November 19, 2025 • 36 mins
In this episode, I'm chatting with author Laura Resau about her novel The Alchemy of Flowers.
A walled garden in the south of France. A woman carrying the weight of infertility and the ache of what might have been. An author who believes that myth, nature, and careful attention can turn pain into something living. That’s the ground we walk together with Laura Resau, whose debut adult novel, The Alchemy of Flowers, blends sensory delight with hard-earned hope.
We start with Laura’s unusual path—trilingual, trained in cultural anthropology, shaped by seasons in Provence and Oaxaca—and how immersion in other cultures taught her to write with reverence for place and people. She shares why she shifted from award-winning children’s books to adult fiction, carrying forward wonder while making room for layered reflection. Magical realism isn’t a trick here; it’s a way of telling the truth. Laura draws on myth to map inner journeys, then roots that map in the real work of a healing garden: herbs, salves, teas, and the slow patience of tending.
At the heart of our conversation is the compost metaphor that sparked the novel: how do we turn our crap into flowers? Eloise, our protagonist, manages literal compost while metabolizing years of loss, guilt, and tightly controlled routines. We explore restraint versus freedom, the cultural noise around fertility, and the relief of stepping off that hamster wheel—even inside a garden with walls. Found family deepens the story’s warmth, especially through Mina, whose act of writing through trauma echoes Laura’s real-life collaboration on The Queen of Water, a testament to storytelling as a path to repair.
Come for the rich textures—French meals that stretch past midnight, treehouses and yurts, a garden that feels both sanctuary and crucible. Stay for the craft insights, the mythic threads, and the gentle insistence that transformation is possible. If you’ve ever needed fiction that meets your pain without flinching and still promises bloom, this conversation is for you.
Subscribe, share with a friend who loves literary fiction and magical realism, and leave a review to help more readers find the show. What part of your life is ready to turn into flowers?
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:10):
Hi, my name is Mandy Jackson Beverly, and I'm a
bibliophile.
Welcome to the Bookshop Podcast.
Each week I present interviewswith authors, independent
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(00:32):
And remember to subscribe andleave a review wherever you
listen to this podcast.
You're listening to episode 313.
Well, here we are, and it isalmost Thanksgiving.
It's hard for me to comprehend.
This year has just flown by.
So here's a roundup of what I'vebeen up to.
Last week was the final lunchwith an author literary series
(00:55):
in Santa Barbara for 2025.
Ivy Pakoda was my guest author,and we had a lively discussion
about her novel These Women.
While this book is not Ivy'smost recent, I chose the book
because it is a favourite ofmine.
Brilliantly written with strongvoices.
I highly recommend picking up acopy of These Women if you
haven't already done so.
(01:16):
I've mentioned this a couple oftimes, but as of January 2026,
I'm adding Ohi to my list oflocations for the literary
series.
And in addition to participatingin the luncheons, some of the
authors will also be teachingwriting workshops.
Our first is with Anne Hood inOHI on Wednesday, January 14th,
(01:37):
2026.
I'm excited about partneringwith Hotel El Roblah, and let me
tell you why.
The first time I entered thehotel was shortly after the
remodel was completed.
The feeling of the lobby is whatcaptivated me with its dark
wood, leather sofas, and warm,earthy, coloured lounge chairs
and cushions.
The space beckoned to me thesame way as libraries and indie
(02:00):
bookshops.
For a moment I wondered if Istepped back outside, if I'd see
horses in the driveway ratherthan cars.
Although this is OHI and I'veseen horses in the driveway.
Eric Good, Raman Shamshiri,Warner Ebink, and Jeremy McBride
have restored Oi'slongest-standing hotel to its
historical charm.
(02:20):
True to both its Spanish revivaland early California roots,
Hotel El Roblar blends itshistoric design with a modern
sensibility.
I'm happy to announce that HotelEl Roblar is offering an
accommodation discount toattendees of the literary
lunches.
To find out more about theluncheons and workshops, please
sign up for my newsletter on mywebsite at
(02:42):
www.mandyjacksonbeverly.com.
Scroll down the home page andyou'll see where to sign up.
Okay, now let's get on with thisweek's episode.
Laura Risor is the author of TheAlchemy of Flowers, her debut
novel for adults and 11acclaimed books for young
people.
Her novels won five ColoradoBook Awards and appear on best
(03:06):
of book lists from Oprah, theAmerican Library Association,
and more.
Trilingual and with a culturalanthropology background, Laura
has lived in Provence and Oaxacaand now teaches creative writing
at Western Colorado University.
You might find her writing inher cozy vintage trailer in Fort
Collins, Colorado, where shelives with her rock hound
(03:28):
husband, musician's son, wildhusky, a garden of healing
flowers, and a hundredhouseplants.
Hi Laura and welcome to theshow.
SPEAKER_01 (03:37):
Thank you so much, Mandy.
I am thrilled to be here.
SPEAKER_00 (03:40):
I absolutely loved The Alchemy of Flowers.
The magical realism in the bookis absolutely beautiful, as is
your connection with nature.
It's just a wonderful, wonderfulbook.
Thank you for writing it.
SPEAKER_01 (03:53):
Thank you for saying that.
I and thank you for putting somuch thought into the book as
you are reading it.
Yeah, I do love nature and I tryand arrange my life so that I
can be in nature as much aspossible.
SPEAKER_00 (04:06):
That definitely shows throughout the book.
Okay, let's begin with learningabout you and what led you to
study anthropology andlanguages.
And was there a particularmoment or experience that
confirmed this was the rightpath for you?
SPEAKER_01 (04:20):
So I've always loved learning about other cultures
and languages, and I've alwaysloved reading from the time I
was young.
So I was exposed to differentcultures through books.
I um had the opportunity tospend a year in France during
college.
So I spent a year with a Frenchfamily in Provence, and that was
such an interesting culturalexperience for me.
(04:42):
And, you know, it gives you aperspective on your own culture
and also kind of, you know,reminds you of all the
possibilities out there, all thedifferent ways to live life.
So that was a very pivotalexperience for me.
And then after college, I wentto teach English in a university
in a very tiny town in Oaxaca,Mexico.
(05:04):
And it was amazing.
I learned Spanish there.
I had really wonderful studentsfrom different indigenous groups
who invited me to spend time intheir villages on weekends and
holidays.
And it was it was amazing thatpeople incorporated me into
their everyday lives, um, youknow, told me their stories.
So I I loved, I loved learningabout other cultures, immersing
(05:28):
myself in other cultures.
And um, so I did feel drawn tostudy anthropology.
I did end up getting my master'sdegree in anthropology.
Um, but then I decided to stopbefore getting my PhD because I
realized that my true passion inlife was creative writing, not
academic writing.
So I decided to kind of infusemy stories with different
(05:51):
cultures, different languages,and kind of that um
anthropological approach of umreally trying to have an
immersive experience in in othercultures with a great deal of
respect along with it.
SPEAKER_00 (06:05):
Just out of interest, how old were you when
you were in Oaxaca learningSpanish?
SPEAKER_01 (06:09):
It was ages about 23 to 26, I think.
Um so I was I was pretty young.
Um, and I had spoken Frenchalready.
I was pretty fluent in French.
So I went in, I went to Oaxacanot knowing any Spanish, like 10
words.
I mean, I really didn't knowwhat I was getting myself into.
Hardly anyone in my town spokeany English.
So I within a few months I I waspretty conversational in Spanish
(06:33):
just out of necessity.
SPEAKER_00 (06:35):
Kudos to you for being able to speak a few
languages.
What inspired you to writechildren's books and more
recently delve into fictionalwriting for adults with the
alchemy of flowers?
And how did shifting fromwriting for children to writing
for adults shape your voice orapproach as a storyteller?
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
That's such a good question.
Um, so I think with my writingfor children, I really embrace a
sense of wonder and magic andkind of um heartwarming kind of
sensibility.
I like to infuse my stories withhope and make them feel
uplifting.
So I think those were thingsthat I took from my children's
(07:14):
writing.
Um but I knew that I wanted todeal with the topic of
infertility.
And I that obviously is notterritory that you find in
children's books.
Uh, so I wanted to like bring myfavorite things from writing for
children into the adult sphere,you know, while tackling some
pretty, you know, deep issuesthat adults could relate to.
