Event Review: Amanda Quain Book Launch For Ghosted
What happens when you mix a gender-bent, contemporary retelling of Jane Austen with ghost stories? You get Amanda Quain’s latest release, Ghosted: A Northanger Abbey Novel.
On Friday, July 28th, White Whale Bookstore in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania celebrated the book launch of Ghosted with a conversation between their very own Carolyn Pallof and local Pittsburgh writer Amanda Quain. Quain is an independent bookseller who settled in Pittsburgh after moving throughout the east coast. In addition to Ghosted, she is the author of Accomplished.
Ghosted: A Northanger Abbey Novel takes inspiration from the famous gothic novel by Jane Austen and turns Northanger Abbey into a “haunted” boarding school. Quain’s story follows Hattie Tilney, a high school senior, who must transition into Northanger Abbey, where her mother has become the new headmistress. Hattie is processing the recent death of her ghost-loving father, and her mother assigns her to be the ambassador to a transfer student, Kit Morland. Hattie has given up her belief in ghosts but must work alongside Kit, the recipient of a scholarship for ghost hunters. As Hattie seeks to prove their school is not haunted, Kit searches for proof that ghosts are real. A slow-burn romance ensues in this novel centered around teenage grief, love, and identity.
To start the evening, Quain read an excerpt from the beginning of Ghosted. Her voice was very conversational, which immediately intrigued me. Considering that this work is a Young Adult novel, the writing felt appropriate and engaging, humorous, yet honest. Quain leaned into the haunting aspect of this story based on the gothic novel as she read, “It was like he didn’t even notice the way the shadows crept along the wall, how the cracks in the old, yellow plaster looked like they were reaching for us.” Hattie’s journey became apparent as Quain continued: “I didn’t know if I believed in ghosts, but god I believed in Kit Morland.”
Carolyn Pallof next led a discussion about Quain’s development of Ghosted. Interestingly, Quain revealed that she is in fact, not a fan of ghosts. She prefers gothic novels because they do not have “scary ghosts” and explore the idea of ghosts as metaphors—a key focus of her latest book.
Since Quain concentrates on retellings in her work, an interest that she believes stems from her love of fan fiction, Pallof asked for advice for readers and writers as they approach retellings. For writers, Quain stressed the importance of coming from a new point of view and saying something that the original work does not. In Ghosted, she swaps the genders of characters and explores how differently the male characters are treated when they become women. She believes readers must be willing to play in these kinds of stories as well as explore new worlds and dynamics.
In a more personal section of the conversation, Palloff was curious as to which characters in Ghosted Quain relates to the most. Quain explained how she feels Hattie’s anxiety surrounding perfection and success, while she relates to Kit’s rambling and boundless enthusiasm. As for the process of writing this novel, Quain felt that it came during an isolated portion of her life after moving, and was a way out of her own depression and anxiety.
Pallof segued into the benefits of work as a bookseller, and Quain stressed that she has found it informs her expectations as an author. Her work has allowed her to see the business aspect of publishing and its role alongside art. She explained how she has seen many writers create a career over a lifetime, one small work after another.
To bring the evening to a close, Quain revealed to Pallof that her next project is Dashed, a retelling of her favorite work by Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility. The novel follows teenage Margaret Dashwood on a summer-long cruise as she is joined by her sister, Marianne, following a breakup.
After hearing this celebration of Amanda Quain’s Ghosted: A Northanger Abbey Novel, her work is sure to be a hit with YA audiences and lovers of Jane Austen characters.
