Paula Hawkins (above) will be signing copies of her new book “Into the Water” at an event this evening at Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor. Her first novel “Girl on the Train” was on the New York Times Best-Seller list for 10 weeks. Author Nick Petrie (right) will be appearing with Hawkins at tonight’s event and he will read excerpts from his latest novel.
(Photos by Alisa Connan and Troye Fox)
By Kurt Anthony Krug
Legal News
Author Paula Hawkins didn’t expect her breakout novel “The Girl on the Train” to become this worldwide phenomenon.
“I was optimistic — my publishers and my agent were really excited about the book, so we hoped it would become a bestseller.
But no one was prepared for what a huge hit it became,” said Hawkins, of London, who’ll sign copies of her latest psychological thriller “Into the Water” (Penguin Random House $28) at the event “Paula Hawkins in Conversation with Author Nick Petrie,” taking place at Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor this evening at 7:30 p.m.
When “Girl” was released in early 2015, it debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Best-Seller List and remained there for 40 weeks.
To date, more than 20 million copies have been sold worldwide, making it the fastest-selling adult hardcover novel in history.
In “Girl,” Rachel is on a self-destructive streak: She’s lost her job and is an alcoholic prone to violent blackouts.
She spends her days aimlessly commuting on a train, watching her ex-husband Tom and his new wife Anna.
The couple has a young daughter, which is a sore spot with Rachel because she failed to become pregnant during her marriage to Tom.
After an alcohol-induced blackout, Rachel awakens with blood on her hands and soon learns she’s the prime suspect in the murder of a young woman named Megan.
She can’t remember anything of this incident and must piece together her fragmented memory to clear her name.
Asked why “Girl” caught on the way it did, Hawkins replied: “I wish I knew!”
“Part of it has to do with the protagonist, Rachel, who is difficult and frustrating and unusual, but relatable at the same time,” she said. “She’s someone we recognize, someone we might meet in our own lives. And part of it is to do with the fact that we all share that voyeuristic impulse – even if we don’t take the train, all of us watch the people around us, we imagine their lives, imagine what our lives might be like in their shoes.”
An eponymous movie was fast-tracked into production and released last September, starring Emily Blunt as Rachel. According to Hawkins, it’s unheard of for a film adaptation — something she was happy with — to come out so quickly after the publication of the book.
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