(07:37):
And it was, it was interestingto figure out my grown-up voice.
So I remember it really was.
I remember uh I was very in lovewith an early draft of this
manuscript and I shared it withmy writing group.
I was so excited.
And um, but their response was,you know, oh, we we like a lot
about this.
(07:57):
We like the food, we like themagical flowers, but the voice
is coming off as a young adult.
So I was kind of disappointed.
I was hoping that I would just,you know, hit the ground running
with writing for adults and itwould be an easy path, but I did
have to go back and I did haveto do a lot of thinking and
reflecting on how do I make myvoice sound more grown up?
(08:18):
And it was really about givingmyself permission to have some
more layers of reflection, somemore layers of self-awareness,
um, to use kind of moresophisticated language.
So once I gave myself permissionto do that and started um just
kind of experimenting with thatvoice, then it started to come
more naturally.
So in the next version, it wasworking.
SPEAKER_00 (08:40):
Oh, it's interesting to hear you say that because
while I was reading The Alchemyof Flowers uh and about the
little girl, which I'm not goingto give away any spoilers, I
couldn't help but think as awriter, you manifested her from
the little girl in you becauseshe is so attracted to nature,
almost a part of nature.
(09:02):
And there's something mysticalabout her.
In some ways, it felt to me asif you were surrendering your
inner child to the reader.
SPEAKER_01 (09:10):
Oh, oh, thank you for that insight.
I love that.
And um yeah, I I think I did putsome of my inner child into it.
And I also, so my son is 18 now,but when he was uh younger, I
would write letters to him, tohis future self.
And so I would like basicallytalk about all the cute things
(09:30):
he said and all the cute thingshe was doing, um, and things
that touched my heart,especially.
So a number of a number of thatlittle girl's uh bits of
dialogue came verbatim fromthings that my son said to to me
that really, really warmed myheart.
And um yeah, and and it'sinteresting, I'm working on my
second adult book now, andthere's also a child character
(09:53):
in that.
And I just was realizing I thinkit's important for me to always
have a really vividthree-dimensional child
character in all of my books forwhatever age group I'm writing
for.
SPEAKER_00 (10:03):
Oh, now I can't wait to read your next book.
SPEAKER_01 (10:06):
Oh, thank you.
It's it's uh going through therevision process right now with
my editor.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
Well, please keep me posted.
Uh, the alchemy of flowers is amix of magical realism and
reality.
Do you see magical realism as away of expressing truths that
realism alone cannot capture?
SPEAKER_01 (10:24):
I do, and I love how you put that.
Um, I think that kind of mygeneral worldview does
incorporate some magic.
I think it did when I was achild, probably from all the
books that I read.
And I think that that stayedwith me into my adulthood.
Um, so I also like to thinkabout reality in in terms of
myth or mythological framing.
(10:45):
So a lot of my own experiences Ido see through the lens of myth.
And I think some of that comesfrom um, you know, I read Jung
and Joseph Campbell in college,and then Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
And so, you know, these are umthinkers who see mythology as a
way to understand human psycheand our psychological journeys
(11:08):
as humans on this earth.
And so, you know, that'ssomething that has been helpful
to me, kind of dealing with myown struggles in my life.
And I thought that it would be agood kind of magical mystical
framework for this book.
Yes, indeed, it's perfect.
SPEAKER_00 (11:24):
You know, whenever I walk through nature, walk
through a forest or by the oceanand see shells in their
incredible shapes that areabsolutely perfect, or flowers
that are perfect, even weeds, Ican't help but think maybe magic
is real.
I mean, how can you not thinklike that, right, when you walk
through a forest?
(11:44):
It's extraordinary how magicalnature is.
SPEAKER_01 (11:48):
Yeah, I agree completely.
And I I did, you know, when Iwas uh kind of getting the idea
for this book, it was during thepandemic.
So we all had a lot more time innature and a lot more kind of
unscheduled time.
And so I did start a healingflower garden in my backyard,
and I did feel like I started todevelop a kind of mystical
relationship with these flowers.
(12:09):
I was very in tune with them.
I was making teas and lotionsand potions with them.
And yeah, so I I really felt Ifelt their magic in a very
visceral, kind of hands-on way,and I tried to bring that into
the story.
SPEAKER_00 (12:24):
Well, it worked.
It's beautiful.
SPEAKER_01 (12:26):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (12:27):
The alchemy of flowers begins with Eloise
answering a help-wanted ad in aFrench gardening magazine,
leading her from the States to awalled garden in the south of
France.
The way you write about her,about Eloise, one can't help but
wonder how much of your personalstory is woven into her
(12:47):
personality.
What are the main similaritiesbetween the two of you?
She embodies both vulnerabilityand resistance, which I found
fascinating.
And what universal struggles didyou hope to capture through her
journey?
SPEAKER_01 (13:00):
Yeah, she is um kind of inspired by my own
infertility struggles andendometriosis and miscarriages.
So a lot of her story um kind ofis is similar to mine.
I imagined like, what if Ididn't have the support system
and the family and the solidmarriage?
(13:20):
And, you know, what if I didn'thave all of that?
What might happen?
How might I have hit rockbottom?
And, you know, in my personaljourney, I did, you know, I had
five really, really tough yearsof of going through all of that.
And then we did end up adoptingmy son from Guatemala.
And, you know, he, yeah, he hejust um brought so much joy to
(13:40):
our lives.
And um I like he's my happyending, he's he's the treasure
at the end of it all.
Um, but so I was, but I wasreally drawing on how I felt,
you know, during the struggleand in the immediate kind of
aftermath and how I was healingfrom that.
Um and and so I was, you know,it was therapeutic for me to
(14:01):
write, even you're my son's 18now, but it was it was still I
in writing this, I felt like Icould kind of let go of some of
my last bits of pain over what Iwent through.
Um I feel like her, you know, Iwanted her to feel like a real
character, vulnerable, as yousay.
Um, and I it was important to meto put in all the different
(14:25):
kinds of emotions that you gothrough.
So some of the emotions are kindof ugly, right?
There's resentment, there'sbitterness.
And so I didn't want to shy awayfrom that.
I wanted it to feel real andrelatable to anyone who was
going through this.
So that was important to me.
Um, and I my hope was thatreaders would, uh especially
(14:45):
readers going throughinfertility or related
struggles, would kind of feelseen and feel heard and be able
to kind of this could might be astep in their own healing.
SPEAKER_00 (14:56):
Yeah, as I was reading the book, I I felt that
it was coming from deep withinyou.
Uh, it felt like it came fromexperience.
There's a childlike whimsy toThe Alchemy of Flowers, which
allows the reader to discoverelements of their own childhood,
specifically in relation tonature.
Tell us about how yourrelationship with nature helped
(15:18):
structure the story and whatsymbolic weight did you intend
the garden itself to carry inthe novel?
Healing, mystery, rebirth, orwas it something else?
SPEAKER_01 (15:29):
I love that question.
So when I got the concept of thegarden, um, I was thinking I
wanted it to be a dreamy, wishfulfillment kind of place,
paradise.
You know, the one of thecharacters calls it a refuge for
the broken.
So a place where we would loveto go to heal, you know, there's
our magical flowers, um, reallyinteresting lodging that is
(15:52):
off-grid.
So there's like the elegant treehouse, there's a yurt, there's a
caravan, a hobbit hole.
So I felt like it was fun to getinto this immersive, fantastical
setting.
Um, but and I thought it wouldbe a really interesting place, a
setting for healing.
But then I also wanted to honorthe shadows and the dark parts
(16:13):
of the experience.
And so there, you know, paradisehas this dark underbelly.
And, you know, all of thecharacters are facing the
shadowy parts of themselves andtheir experiences, and that's
kind of essential to theirhealing.
Um, and and I like, I always amdrawn to locked room kind of
settings and thrillers andmysteries.
And so it seems like that kindof locked garden situation would
(16:38):
add a really interestingeeriness and tension.
Um, and like you're saying, Ithink there is a lot of
symbolism that readers can, youknow, readers can bring their
own experiences and ideas.
Um, but uh she Eloise has feltvery trapped in her situation
with infertility andmiscarriages for many years.
