During my Labor Day travels I listened to Victoria Lautman’s fall interview with Audrey Niffenegger—and was intrigued by the tantalizing tidbits about her work in progress, which is tentatively titled Chinchilla Girl in Exile.
Apparently the project is no secret, though—Niffenegger has a description posted on her own site:
It is about a nine-year-old girl named Lizzie Varo who has hypertrichosis (she is covered with hair) and her desire to go to school (she’s been home-schooled by her clever and amusing Aunt Mariella) and what happens when she does go to school (things get weird).
Despite being covered in hair, Lizzie is “quite beautiful” and Niffenegger says the book is a “coming-of-age story.” The most burning question, perhaps, is whether fans will have to wait six years for Chinchilla Girl. Signs point to no. “It’s all a recipe of how much research—in this case, virtually none—versus how much time I’m actually at home working, versus how much other stuff I have to do, so that’s the recipe for how fast the book gets written,” she told Lautman.
Diehard Niffenegger fans have something else to get excited about—to celebrate the paperback release of Her Fearful Symmetry, Niffenegger is giving away a trip to London and a guided tour through Highgate Cemetery and other amazing prizes. There’s also a special blogger-only contest! You can enter here.
Click here for our interview with Niffenegger, and reviews of The Time-Traveler’s Wife.
The new book certainly sounds interesting! I am a huge fan of The Time Traveler’s Wife and liked Her Fearful Symmetry OK but didn’t love it. I was, however, intrigued by the vastly different tones of the two novels. In the first, Niffenegger writes 100% as an American and in the second, she writes completely as a Brit – I found that fascinating. She certainly is versatile.
Sue
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