace.

I initially cast the story as being one about grief and love and restoration that would reflect my Christian worldview, but not necessarily be directed toward a Christian market. (That’s in the vein of writers like Sara Zarr with Once Was Lost.) The deeper I got into Meg’s heart, though, the more I saw that her story was about more than recovering from grief (a big story in itself). Her story had to be about a moment when someone broke through her walls and showed her what grace looks like. The moment Meg realized she’d been only cheating herself by letting guilt and anger and insecurity keep her from accepting the God she knew waited for her.

Once I saw this side of Meg open up, I knew the book would hit better in a Christian bookstore than secular, although my real hope is that it will find itself in the hands of girls who are seeking. And girls who are seeking, as I’m sure you know, give up on books that are overly Pollyanna or preachy. They want to know that an author gets them. They want to see a protagonist struggling with real issues and situations that they might find themselves in. Anything less than perfect authenticity hits the wall. This is an incredibly difficult balance―the one between being real and being appropriate.

What do you want readers to learn from Glass Girl?

That in the end, compassion and kindness really matter and that we have a Creator who longs to heal our broken hearts.

Why did you decide to include romance in Glass Girl?

I’d have to go back to the beginning. Meg’s character came from a dream I had. I was in a house that was unfamiliar to me and I could hear a girl crying–no, sobbing. I couldn’t find her and in my dream, I worried that it was my own daughter. I was desperate to reach her and comfort her. I finally opened a door and saw a teenage girl sitting at her window, crying. I spoke to her but she didn’t acknowledge me. Then my alarm screamed and that was that. But I spent the entire day trying to figure out who the girl was and what could make someone that distraught. I knew, for me, it would have been losing my brother so I starting toying with that idea and trying to figure out how to help her.

For some reason, Henry’s character came to me and wouldn’t leave; he wanted to be Meg’s shelter. The first thing I wrote actually became the end of the book—the letter Henry wrote to Meg from Nicaragua.

I wanted, more than romance, for Meg to experience unconditional love in an immediate, understandable way. One that is known universally by teens and young adults. Meg’s parents were emotionally unavailable and had been for a while so Meg was really alone. When Henry surrounded Meg with safety and acceptance and a sharing of faith, Meg relaxed and rested in that. That was the beginning–real beginning to Meg’s journey.

As I was reading Glass Girl I noticed that more emphasis is placed on Meg and Henry’s romantic relationship than on Meg’s budding relationship with Christ. Was this your intention?

It sure was. Because, like I said, the end is really the beginning. The story finds its climax in that cave (I won’t give any spoilers here), and everything else is denouement. But readers are left knowing that from here on out, Meg has hope. She has a way out. And there’s a sequel due out called Perfect Glass that continues Meg’s journey, but also shows Henry’s maturation as a man of God.

The thing about writing for an audience that might not be at the point where Meg found herself in that cave is that you have to take baby steps. You have to build understanding and leave off the assumptions we all make because we grew up in Christian homes.

Meg often encounters questionable situations, like the party she goes to with Tennyson and the night she spends alone with Henry, though nothing happens. Is there a specific reason you added scenes like this?

I’ve probably touched on this in some of your other questions. But, yes, these scenes were very intentional. It’s a difficult balancing act, knowing that each reader comes to the story with personal biases and experiences, but there are situations that, if not universally teen experiences, are at least incredibly common ones. Like parties where underage drinking and even drug use happens. Or situations where parents are absent or not paying attention and teens are able to be alone in the vicinity of a bed. I wanted readers to see that it is completely possible, and okay, to be faced with these things and choose a better path. I wanted to give them a glimpse of an intelligent, charming girl who says no to beer and lives to tell the story. And a gorgeous, red-blooded guy who has already made the decision to remain pure, and no one questions him.

I really believe that if we’re telling teens and young adults to make the right choices, but we don’t prepare them for the situations where choices have to be made, we’re not helping them. Nicole O’Dell, another YA author, has an incredible ministry where she talks about teen choices and preparing now for the situations that might arise later.

Interestingly, the notes I treasure most are the ones from readers who tell me that they’ve made some bad choices at parties or with boyfriends but that they regretted this and wanted to do the right thing. They found hope and new resolve in Glass Girl. Those are the ah ha when I know I made the right decision about those scenes.

Thanks so much for stopping by RTF to share your thoughts!

Laura Kurk has been a professional and freelance writer since finishing a graduate degree in literature in 1993. Glass Girl is her first novel. She lives in College Station, Texas with her husband, two children, and 50,000 Texas A&M University students.

Jennifer Grimes, 18, lives in Texas. Besides writing, she enjoys hanging out with her family, reading good books, eating chocolate, and sending snail-mail letters. She has recently adopted a stray kitten and learned to crochet. Most importantly, she has devoted her life to Christ and strives every day to serve God boldly.