(16:58):
And so she's kind of has a newtype of freedom in the gardens
where she's finally letting goof a lot of that.
But ironically, she is kind ofimprisoned there as well.
Um, and I as far as the off-gridsetting there and the closeness
with nature, um, I really gotthe idea for this book.
(17:19):
Um, if I really trace it back tothe beginnings, when I was at
our little piece of landsurrounded by national forest in
the Rocky Mountains, we have ateeny tiny cabin that's
completely off-grid, not evenany internet or cell service
there.
SPEAKER_00 (17:33):
Oh my goodness, that sounds like heaven.
SPEAKER_01 (17:35):
It is heaven, it's heaven.
And I love brainstorming andfree writing book ideas up there
because there are nodistractions except for nature.
Um, so I was up there and uh Ihad asked my husband and son for
mother's for a Mother's Daypresent one year to build me a
composting toilette.
So basically an off-grid toiletand so a glorified bucket, um,
(18:02):
but surrounded by like anouthouse, like a pretty kind of
rustic looking outhouse umstructure.
So they did it for me and I loveit.
I don't think it's disgusting atall.
And um I was one day I wasmanaging the compost.
So it goes through stages fromyou know human waste to fertile,
rich soil after a year or two.
(18:24):
And so I was managing thecompost one day and it was
summertime, and I was looking atthe hillside and it was covered
in beautiful wildflowers.
And this big, beautiful metaphorjust was filling my vision,
which was how do we turn ourcrap into flowers?
How do we turn the difficultstuff life hands us into
something beautiful and wise?
(18:44):
Um, so that was really kind ofthe framework I had for this
story.
And then I just kind of took itfrom there.
And I, you know, I gave Eloise ajob, you know, in the garden.
One of her, one of her roles inthe garden is to manage the
compost, the compostingtoilette.
So she's kind of literally doingthis, and then metaphorically,
(19:05):
she's kind of turning her owndifficulties into, you know,
beauty and wisdom.
SPEAKER_00 (19:10):
Just hearing you talk about it, there is an
alchemy to composting.
SPEAKER_01 (19:14):
Exactly.
Agreed, yes.
SPEAKER_00 (19:17):
And that brings me to the title of the book, which
is perfect in so many ways.
Was this always the title, ordid the name itself also go
through an alchemy of sorts?
SPEAKER_01 (19:27):
I love that question.
So this was not always thetitle.
Um, my working title was How WeBecome Flowers.
So it's similar in some ways,but my agent asked me to
brainstorm a bunch of differenttitles.
And so then we talked aboutthem, her our favorites, then
she ran them by other agents inour agency.
(19:49):
They talked about theirfavorites, and we landed on the
alchemy of flowers.
Um, we felt that it showed, youknow, it gave a sense of magic.
It also kind of gave a sense ofsome of the gothic kind of vibes
of the story as well, some ofthe darker, um uh mystical kind
of kind of vibes.
So, but yet it still maintainsthat idea of transformation.
(20:14):
Uh so I was I was really happywith with the title that we
landed on.
SPEAKER_00 (20:18):
Well, not only is the uh title of the book
beautiful, but also the cover.
It is delicious.
Let's talk about othercharacters in the book.
Is it Antoinette Bellux?
Beaulieu, uh-huh.
Thank you.
Uh Mina, Raphael, and Bao.
Did they develop as you wrotethe story or do they manifest at
the beginning?
And do you see these charactersas reflections of archetypes or
(20:41):
as people drawn from your ownlife?
SPEAKER_01 (20:43):
Yeah, very interesting question.
Uh, I think most of them I wasdrawing on some specifics of
some people in my life, and thenletting those seeds bloom into
something completely new.
Um, except Antoinette, we canget back to her.
I do think that she kind of wasuh kind of more heavily
influenced by some goddess kindof archetypes.
(21:05):
But um, but for example, Mina.
And so Mina, Bao, and Rafael arekind of the found family that uh
Eloise encounters and becomesclose to in the book.
Um, so Mina, for example, umshe's from Senegal, she's a
refugee, and she had some um, Idon't want to give away too
much, but her her backstoryinvolves some child trafficking.
(21:28):
And um, she's healing from that.
And she's healing from that bywriting her story.
And she's been writing it foryears, and Eloise kind of acts
as a support to help her get herstory out in the world, which is
another layer of healing forher.
And that was really directlyinspired by my own experiences.
I was teaching English as asecond language here in
(21:50):
Colorado.
Uh, this was years ago, likealmost 25 years ago.
And um, a woman from Ecuador, anindigenous woman from the
Ecuadorian Andes, when she foundout I was fluent in Spanish and
that I had an anthropologybackground, she asked if I would
write her story with her.
And this was, yeah, this wasbefore any of my books were
published.
I I had the pipe dream ofbecoming a writer, and I warned
(22:12):
her that, but she took thechance on me.
It took us seven years to writeher story, but she um was taken
from her indigenous family atage seven to become an unpaid
servant.
Um, and so she's had she spenteight years serving this family
and finding ways to resist theiroppression.
And when she's 15, she escaped,she created a new life for
(22:34):
herself.
She now is a psychologist inEcuador with two master's
degrees in psychology.
SPEAKER_00 (22:40):
Oh my goodness, that's a great accomplishment.
SPEAKER_01 (22:42):
Yeah, she's helping people who've been through their
traumas.
So I had the honor of seeing howcollaborating on a story or
supporting someone and tellingtheir story can be incredibly
healing for them.
And then it can create thisreally beautiful bond of
friendship.
She and I are very close.
She calls me her sister.
And so I wanted to infuse someof Mina and Eloise's
(23:05):
relationship and Mina's storywith kind of that idea of how
telling your story can behealing in incredible ways.
Um, so that's kind of oneexample of how a real life
experience with the person kindof bloomed into something
different, but with maybe thesame emotional core.
And so I tried to do similarthings with the other characters
that she creates that's herfound family.
SPEAKER_00 (23:28):
What a wonderful story about your friend.
Did she ever get her bookpublished?
SPEAKER_01 (23:32):
Yes, we have it's called The Queen of Water.
It came out uh, I think around2011 with Random House.
So it's young adult slash adult.
It's kind of a crossover.
Um, but yeah, it's um I I feelso we both feel so proud of that
book.
We we we love it and it it waslife-changing for both of us.
SPEAKER_00 (23:52):
I don't think there's a better feeling in the
world than giving back, helpingsomeone with a project or
helping someone who's stuck intheir life, you know, or just
listening.
I always think that when you'refeeling down, the best thing to
do is to go and volunteer.
SPEAKER_01 (24:05):
I agree a hundred percent.
And then I think also like thebonds it creates, like the bonds
that I have with my her name isMaria Virginia Farinango.
The bonds that we have is reallydeep and really special.
And I feel like, you know, I Ihave learned so much from her,
and I have gotten so much out ofthis relationship in this book
as well.
SPEAKER_00 (24:25):
Oh, that's so beautiful.
I'd like to talk more aboutEloise.
While the garden is walled, shefinds a certain freedom, which
you describe on page 29.
Quote, I noticed my now emptyglass.
I wasn't much of a drinker.
Not for the past decade, atleast.
Every aspect of my diet had beentightly controlled.
(24:46):
Caffeine, alcohol, gluten, meat,dairy, sugar, you name it.
I'd been a frantic rat in amaze, trapped in trial after
trial.
Most of my adult life had beenabout withholding every
indulgence, tempering everypleasure, daily sacrifices for
something monumental that nevercame to pass.
(25:06):
End quote.
Can you expand on this idea andwhat led you to Eloise almost
being haunted by her previouslife?
And do you feel this theme ofrestraint versus freedom
reflects broader culturalpressures, or is it more
personal to Eloise's innerstruggle?
SPEAKER_01 (25:25):
Yeah, I love, I love those insights.
Thank you for thinking so deeplyabout it.
Um I I think that I think thatEloise is dealing with her own
personal struggle, which is shereally, really, really loves
children.
And I, you know, I really,really love children, and that's
one reason I became a children'swriter.
And um so I I feel like in thatsense, my desire for a child
(25:49):
came from within in a prettyprofound way.
And I see that with Eloise too.
