In her debut novel How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund?, Anna Montague delivers an enchanting story of self-discovery, friendship, and resilience. Set against the backdrop of a road trip like no other, the novel follows Magda, a 70-year-old woman grappling with grief, identity, and a journey of a lifetime—with her best friend’s ashes in tow. We caught up with Montague to chat about Magda’s story and get a glimpse into the humor, heart, and inspiration behind this unforgettable debut.
What is Magda Eklund about from your perspective?
It’s a story of self-discovery, but, among other things, it’s about aging, grief, friendship, yearning, psychology, and taking a road trip with your best friend’s ashes so that her widower’s new girlfriend doesn’t throw them out. (That last point is probably – hopefully – the least relatable.)
We spend a lot of time with Magda. What was it like getting into her head? When did you know you got her voice and personality right?
It took me about a year to get to know her, I’d say. The voice came to me quickly, but it took a couple of drafts before I felt like I knew Magda. Like I’d recognize her walking down the street. She’s a nostalgic person, but also immensely stubborn in her day-to-day life. She’s perceptive when it comes to identifying and solving for other people’s problems – and, simultaneously – so, so dense when it comes to confronting her own. And she’s got this great, dry sense of humor, though she doesn’t often deploy it.
Often, we see characters exploring their queer identity younger in media. Teens, twentysomethings, etc. But here we have someone old enough to be retired. Why explore this kind of identity story?
Well, I came out when I was in college, and luckily was supported by friends and family. But in many ways, the ability to come out – and to feel safe in doing so – is contingent on where you are and the cultural acceptance of whatever identity you hold. And much of that changes over the course of our lifetimes. I’ve found that senior characters can be written off as quirky or beyond the point of seeking new experiences, which goes against my experience. The seniors I know are some of the most dynamic, creative people, with genuine curiosity and desire to experience more. I was intrigued by the idea of someone compartmentalizing herself in the first category, when, actually, her life could be bigger and expansive in ways that she had never considered. And to do so against the backdrop of New York City undergoing a similar transformation was intriguing.
What were the benefits and challenges of writing a road novel?
With a road trip novel, there’s a sense of momentum as your protagonist makes their journey. And it’s two-pronged, right, you have them physically journeying from point A to point B, and you also have them emotionally journeying from a different point A to a different point B. The biggest challenge, though, was having one of the two people on the road trip be…well, in an urn. Made conversation a bit tricky.
You balance tender moments with humor incredibly well. I think that’s one of the hardest things for a writer to do. How did you navigate bringing a lot of heart to this without making it a complete tragedy?
Thank you so much. I can’t help but think of the passage in Richard Siken’s Crush about how, upon losing something you love, you fall to the floor crying, but in the moment you’re thinking about how ridiculous it is to be falling to the floor crying – and, while you’re on the ground, you look toward the wall, and you realize that you actually didn’t paint it well. To me, loss feels like that – a profound experience, but an ephemeral one. Grief doesn’t stop the world from turning, right; the trash still needs to be brought out, the dogs taken for a walk, the walls repainted where they’re patchy. I felt that Magda’s grieving needed to be interrupted by pockets of joy and humor in order for her to realize that there was a way through it.
It reminded me a lot of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce in 2012. I loved that novel. Had you read that at all? Or, what other books helped guide you in writing Magda’s story?
That’s a great one. Let’s see…Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt, Andrew Sean Greer’s Less, Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, Elizabeth Strout’s Oh, William!.
For those who read and love your book, can you recommend others that are similar or in conversation with the themes and topics you have explored?Kathryn Schulz’s Lost & Found is a profound meditation on loss and love; I cried five times, easily, while reading that. Any of the titles above are great as well, and I’d add Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss as well.