Books That Shaped Thirteen Weeks in Digby
I truly believe that what we read steers what we write. Some books become blueprints, others become whispers, and then there are those rare ones that crack something open and you realize: Oh. That’s the kind of story I want to tell.
As I work on my novel, Thirteen Weeks in Digby, I’ve been thinking about the books and stories that helped shape it. Some consciously, but others more like memory fragments in the back of my mind. The voice, the heart, the humor…they didn’t come from nowhere. They came from books like these.
If you blended these four together…
📚 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
A story about loneliness, connection, and unexpected friendships with a side of small-town charm. I loved the quiet way this novel reminded me that healing doesn’t always look like a grand gesture. Sometimes it’s simply showing up. Thirteen Weeks in Digby is full of characters like that. Flawed, kind, and quietly heroic.
📚 The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Though my novel is firmly grounded in reality, I was inspired by the same whimsical tone and soft place-to-land energy Klune creates. A weary outsider stumbles into an offbeat community and somehow ends up belonging there. Sound familiar?
📚 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Paige, my main character, isn’t Eleanor, but she shares that same sense of emotional distance and unintentional dry humor. She’s competent. She’s complicated. She’s convinced she doesn’t need anyone. (Spoiler: she does.) Watching her thaw into community was deeply inspired by Eleanor’s journey.
📺 Parks and Recreation
Okay, it’s not a book, but hear me out. The grassroots group in my story, the Humanitarian Action Collective, has serious Pawnee vibes. A lovable, chaotic group trying to do good with what little they have, and somehow making it work. Guy, their frantic but big-hearted leader, would get along (and probably argue) with Leslie Knope.
What these stories have in common…
They’re funny, but not just for laughs.
They’re heartfelt, but not overly polished.
They make room for grief, growth, and second chances, all while making you want to call someone you love (or adopt an octopus).
That’s the kind of story I hope Thirteen Weeks in Digby becomes for its future readers.
📚 Want more of what’s inspiring me lately? Check out my current reads on [Goodreads]
“Connection is the only thing that makes this crazy world sane.”