But I think where this in hercase and my case, I think where
the societal pressure came inwas, you know, when you're
trying to get pregnant andyou're trying to stay pregnant,
you have, you know, informationcoming at you from everywhere.
You have, you know, guidance andrules and instructions coming
(26:12):
from everywhere.
You know, change your diet inthis way, take these
supplements, take these herbs,go see these kinds of doctors,
don't do this, do this.
And it can feel like a very, itcan feel very claustrophobic.
It can feel like you're trapped.
And also you, I think have a lotof guilt and shame.
Like, oh, I did I did somethingwrong and that's why I had the
miscarriage, or oh, I didsomething wrong and that's why I
(26:34):
didn't get pregnant this month.
So I think, you know, it is, youknow, it is constraining and it
is kind of um, yeah, like Iremember feeling a lot of
anxiety and fear about doinganything because I thought
anything could be the wrongthing to do.
And so I did want to kind ofcapture that feeling in in
Eloise's experience.
(26:56):
Um and yeah, I think going tothe gardens that as I mentioned
earlier, she had a new type offreedom because she'd given up
on trying to have a child.
She'd let go of that.
So that was very freeing.
She could do, you know, shecould have some glasses of wine,
she could eat whatever shewanted.
So it was very liberating.
Um, but the irony, of course, isthat she is, you know, in
(27:18):
prison.
There are walls around her.
Um, so a different, a differenttype of prison there.
SPEAKER_00 (27:23):
Laura, when you began writing The Alchemy of
Flowers, did you have a clearstructure in mind, or did the
story reveal itself organicallyas you wrote?
SPEAKER_01 (27:32):
So, with pretty much all of my books, I I start out
by free writing.
So I'll just, you know, I oftentry to be in nature.
I take a little notebook with meand I just do free writing and
brainstorm about characters,possible plots, the kinds of
vibes or emotions that I want togive in the book.
And so I do that for a while.
(27:52):
And then when I feel ready, Imove to my computer and I start
doing a very rough outline andsome rough character sketches.
And I look at what are thecharacters' arcs going to be and
where do they begin, where dothey end?
What are their conscious needs?
What are their unconsciousneeds?
So I try try and think about allof this.
And then I do dive into thewriting, but I'm always going
(28:15):
back and forth between myprovisional outline and the
writing because as I'm writing,I'm always making new
discoveries about thecharacters, about the story, and
new plot twist might come in.
And so then I go back to myoutline and tweak it.
And I really think about writinga book as kind of a dance
between your unconscious dreamself and your conscious rational
(28:36):
self.
And so I try and let the dreamself kind of take the lead, but
I want my analytical self, myrational self, to also provide
some structure and guidance.
So it's kind of, you know, thiskind of going back and forth and
learning how to let both typesof consciousnesses uh
participate in a way that'sgoing to uplift the story as
(29:01):
much as possible.
SPEAKER_00 (29:02):
And do you write in sequence or do you write the way
the story comes to you, maybe ascene at a time?
SPEAKER_01 (29:09):
Usually I do write in order, usually.
But then during the revisionstage, I might do some
reordering of things.
Um and if there is, I usuallyhave a sense of the ending.
I have a sense of the kind ofemotional core of the ending.
So I often, I might not writethat right away, but I have this
sense of that's what I'm workingtoward emotionally and
(29:32):
plot-wise.
Um, and but I would saygenerally I am writing
chronologically, um, unless Ifeel like incredibly passionate
that I need to write aparticular scene out of order,
which I do sometimes.
SPEAKER_00 (29:46):
What emotions or reflections do you hope linger
with the reader after they closethe final page?
And have readers shared anyinterpretations of the book that
surprised you or revealed layersyou hadn't consciously intended?
SPEAKER_01 (30:00):
I would love for readers to feel uplifted.
I would love for them to feellike they were just immersed in
a really engaging story.
I would like them to feel likethey just had a lot of wonderful
gourmet meals in France and alot of great tea.
And that they had that just kindof escapist immersive experience
(30:21):
in these magical gardens.
I would like them to feel asense of hope and a sense of,
you know, whatever they're goingthrough in life, a sense that
they are capable of at somepoint eventually transforming
all of this into somethingmeaningful.
And so that, and I feel lucky, Ifeel fortunate to have heard
(30:42):
from some readers who have readthis early, or it's been out a
few weeks already.
So I some people have actuallylike bought bought the bought
the final version of the book.
But I have heard from readerswho've been through infertility
and miscarriages and have saidthat they felt seen and heard
and they really connected withthe story.
So that was one of my greatestwishes.
(31:03):
So I'm I'm really, I feel veryuh moved that that has happened.
SPEAKER_00 (31:08):
I love the creativity of the characters in
the book.
I love the mythical part aboutit.
But for me, it was a really goodreminder, and I know I've used
this word before, to keep whimsyin your heart.
Because as we get older, weforget about that.
And uh it's just a wonderfulthing to remember.
Now that you've explored magicalrealism, do you see yourself
(31:30):
continuing in this genre or arethere other literary landscapes
you're eager to explore?
SPEAKER_01 (31:36):
I love it.
It feels very natural for me towrite.
Uh, and and my next book, TheRiver Muse, it's coming out in
May 2026, and it also hasmagical realism in it.
Um, it's got a similar kind ofvibe as far as um uh woman's
healing journey.
It is set in uh rural south ofFrance, lots of nature in it,
(31:57):
um, but completely differentcharacters, different plot line,
different issues and themes.
But I it feels very organic forme to write and uh incorporate,
incorporate bits of magic.
And again, this new one has alot of mythology in it as well,
um, which which I love.
It's always an excuse to do moreresearch and take a deep dive
(32:19):
into different kinds of uh nooksof of mythology across history,
across cultures.
SPEAKER_00 (32:25):
Okay, while I was speaking about France, your last
name is French.
I researched how to pronounce itand it said uh Razau.
So I don't know how would youlike it pronounced?
SPEAKER_01 (32:36):
So a lot of people say Rousseau or Rissau.
My family says Rissaw, so it'sRissaw, but um I I kind of like
it when people pronounce it in aFrench way, like Rousseau.
So I don't correct them whenthey say that.
I'm fine with it.
SPEAKER_00 (32:52):
Have you spent much time in France?
SPEAKER_01 (32:54):
I have.
So I spent a year there, myjunior year in college with my
French host family and becamevery close with them.
And so I go back and visitwhenever I can.
I just was back with I took myson there.
Uh, he had met them when he wasa toddler.
So he got to see them again as ateenager.
And of course, my French familymakes amazing food or meals, you
(33:18):
know, in a lot of people haveenjoyed the meals in The Alchemy
of Flowers.
And they were inspired by theamazing five-course meals that
my French mom would make everysingle night.
And these would last for hours,sometimes past midnight.
Um, and and so I I do love thatpart of French culture where
you're just sitting and havingmeals together and you know,
(33:41):
having conversation and justletting the rest of the world
kind of do its thing whileyou're in this cozy group of
people just enjoying life.
SPEAKER_00 (33:50):
That sounds perfect.
Okay, Laura, my final question.
What are you currently reading?
SPEAKER_01 (33:55):
So, right now I am reading The Compound by Ashlyn
Rawl.
It just came out prettyrecently.
And uh I'm at the beginning, butit sort of seems like um almost
the locked room style kind ofmystery thriller is where I'm
thinking it's headed, but Ican't be sure yet.
But it is uh based on kind of areality TV kind of model of
(34:19):
interacting.
Um, so it's yeah, it's it's beenit's interesting so far.
It's um very unique.
So I'm I'm definitely turningthe pages and enjoying it.
SPEAKER_00 (34:29):
And just a reminder for our listeners a list of all
the books we've mentioned andlinks for Laura uh will all be
in the show notes.
Laura, it has been greatchatting with you.
I absolutely loved The Alchemyof Flowers.
It is a beautiful, beautifulbook, and I love the cover.
I love the way you write, and Iwish you all the best of luck
with the book.
SPEAKER_01 (34:49):
Thank you so much.
I I am so grateful that you tookthe time to read my book so
thoroughly and think about itand connect with it and ask such
great questions.
So thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (34:57):
You've been listening to my conversation
with Laura Rissaw about her newbook, The Alchemy of Flowers,
one I highly recommend.
To help the show reach morepeople, please share episodes
with friends and family and onsocial media.
And remember to subscribe andleave a review wherever you
listen to this podcast.
To find out more about theBookshop Podcast, go to
(35:19):
thebookshoppodcast.com and makesure to subscribe and leave a
review wherever you listen tothe show.
You can also follow me at MandyJacksonBeverly, on Instagram and
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If you have a favorite indiebookshop that you'd like to
suggest we have on the podcast,I'd love to hear from you via
(35:40):
the contact form atthebookshoppodcast.com.
The Bookshop Podcast is writtenand produced by me, Mandy
Jackson Beverly.
Theme music provided by BrianBeverly and my personal
assistant is Kaylee Dishinger.
Thanks for listening, and I'llsee you next time.
Hi, my name is Mandy Jackson Beverly, and I'm a
bibliophile.
Welcome to the Bookshop Podcast.
Each week I present interviewswith authors, independent
bookshop owners and booksellersfrom around the globe, and
publishing professionals.
To help the show reach morepeople, please share episodes
with friends and family and onsocial media.
(00:32):
And remember to subscribe andleave a review wherever you
listen to this podcast.
You're listening to episode 313.
Well, here we are, and it isalmost Thanksgiving.
It's hard for me to comprehend.
This year has just flown by.
So here's a roundup of what I'vebeen up to.
Last week was the final lunchwith an author literary series
(00:55):
in Santa Barbara for 2025.
Ivy Pakoda was my guest author,and we had a lively discussion
about her novel These Women.
While this book is not Ivy'smost recent, I chose the book
because it is a favourite ofmine.
Brilliantly written with strongvoices.
I highly recommend picking up acopy of These Women if you
haven't already done so.
(01:16):
I've mentioned this a couple oftimes, but as of January 2026,
I'm adding Ohi to my list oflocations for the literary
series.
And in addition to participatingin the luncheons, some of the
authors will also be teachingwriting workshops.
Our first is with Anne Hood inOHI on Wednesday, January 14th,
(01:37):
2026.
I'm excited about partneringwith Hotel El Roblah, and let me
tell you why.
The first time I entered thehotel was shortly after the
remodel was completed.
The feeling of the lobby is whatcaptivated me with its dark
wood, leather sofas, and warm,earthy, coloured lounge chairs
and cushions.
The space beckoned to me thesame way as libraries and indie
(02:00):
bookshops.
For a moment I wondered if Istepped back outside, if I'd see
horses in the driveway ratherthan cars.
Although this is OHI and I'veseen horses in the driveway.
Eric Good, Raman Shamshiri,Warner Ebink, and Jeremy McBride
have restored Oi'slongest-standing hotel to its
historical charm.
(02:20):
True to both its Spanish revivaland early California roots,
Hotel El Roblar blends itshistoric design with a modern
sensibility.
I'm happy to announce that HotelEl Roblar is offering an
accommodation discount toattendees of the literary
lunches.
To find out more about theluncheons and workshops, please
sign up for my newsletter on mywebsite at
(02:42):
www.mandyjacksonbeverly.com.
Scroll down the home page andyou'll see where to sign up.
Okay, now let's get on with thisweek's episode.
Laura Risor is the author of TheAlchemy of Flowers, her debut
novel for adults and 11acclaimed books for young
people.
Her novels won five ColoradoBook Awards and appear on best
(03:06):
of book lists from Oprah, theAmerican Library Association,
and more.
Trilingual and with a culturalanthropology background, Laura
has lived in Provence and Oaxacaand now teaches creative writing
at Western Colorado University.
You might find her writing inher cozy vintage trailer in Fort
Collins, Colorado, where shelives with her rock hound
(03:28):
husband, musician's son, wildhusky, a garden of healing
flowers, and a hundredhouseplants.
Hi Laura and welcome to theshow.
SPEAKER_01 (03:37):
Thank you so much, Mandy.
I am thrilled to be here.
SPEAKER_00 (03:40):
I absolutely loved The Alchemy of Flowers.
The magical realism in the bookis absolutely beautiful, as is
your connection with nature.
It's just a wonderful, wonderfulbook.
Thank you for writing it.
SPEAKER_01 (03:53):
Thank you for saying that.
I and thank you for putting somuch thought into the book as
you are reading it.
Yeah, I do love nature and I tryand arrange my life so that I
can be in nature as much aspossible.
SPEAKER_00 (04:06):
That definitely shows throughout the book.
Okay, let's begin with learningabout you and what led you to
study anthropology andlanguages.
And was there a particularmoment or experience that
confirmed this was the rightpath for you?
SPEAKER_01 (04:20):
So I've always loved learning about other cultures
and languages, and I've alwaysloved reading from the time I
was young.
So I was exposed to differentcultures through books.
I um had the opportunity tospend a year in France during
college.
So I spent a year with a Frenchfamily in Provence, and that was
such an interesting culturalexperience for me.
(04:42):
And, you know, it gives you aperspective on your own culture
and also kind of, you know,reminds you of all the
possibilities out there, all thedifferent ways to live life.
So that was a very pivotalexperience for me.
And then after college, I wentto teach English in a university
in a very tiny town in Oaxaca,Mexico.
(05:04):
And it was amazing.
I learned Spanish there.
I had really wonderful studentsfrom different indigenous groups
who invited me to spend time intheir villages on weekends and
holidays.
And it was it was amazing thatpeople incorporated me into
their everyday lives, um, youknow, told me their stories.
So I I loved, I loved learningabout other cultures, immersing
(05:28):
myself in other cultures.
And um, so I did feel drawn tostudy anthropology.
I did end up getting my master'sdegree in anthropology.
Um, but then I decided to stopbefore getting my PhD because I
realized that my true passion inlife was creative writing, not
academic writing.
So I decided to kind of infusemy stories with different
(05:51):
cultures, different languages,and kind of that um
anthropological approach of umreally trying to have an
immersive experience in in othercultures with a great deal of
respect along with it.
SPEAKER_00 (06:05):
Just out of interest, how old were you when
you were in Oaxaca learningSpanish?
SPEAKER_01 (06:09):
It was ages about 23 to 26, I think.
Um so I was I was pretty young.
Um, and I had spoken Frenchalready.
I was pretty fluent in French.
So I went in, I went to Oaxacanot knowing any Spanish, like 10
words.
I mean, I really didn't knowwhat I was getting myself into.
Hardly anyone in my town spokeany English.
So I within a few months I I waspretty conversational in Spanish
(06:33):
just out of necessity.
SPEAKER_00 (06:35):
Kudos to you for being able to speak a few
languages.
What inspired you to writechildren's books and more
recently delve into fictionalwriting for adults with the
alchemy of flowers?
And how did shifting fromwriting for children to writing
for adults shape your voice orapproach as a storyteller?
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
That's such a good question.
Um, so I think with my writingfor children, I really embrace a
sense of wonder and magic andkind of um heartwarming kind of
sensibility.
I like to infuse my stories withhope and make them feel
uplifting.
So I think those were thingsthat I took from my children's
(07:14):
writing.
Um but I knew that I wanted todeal with the topic of
infertility.
And I that obviously is notterritory that you find in
children's books.
Uh, so I wanted to like bring myfavorite things from writing for
children into the adult sphere,you know, while tackling some
pretty, you know, deep issuesthat adults could relate to.
(07:37):
And it was, it was interestingto figure out my grown-up voice.
So I remember it really was.
I remember uh I was very in lovewith an early draft of this
manuscript and I shared it withmy writing group.
I was so excited.
And um, but their response was,you know, oh, we we like a lot
about this.
(07:57):
We like the food, we like themagical flowers, but the voice
is coming off as a young adult.
So I was kind of disappointed.
I was hoping that I would just,you know, hit the ground running
with writing for adults and itwould be an easy path, but I did
have to go back and I did haveto do a lot of thinking and
reflecting on how do I make myvoice sound more grown up?
(08:18):
And it was really about givingmyself permission to have some
more layers of reflection, somemore layers of self-awareness,
um, to use kind of moresophisticated language.
So once I gave myself permissionto do that and started um just
kind of experimenting with thatvoice, then it started to come
more naturally.
