Since reading 'Sophie's Choice,' I have been haunted by the agonizing idea of choosing between two children. Fiona Barton More Quotes by Fiona Barton More Quotes From Fiona Barton Barbecue is to North Carolina as the hot dog is to New York. Fiona Barton new barbecue dog hot The unsaid is a powerful tool. It invites the reader into the narrative, filling in gaps, interpreting silences and half-finished sentences, and seeing the hidden fear in someone's eye. Fiona Barton someone powerful eye fear It is a sad truth that apprenticeships fell out of favour in Britain in the Seventies and Eighties, when the manufacturing industries shed jobs and the construction industry went into decline. Fiona Barton construction industry sad truth The emotions, responsibilities - and the pain - of motherhood are unique to each of us with children. Ask any woman, and she will have her own story to tell. Fiona Barton woman motherhood pain children The righting of historic wrongs has chimed with something fundamental in me since I was a young reader. I love the forensic skills, the psychological insights, and the sheer bloody-mindedness of various detectives - professional or accidental - inching toward the truth of a long-buried secret. Fiona Barton professional me truth love I know I love a novel with an unreliable narrator, and I think many readers do as well. Fiona Barton well think know love Mental health is something that I'm very interested in. Fiona Barton mental something mental-health health For most of us, our protective lies or omissions are so insignificant that being found out would be only mildly embarrassing. But for some of us, our secret may threaten to destroy everything. And that is food and drink to a novelist. Fiona Barton everything being drink food The success of 'The Widow' meant there were expectations for the second book from the first word, and it has created a completely different writing experience. Not to say I haven't enjoyed writing 'The Child,' but I confess there were times when I felt as if I was wrenching it out of my body with bloodied fingernails! Fiona Barton child experience success book As a reporter, I spent a great deal of time in court. During brief breaks in testimony, I would often look at the spouse, usually the wife, of the accused. I began to wonder how listening to the details of a crime purportedly committed by your spouse would affect that person's view of her husband. Fiona Barton great look wife time When you think about it, psychological thrillers often involve extraordinary events happening to ordinary people. Fiona Barton think you events people It's a wonderful experience to be reading a story and think you've got things all figured out, and then suddenly, it all goes upside-down on you. Fiona Barton think you experience reading I can't think whether I've actually interviewed the widow of a crime suspect. Obviously, I've interviewed members of the families of people who've been accused of things. Fiona Barton things think crime people When you are a journalist, you are always looking for the next story. It might come from a phone call from a contact or an unanswered question you spot in someone else's article. Fiona Barton phone-call phone looking you I chose to write from different perspectives despite its complexity because it is what I have always done as a journalist. Fiona Barton write always different done Once you write a book, you hand it over to the readers, and it's their book then. They're so involved. They ask questions about details that I haven't even thought about. Fiona Barton thought you details book It's amazing to me that journalists are held in such low esteem. Fiona Barton journalists low amazing me When you start writing fiction, you have to learn to invent, and it's very hard at the beginning to stop relying on facts and what you've heard. Fiona Barton beginning start you facts The imagination is such as powerful tool: suggestion is all you need. People fill in gaps. Fiona Barton you powerful imagination people When I first became a journalist, people said, 'Oh, that must be interesting.' They saw it as slightly glamorous, slightly edgy. They wanted to know more. Fiona Barton know said people interesting