Avid reader and debut author Ana Reyes looked to her American/Guatemalan heritage and life experiences to plot her first novel.
Ana, who worked as a screenplay reader before deciding to pursue her own writing career, describes herself as a passionate reader. “The reason I wrote my first story at the age of eleven was because I hoped to win a children’s writing contest and receive the prize, a gift certificate to a bookstore,” she says. “My goal then was less to a be writer than to obtain more books.
“But as I grew older, I found expression in writing poems and short stories. They weren’t very good at first, but I kept at it until the day I was accepted to the MFA program at Louisiana State University.”
Daunting debut
Having initially focused on short stories and poems, turning her hand to a novel seemed daunting at first, but Ana found inspiration in the books she was reading, including, “Jennifer Egan’s The Keep and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and by my fellow writers in the MFA program. I think it’s important to be around people who believe in you, even at the moments when you don’t believe in yourself.”
The House in the Pines deals with big themes such as grief, a haunting past and prescription drug addiction and Ana admits that her central character, Maya is in many ways based on herself. “The novel was originally more autobiographical than it is now,” she says. “For me it was easier to write a character who shared my perspective and many of my traits, but as the story developed, Maya became her own person. We still share certain characteristics, but many of her choices aren’t what I would choose for myself.”
Real life theme
One aspect of the tale that is very close to Ana’s heart is the Klonopin withdrawal storyline: “Maya’s experience of Klonopin withdrawal is based upon my own,” says the author. “My pills had been prescribed by a doctor while she bought hers from a friend,” she says, “but the outcome was the same—we were both abruptly cut off—and the resulting symptoms caught us both by surprise. I happened to be going through this around the time I started writing The House in the Pines and writing about the experience helped me through it.
“I do think there should be more awareness surrounding benzodiazepine dependence, especially for those who are prescribed such drugs. My doctor hadn’t informed me that I might become addicted. And when, after moving to a new state, my new doctor refused to renew my prescription, I wasn’t warned about how difficult withdrawal would be. I think anyone who takes these powerful medications should be aware of what they’re getting into.”
The House in the Pines retains an air of mystery that Ana ascribes partly to the typically Latin American genre of magical realism but she also points out that the ancient poem referenced in The House in the Pines was actually originally written in the ancient language of Syriac. “Buried within it (and her father’s book) is a clue to the secret of the titular house in my novel. Including the hymn helped me think about the themes I wanted to get across, and weave them into the story.”
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes, £16.99, Constable.
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