So in the next version, it wasworking.
SPEAKER_00 (08:40):
Oh, it's interesting to hear you say that because
while I was reading The Alchemyof Flowers uh and about the
little girl, which I'm not goingto give away any spoilers, I
couldn't help but think as awriter, you manifested her from
the little girl in you becauseshe is so attracted to nature,
almost a part of nature.
(09:02):
And there's something mysticalabout her.
In some ways, it felt to me asif you were surrendering your
inner child to the reader.
SPEAKER_01 (09:10):
Oh, oh, thank you for that insight.
I love that.
And um yeah, I I think I did putsome of my inner child into it.
And I also, so my son is 18 now,but when he was uh younger, I
would write letters to him, tohis future self.
And so I would like basicallytalk about all the cute things
(09:30):
he said and all the cute thingshe was doing, um, and things
that touched my heart,especially.
So a number of a number of thatlittle girl's uh bits of
dialogue came verbatim fromthings that my son said to to me
that really, really warmed myheart.
And um yeah, and and it'sinteresting, I'm working on my
second adult book now, andthere's also a child character
(09:53):
in that.
And I just was realizing I thinkit's important for me to always
have a really vividthree-dimensional child
character in all of my books forwhatever age group I'm writing
for.
SPEAKER_00 (10:03):
Oh, now I can't wait to read your next book.
SPEAKER_01 (10:06):
Oh, thank you.
It's it's uh going through therevision process right now with
my editor.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
Well, please keep me posted.
Uh, the alchemy of flowers is amix of magical realism and
reality.
Do you see magical realism as away of expressing truths that
realism alone cannot capture?
SPEAKER_01 (10:24):
I do, and I love how you put that.
Um, I think that kind of mygeneral worldview does
incorporate some magic.
I think it did when I was achild, probably from all the
books that I read.
And I think that that stayedwith me into my adulthood.
Um, so I also like to thinkabout reality in in terms of
myth or mythological framing.
(10:45):
So a lot of my own experiences Ido see through the lens of myth.
And I think some of that comesfrom um, you know, I read Jung
and Joseph Campbell in college,and then Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
And so, you know, these are umthinkers who see mythology as a
way to understand human psycheand our psychological journeys
(11:08):
as humans on this earth.
And so, you know, that'ssomething that has been helpful
to me, kind of dealing with myown struggles in my life.
And I thought that it would be agood kind of magical mystical
framework for this book.
Yes, indeed, it's perfect.
SPEAKER_00 (11:24):
You know, whenever I walk through nature, walk
through a forest or by the oceanand see shells in their
incredible shapes that areabsolutely perfect, or flowers
that are perfect, even weeds, Ican't help but think maybe magic
is real.
I mean, how can you not thinklike that, right, when you walk
through a forest?
(11:44):
It's extraordinary how magicalnature is.
SPEAKER_01 (11:48):
Yeah, I agree completely.
And I I did, you know, when Iwas uh kind of getting the idea
for this book, it was during thepandemic.
So we all had a lot more time innature and a lot more kind of
unscheduled time.
And so I did start a healingflower garden in my backyard,
and I did feel like I started todevelop a kind of mystical
relationship with these flowers.
(12:09):
I was very in tune with them.
I was making teas and lotionsand potions with them.
And yeah, so I I really felt Ifelt their magic in a very
visceral, kind of hands-on way,and I tried to bring that into
the story.
SPEAKER_00 (12:24):
Well, it worked.
It's beautiful.
SPEAKER_01 (12:26):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (12:27):
The alchemy of flowers begins with Eloise
answering a help-wanted ad in aFrench gardening magazine,
leading her from the States to awalled garden in the south of
France.
The way you write about her,about Eloise, one can't help but
wonder how much of your personalstory is woven into her
(12:47):
personality.
What are the main similaritiesbetween the two of you?
She embodies both vulnerabilityand resistance, which I found
fascinating.
And what universal struggles didyou hope to capture through her
journey?
SPEAKER_01 (13:00):
Yeah, she is um kind of inspired by my own
infertility struggles andendometriosis and miscarriages.
So a lot of her story um kind ofis is similar to mine.
I imagined like, what if Ididn't have the support system
and the family and the solidmarriage?
(13:20):
And, you know, what if I didn'thave all of that?
What might happen?
How might I have hit rockbottom?
And, you know, in my personaljourney, I did, you know, I had
five really, really tough yearsof of going through all of that.
And then we did end up adoptingmy son from Guatemala.
And, you know, he, yeah, he hejust um brought so much joy to
(13:40):
our lives.
And um I like he's my happyending, he's he's the treasure
at the end of it all.
Um, but so I was, but I wasreally drawing on how I felt,
you know, during the struggleand in the immediate kind of
aftermath and how I was healingfrom that.
Um and and so I was, you know,it was therapeutic for me to
(14:01):
write, even you're my son's 18now, but it was it was still I
in writing this, I felt like Icould kind of let go of some of
my last bits of pain over what Iwent through.
Um I feel like her, you know, Iwanted her to feel like a real
character, vulnerable, as yousay.
Um, and I it was important to meto put in all the different
(14:25):
kinds of emotions that you gothrough.
So some of the emotions are kindof ugly, right?
There's resentment, there'sbitterness.
And so I didn't want to shy awayfrom that.
I wanted it to feel real andrelatable to anyone who was
going through this.
So that was important to me.
Um, and I my hope was thatreaders would, uh especially
(14:45):
readers going throughinfertility or related
struggles, would kind of feelseen and feel heard and be able
to kind of this could might be astep in their own healing.
SPEAKER_00 (14:56):
Yeah, as I was reading the book, I I felt that
it was coming from deep withinyou.
Uh, it felt like it came fromexperience.
There's a childlike whimsy toThe Alchemy of Flowers, which
allows the reader to discoverelements of their own childhood,
specifically in relation tonature.
Tell us about how yourrelationship with nature helped
(15:18):
structure the story and whatsymbolic weight did you intend
the garden itself to carry inthe novel?
Healing, mystery, rebirth, orwas it something else?
SPEAKER_01 (15:29):
I love that question.
So when I got the concept of thegarden, um, I was thinking I
wanted it to be a dreamy, wishfulfillment kind of place,
paradise.
You know, the one of thecharacters calls it a refuge for
the broken.
So a place where we would loveto go to heal, you know, there's
our magical flowers, um, reallyinteresting lodging that is
(15:52):
off-grid.
So there's like the elegant treehouse, there's a yurt, there's a
caravan, a hobbit hole.
So I felt like it was fun to getinto this immersive, fantastical
setting.
Um, but and I thought it wouldbe a really interesting place, a
setting for healing.
But then I also wanted to honorthe shadows and the dark parts
(16:13):
of the experience.
And so there, you know, paradisehas this dark underbelly.
And, you know, all of thecharacters are facing the
shadowy parts of themselves andtheir experiences, and that's
kind of essential to theirhealing.
Um, and and I like, I always amdrawn to locked room kind of
settings and thrillers andmysteries.
And so it seems like that kindof locked garden situation would
(16:38):
add a really interestingeeriness and tension.
Um, and like you're saying, Ithink there is a lot of
symbolism that readers can, youknow, readers can bring their
own experiences and ideas.
Um, but uh she Eloise has feltvery trapped in her situation
with infertility andmiscarriages for many years.
(16:58):
And so she's kind of has a newtype of freedom in the gardens
where she's finally letting goof a lot of that.
But ironically, she is kind ofimprisoned there as well.
Um, and I as far as the off-gridsetting there and the closeness
with nature, um, I really gotthe idea for this book.
(17:19):
Um, if I really trace it back tothe beginnings, when I was at
our little piece of landsurrounded by national forest in
the Rocky Mountains, we have ateeny tiny cabin that's
completely off-grid, not evenany internet or cell service
there.
SPEAKER_00 (17:33):
Oh my goodness, that sounds like heaven.
SPEAKER_01 (17:35):
It is heaven, it's heaven.
And I love brainstorming andfree writing book ideas up there
because there are nodistractions except for nature.
Um, so I was up there and uh Ihad asked my husband and son for
mother's for a Mother's Daypresent one year to build me a
composting toilette.
