Live! Watch me read from Hand Me Down.
- Recorded by LitSeen on April 18th, 2012 at the Booksmith in San Francisco.
Live Interview with Beth Ruyak on Capital Public Radio’s “Insight”
- I discuss, among other things, the “grit” in Hand Me Down with Emmy award-winning journalist, radio host, and all around lovely person, Beth Ruyak. Live! I had no idea what she was going to ask me, and it ended up being twelve of the most fun minutes I had on book tour. Listen now with this direct link to audio file.
Awesome Book Alert: “Hand Me Down” and the Shelter of Fiction
- Reporter Alison Peters at the East Bay Express did this review of Hand Me Down but wasn’t able to use as much of the interview she did with me as she wanted. She liked my book so much she did this second feature—part review, part interview—that was so thoughtful and well-done, it made me warm and happy inside.
Interview with Kate Asche for Stories on Stage
- One of my favorite interviews. Fellow UCD grad student Kate Asche asks fantastic questions, including about the function of place in Hand Me Down, when and how Liz’s voice differentiated from mine, and what has surprised me most as my book has made its way out into the world. I think our conversation here is really interesting. I hope you do, too.
- In which I have a ton of fun interviewing myself for The Nervous Breakdown.
Melanie Thorne Rewrote Real Life, Yet Her Novel Speaks Undeniable Truths
- An interview by author Amy Sue Nathan on Women’s Fiction Writers in which I discuss fiction vs. memoir, attempt to define “Women’s Fiction,” and offer my advice for aspiring writers who want to write a fictionalized version of a real life moment. Hint: It doesn’t matter what “really happened.”
Hand Me Down: Melanie Thorne’s Novel of Survival and Triumph
- A feature on the book and me from Woman Around Town. “As a novel, the story is shocking enough, more so when we learn that 80 percent of what happens in Hand Me Down is autobiographical…Hand Me Down celebrates the strength of the individual over adversity. We want to turn the pages to follow Liz’s journey.”
A Debut Novel Finds the Truth in Writing Fiction
- A feature in the Salt Lake Tribune about catharsis in writing, how Hand Me Down helped me process my childhood traumas, and how reading about other people’s experiences can help us heal. “Reading stories like Thorne’s that deal with difficult, real-life scenarios also offer people a window to see, and opportunity to examine, their own experiences and lives.”
School Library Journal Adult Books for Teens Blog
- School Library Journal chose Hand Me Down as a pick for their “Adult Books 4 Teens” list. “How she comes to terms with her choices and their impact on her relationships makes for a satisfying read.”
- This blog features excerpts from page 69 of different books, with the author’s comments. Page 69 of Hand Me Down is part of a scene in which Liz and Jaime’s drunk father has just driven them off the road and Jaime is unconscious. The scene is a great illustration of the bond between the sisters.
Melanie Thorne 