Angela Hunt has authored more than 165 works and sold nearly six million copies of her books worldwide. Her books have won awards such as the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards for Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword’s Book of the Year Award. Angela holds a doctorate in biblical studies and a ThD. She and her husband live in Florida.
In this interview, Angela shares her thoughts about her latest novel, What a Wave Must Be.
FF: What inspired this story?
Focus on the Family wanted to do novels about contemporary social issues. Jerry Jenkins contacted writers and edited the three books, and I’m thrilled to be associated with Chris Fairy and Tamera Alexander in this endeavor.
FF: Describe the audience that you envisioned while writing this book. Who do you think will enjoy this book?
I wrote the book as a parent and grandparent, and I think people in those roles will discover a lot to ponder and take away from the story.
FF: What messages or themes do you focus on in this story?
One of the themes is hope, because people who take their lives have utterly lost hope. We have hope in Jesus, but many times our problems loom larger than our faith.
FF: Who was your favorite character to write?
The grandmother, naturally—I am a grandmother who loves her grandchildren, and my heart aches when they are unhappy. In a very real sense, I am Nana.
FF: How does faith play a role in this story?
The adult characters, including the man who takes his life, are believers. Maddie, the teenager, is not. So the adults have to deal with their own grief as they try to model Christian hope and faith for their granddaughter. Not always easy to do.
FF: What do you hope readers take away from Maddie’s journey?
I hope parents of teenagers will understand how large problems loom for teens. Life seems so immediate when you’re young—it can seem like it will take forever before you get a driver’s license—so they don’t always understand that momentary actions can have eternal consequences.
FF: What do you hope to communicate about the issue of suicide and the impact left in its wake?
I don’t want to give away the story’s plot points, but I can say this: People who commit suicide because they think they’re doing their loved ones a favor are absolutely wrong. Suicide causes far more grief and raises more questions than any alternative.
FF: What advice would you offer young writers?
I would encourage young writers to start writing small things before attempting a novel. I wrote nonfiction pieces for five years before I even thought about writing a book. It’s a process, not something that you can learn overnight.
FF: Do you have any other writing projects in the pipeline?
I am currently working on the last book of a series set in ancient Rome. I recently completed a series set in the intertestamental period; then I did four books set during the time of Jesus’ ministry; and now I’m moving on to the people whom Paul led to Christ. I’ve really enjoyed writing these series in chronological order. It’s almost like living through the Bible.
What a Wave Must Be
Angela Hunt
Focus on the Family
Genres: Women’s Fiction
Release Date: November 7, 2023
ISBN-10: 1646070453
ISBN-13: 978-1646070459
Book Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Maddie is left reeling after the unexpected passing of her beloved father. No one has any idea why he betrayed them all so spectacularly, but that’s exactly what his death feels like: a betrayal. With their world shattered, Maddie’s grieving mother sends her to spend a few months with her grandparents, thinking a change of scenery will do her good.
Susan and Frank, Maddie’s grandparents, are heartbroken over the loss of their son, but they welcome Maddie as an addition to their long-empty nest. Maddie settles in and makes friends at her new school, but she still wrestles with why her father took his own life. Then an unexpected twist throws all their lives into fresh turmoil, testing the very fabric of their faith. How Susan helps her granddaughter find hope, even as they both struggle with grief, makes this touching tale of love and recovery a must-read.
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