So basically an off-grid toiletand so a glorified bucket, um,
(18:02):
but surrounded by like anouthouse, like a pretty kind of
rustic looking outhouse umstructure.
So they did it for me and I loveit.
I don't think it's disgusting atall.
And um I was one day I wasmanaging the compost.
So it goes through stages fromyou know human waste to fertile,
rich soil after a year or two.
(18:24):
And so I was managing thecompost one day and it was
summertime, and I was looking atthe hillside and it was covered
in beautiful wildflowers.
And this big, beautiful metaphorjust was filling my vision,
which was how do we turn ourcrap into flowers?
How do we turn the difficultstuff life hands us into
something beautiful and wise?
(18:44):
Um, so that was really kind ofthe framework I had for this
story.
And then I just kind of took itfrom there.
And I, you know, I gave Eloise ajob, you know, in the garden.
One of her, one of her roles inthe garden is to manage the
compost, the compostingtoilette.
So she's kind of literally doingthis, and then metaphorically,
(19:05):
she's kind of turning her owndifficulties into, you know,
beauty and wisdom.
SPEAKER_00 (19:10):
Just hearing you talk about it, there is an
alchemy to composting.
SPEAKER_01 (19:14):
Exactly.
Agreed, yes.
SPEAKER_00 (19:17):
And that brings me to the title of the book, which
is perfect in so many ways.
Was this always the title, ordid the name itself also go
through an alchemy of sorts?
SPEAKER_01 (19:27):
I love that question.
So this was not always thetitle.
Um, my working title was How WeBecome Flowers.
So it's similar in some ways,but my agent asked me to
brainstorm a bunch of differenttitles.
And so then we talked aboutthem, her our favorites, then
she ran them by other agents inour agency.
(19:49):
They talked about theirfavorites, and we landed on the
alchemy of flowers.
Um, we felt that it showed, youknow, it gave a sense of magic.
It also kind of gave a sense ofsome of the gothic kind of vibes
of the story as well, some ofthe darker, um uh mystical kind
of kind of vibes.
So, but yet it still maintainsthat idea of transformation.
(20:14):
Uh so I was I was really happywith with the title that we
landed on.
SPEAKER_00 (20:18):
Well, not only is the uh title of the book
beautiful, but also the cover.
It is delicious.
Let's talk about othercharacters in the book.
Is it Antoinette Bellux?
Beaulieu, uh-huh.
Thank you.
Uh Mina, Raphael, and Bao.
Did they develop as you wrotethe story or do they manifest at
the beginning?
And do you see these charactersas reflections of archetypes or
(20:41):
as people drawn from your ownlife?
SPEAKER_01 (20:43):
Yeah, very interesting question.
Uh, I think most of them I wasdrawing on some specifics of
some people in my life, and thenletting those seeds bloom into
something completely new.
Um, except Antoinette, we canget back to her.
I do think that she kind of wasuh kind of more heavily
influenced by some goddess kindof archetypes.
(21:05):
But um, but for example, Mina.
And so Mina, Bao, and Rafael arekind of the found family that uh
Eloise encounters and becomesclose to in the book.
Um, so Mina, for example, umshe's from Senegal, she's a
refugee, and she had some um, Idon't want to give away too
much, but her her backstoryinvolves some child trafficking.
(21:28):
And um, she's healing from that.
And she's healing from that bywriting her story.
And she's been writing it foryears, and Eloise kind of acts
as a support to help her get herstory out in the world, which is
another layer of healing forher.
And that was really directlyinspired by my own experiences.
I was teaching English as asecond language here in
(21:50):
Colorado.
Uh, this was years ago, likealmost 25 years ago.
And um, a woman from Ecuador, anindigenous woman from the
Ecuadorian Andes, when she foundout I was fluent in Spanish and
that I had an anthropologybackground, she asked if I would
write her story with her.
And this was, yeah, this wasbefore any of my books were
published.
I I had the pipe dream ofbecoming a writer, and I warned
(22:12):
her that, but she took thechance on me.
It took us seven years to writeher story, but she um was taken
from her indigenous family atage seven to become an unpaid
servant.
Um, and so she's had she spenteight years serving this family
and finding ways to resist theiroppression.
And when she's 15, she escaped,she created a new life for
(22:34):
herself.
She now is a psychologist inEcuador with two master's
degrees in psychology.
SPEAKER_00 (22:40):
Oh my goodness, that's a great accomplishment.
SPEAKER_01 (22:42):
Yeah, she's helping people who've been through their
traumas.
So I had the honor of seeing howcollaborating on a story or
supporting someone and tellingtheir story can be incredibly
healing for them.
And then it can create thisreally beautiful bond of
friendship.
She and I are very close.
She calls me her sister.
And so I wanted to infuse someof Mina and Eloise's
(23:05):
relationship and Mina's storywith kind of that idea of how
telling your story can behealing in incredible ways.
Um, so that's kind of oneexample of how a real life
experience with the person kindof bloomed into something
different, but with maybe thesame emotional core.
And so I tried to do similarthings with the other characters
that she creates that's herfound family.
SPEAKER_00 (23:28):
What a wonderful story about your friend.
Did she ever get her bookpublished?
SPEAKER_01 (23:32):
Yes, we have it's called The Queen of Water.
It came out uh, I think around2011 with Random House.
So it's young adult slash adult.
It's kind of a crossover.
Um, but yeah, it's um I I feelso we both feel so proud of that
book.
We we we love it and it it waslife-changing for both of us.
SPEAKER_00 (23:52):
I don't think there's a better feeling in the
world than giving back, helpingsomeone with a project or
helping someone who's stuck intheir life, you know, or just
listening.
I always think that when you'refeeling down, the best thing to
do is to go and volunteer.
SPEAKER_01 (24:05):
I agree a hundred percent.
And then I think also like thebonds it creates, like the bonds
that I have with my her name isMaria Virginia Farinango.
The bonds that we have is reallydeep and really special.
And I feel like, you know, I Ihave learned so much from her,
and I have gotten so much out ofthis relationship in this book
as well.
SPEAKER_00 (24:25):
Oh, that's so beautiful.
I'd like to talk more aboutEloise.
While the garden is walled, shefinds a certain freedom, which
you describe on page 29.
Quote, I noticed my now emptyglass.
I wasn't much of a drinker.
Not for the past decade, atleast.
Every aspect of my diet had beentightly controlled.
(24:46):
Caffeine, alcohol, gluten, meat,dairy, sugar, you name it.
I'd been a frantic rat in amaze, trapped in trial after
trial.
Most of my adult life had beenabout withholding every
indulgence, tempering everypleasure, daily sacrifices for
something monumental that nevercame to pass.
(25:06):
End quote.
Can you expand on this idea andwhat led you to Eloise almost
being haunted by her previouslife?
And do you feel this theme ofrestraint versus freedom
reflects broader culturalpressures, or is it more
personal to Eloise's innerstruggle?
SPEAKER_01 (25:25):
Yeah, I love, I love those insights.
Thank you for thinking so deeplyabout it.
Um I I think that I think thatEloise is dealing with her own
personal struggle, which is shereally, really, really loves
children.
And I, you know, I really,really love children, and that's
one reason I became a children'swriter.
And um so I I feel like in thatsense, my desire for a child
(25:49):
came from within in a prettyprofound way.
And I see that with Eloise too.
But I think where this in hercase and my case, I think where
the societal pressure came inwas, you know, when you're
trying to get pregnant andyou're trying to stay pregnant,
you have, you know, informationcoming at you from everywhere.
You have, you know, guidance andrules and instructions coming
(26:12):
from everywhere.
You know, change your diet inthis way, take these
supplements, take these herbs,go see these kinds of doctors,
don't do this, do this.
And it can feel like a very, itcan feel very claustrophobic.
It can feel like you're trapped.
And also you, I think have a lotof guilt and shame.
Like, oh, I did I did somethingwrong and that's why I had the
miscarriage, or oh, I didsomething wrong and that's why I
(26:34):
didn't get pregnant this month.
So I think, you know, it is, youknow, it is constraining and it
is kind of um, yeah, like Iremember feeling a lot of
anxiety and fear about doinganything because I thought
anything could be the wrongthing to do.
And so I did want to kind ofcapture that feeling in in
Eloise's experience.
(26:56):
Um and yeah, I think going tothe gardens that as I mentioned
earlier, she had a new type offreedom because she'd given up
on trying to have a child.
She'd let go of that.
So that was very freeing.
She could do, you know, shecould have some glasses of wine,
she could eat whatever shewanted.
So it was very liberating.
Um, but the irony, of course, isthat she is, you know, in
(27:18):
prison.
There are walls around her.
Um, so a different, a differenttype of prison there.
SPEAKER_00 (27:23):
Laura, when you began writing The Alchemy of
Flowers, did you have a clearstructure in mind, or did the
story reveal itself organicallyas you wrote?
SPEAKER_01 (27:32):
So, with pretty much all of my books, I I start out
by free writing.
So I'll just, you know, I oftentry to be in nature.
I take a little notebook with meand I just do free writing and
brainstorm about characters,possible plots, the kinds of
vibes or emotions that I want togive in the book.
And so I do that for a while.
(27:52):
And then when I feel ready, Imove to my computer and I start
doing a very rough outline andsome rough character sketches.
And I look at what are thecharacters' arcs going to be and
where do they begin, where dothey end?
What are their conscious needs?
What are their unconsciousneeds?
So I try try and think about allof this.
And then I do dive into thewriting, but I'm always going
(28:15):
back and forth between myprovisional outline and the
writing because as I'm writing,I'm always making new
discoveries about thecharacters, about the story, and
new plot twist might come in.
And so then I go back to myoutline and tweak it.
And I really think about writinga book as kind of a dance
between your unconscious dreamself and your conscious rational
(28:36):
self.
And so I try and let the dreamself kind of take the lead, but
I want my analytical self, myrational self, to also provide
some structure and guidance.
So it's kind of, you know, thiskind of going back and forth and
learning how to let both typesof consciousnesses uh
participate in a way that'sgoing to uplift the story as
(29:01):
much as possible.
SPEAKER_00 (29:02):
And do you write in sequence or do you write the way
the story comes to you, maybe ascene at a time?
SPEAKER_01 (29:09):
Usually I do write in order, usually.
But then during the revisionstage, I might do some
reordering of things.
Um and if there is, I usuallyhave a sense of the ending.
I have a sense of the kind ofemotional core of the ending.
So I often, I might not writethat right away, but I have this
sense of that's what I'm workingtoward emotionally and
(29:32):
plot-wise.
Um, and but I would saygenerally I am writing
chronologically, um, unless Ifeel like incredibly passionate
that I need to write aparticular scene out of order,
which I do sometimes.
SPEAKER_00 (29:46):
What emotions or reflections do you hope linger
with the reader after they closethe final page?
And have readers shared anyinterpretations of the book that
surprised you or revealed layersyou hadn't consciously intended?
SPEAKER_01 (30:00):
I would love for readers to feel uplifted.
I would love for them to feellike they were just immersed in
a really engaging story.
I would like them to feel likethey just had a lot of wonderful
gourmet meals in France and alot of great tea.
And that they had that just kindof escapist immersive experience
(30:21):
in these magical gardens.
I would like them to feel asense of hope and a sense of,
you know, whatever they're goingthrough in life, a sense that
they are capable of at somepoint eventually transforming
all of this into somethingmeaningful.
And so that, and I feel lucky, Ifeel fortunate to have heard
(30:42):
from some readers who have readthis early, or it's been out a
few weeks already.
So I some people have actuallylike bought bought the bought
the final version of the book.
But I have heard from readerswho've been through infertility
and miscarriages and have saidthat they felt seen and heard
and they really connected withthe story.
So that was one of my greatestwishes.
(31:03):
So I'm I'm really, I feel veryuh moved that that has happened.
SPEAKER_00 (31:08):
I love the creativity of the characters in
the book.
I love the mythical part aboutit.
But for me, it was a really goodreminder, and I know I've used
this word before, to keep whimsyin your heart.
Because as we get older, weforget about that.
And uh it's just a wonderfulthing to remember.
Now that you've explored magicalrealism, do you see yourself
(31:30):
continuing in this genre or arethere other literary landscapes
you're eager to explore?
SPEAKER_01 (31:36):
I love it.
It feels very natural for me towrite.
Uh, and and my next book, TheRiver Muse, it's coming out in
May 2026, and it also hasmagical realism in it.
Um, it's got a similar kind ofvibe as far as um uh woman's
healing journey.
It is set in uh rural south ofFrance, lots of nature in it,
(31:57):
um, but completely differentcharacters, different plot line,
different issues and themes.
But I it feels very organic forme to write and uh incorporate,
incorporate bits of magic.
And again, this new one has alot of mythology in it as well,
um, which which I love.
It's always an excuse to do moreresearch and take a deep dive
(32:19):
into different kinds of uh nooksof of mythology across history,
across cultures.
SPEAKER_00 (32:25):
Okay, while I was speaking about France, your last
name is French.
I researched how to pronounce itand it said uh Razau.
So I don't know how would youlike it pronounced?
SPEAKER_01 (32:36):
So a lot of people say Rousseau or Rissau.
My family says Rissaw, so it'sRissaw, but um I I kind of like
it when people pronounce it in aFrench way, like Rousseau.
So I don't correct them whenthey say that.
I'm fine with it.
SPEAKER_00 (32:52):
Have you spent much time in France?
SPEAKER_01 (32:54):
I have.
So I spent a year there, myjunior year in college with my
French host family and becamevery close with them.
And so I go back and visitwhenever I can.
I just was back with I took myson there.
Uh, he had met them when he wasa toddler.
So he got to see them again as ateenager.
And of course, my French familymakes amazing food or meals, you
(33:18):
know, in a lot of people haveenjoyed the meals in The Alchemy
of Flowers.
And they were inspired by theamazing five-course meals that
my French mom would make everysingle night.
And these would last for hours,sometimes past midnight.
Um, and and so I I do love thatpart of French culture where
you're just sitting and havingmeals together and you know,
(33:41):
having conversation and justletting the rest of the world
kind of do its thing whileyou're in this cozy group of
people just enjoying life.
SPEAKER_00 (33:50):
That sounds perfect.
Okay, Laura, my final question.
What are you currently reading?
SPEAKER_01 (33:55):
So, right now I am reading The Compound by Ashlyn
Rawl.
It just came out prettyrecently.
And uh I'm at the beginning, butit sort of seems like um almost
the locked room style kind ofmystery thriller is where I'm
thinking it's headed, but Ican't be sure yet.
But it is uh based on kind of areality TV kind of model of
(34:19):
interacting.
Um, so it's yeah, it's it's beenit's interesting so far.
It's um very unique.
So I'm I'm definitely turningthe pages and enjoying it.
SPEAKER_00 (34:29):
And just a reminder for our listeners a list of all
the books we've mentioned andlinks for Laura uh will all be
in the show notes.
Laura, it has been greatchatting with you.
I absolutely loved The Alchemyof Flowers.
It is a beautiful, beautifulbook, and I love the cover.
I love the way you write, and Iwish you all the best of luck
with the book.
SPEAKER_01 (34:49):
Thank you so much.
I I am so grateful that you tookthe time to read my book so
thoroughly and think about itand connect with it and ask such
great questions.
So thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (34:57):
You've been listening to my conversation
with Laura Rissaw about her newbook, The Alchemy of Flowers,
one I highly recommend.
To help the show reach morepeople, please share episodes
with friends and family and onsocial media.
And remember to subscribe andleave a review wherever you
listen to this podcast.
To find out more about theBookshop Podcast, go to
(35:19):
thebookshoppodcast.com and makesure to subscribe and leave a
review wherever you listen tothe show.
You can also follow me at MandyJacksonBeverly, on Instagram and
Facebook, and on YouTube at theBookshop Podcast.
If you have a favorite indiebookshop that you'd like to
suggest we have on the podcast,I'd love to hear from you via
(35:40):
the contact form atthebookshoppodcast.com.
The Bookshop Podcast is writtenand produced by me, Mandy
Jackson Beverly.
Theme music provided by BrianBeverly and my personal
assistant is Kaylee Dishinger.
Thanks for listening, and I'llsee you next time.
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