Author Interview: Megan E. Freeman on The Secret to Belonging, Norway, Exchange Programs, and More!

Hi bookworms! Today, I'm interviewing Megan E. Freeman, author of The Secret to Belonging! It's a story about the complexity of family and finding your own path. Stay tuned for my review coming soon! The Secret to Belonging is available on September 15th. You can grab your copy here!

Image Source: Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: You are invisible in your own family. Your parents spend all their care and attention on your brother, who is addicted to drugs. Your dreams don’t matter to anyone but you.

Your only ticket out is a college fund left by your grandfather—until your parents use it to pay for your brother’s drug rehab.

Just when your future seems about to collapse, you are offered a lifeline: a scholarship to become an exchange student in a remote part of Norway. It’s an invitation to begin a new life in a new place with new people…a place where you might finally feel like you belong.

Hello Megan! Welcome to Page by Paige Books! I am so excited to chat with you today. To get things started, I'd love to get to know you a bit more. In The Secret to Belonging, the main character accepts a scholarship to be an exchange student in Norway, which is incredibly different from her hometown. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be, and what would you most look forward to seeing or doing?

Thanks so much for having me. Greece has always been on my bucket list, so I would love to visit the ruins and see the ancient theatres. And I once spent a magical 24 hours in Iceland and it's such an enchanted landscape that I would love to see more of it. And I've always been intrigued by Florence, Italy, and the rich history there. Finally, I'd love to go to New Zealand. My daughter lives in Australia, so a dream trip would be to visit her there and then explore NZ together.
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One of the elements I enjoyed in The Secret to Belonging was the idea that food holds memories and that it can play an important role in healing. Do you have a particular food or meal that you associate with a strong positive memory?

Well, the food I ate in Norway during my high school exchange year was incredible. My host father was an amazing cook. He would pick up fresh fish at the harbor on his way home from work, and he made the most delicious dinners. I also loved Norwegian brown cheese (brunost). My host mother would bake bread every week, and a warm slice of her bread with a layer of brown cheese topped with a dab of lingonberry jam was pretty much heaven on earth. And don't get me started on Norwegian chocolate!
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Your use of verse and a second-person point of view made the book feel like a stream of consciousness. It really connected me to the main character and her headspace. What draws you to character-driven stories?

I'm fascinated by how people think and act and perceive the world, and I've written poetry since I was in elementary school, so writing stories in verse feels very natural to me. And with this book I really enjoyed exploring second-person voice. It felt both intimate and distancing, and it forced the reader into a kind of empathetic alliance with the main character.
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The way that Norway is described through the main character's eyes was so moving, it makes me feel inspired to visit one day. What made you choose Norway as the setting for the main character's exchange experience?

I was actually a high school exchange student in Norway, and I lived with a family in a small town above the Arctic Circle for thirteen months. It was a stark contrast from my life as a teen living in northeast Los Angeles where it was always sunny and warm. But I fell in love with the Norwegian culture and the language and the landscape and the weather. I will always be grateful I had the opportunity to live and study abroad, and Norway will always have a special place in my heart.
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The Secret to Belonging tackles difficult topics such as addiction while also fostering the feeling of hope and the courage to change your life and follow your passions. What would you say was the biggest challenge you encountered while writing this book?

Honestly, this was one of the smoothest and most satisfying writing experiences I've ever had. I encountered very few obstacles. My only goal was to stay solidly in the perspective of the main character and write her experience as fearlessly and honestly as possible. I wanted her to trust the reader enough–and to be brave enough–to tell the entire truth of her life. I wanted her to confide in the reader without fear of judgment or condemnation, and for her to always speak from a place of deep integrity. My singular focus was to maintain fidelity to her truth and courage, and as long as I did that, the story flowed.
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Another aspect I found engaging was the use of language to process emotions. I especially enjoyed your use of Norwegian words throughout the story to convey strong reactions by the main character. Do you know how to speak any other languages? If you could instantly become fluent in any language, which would you choose?

I studied French and German in school and can get away with a few phrases here and there, and I became conversationally fluent in Norwegian when I lived there. I try to keep it up by listening to podcasts and watching Scandinavian TV shows. But now I live in the western United States, so I would love to be able to speak fluent Spanish. I've been exposed to a lot of Spanish over the years, but it would be amazing to become instantly fluent.
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The idea of belonging and the complexity of families plays a fundamental role in The Secret to Belonging. Why were these important elements for you to include in this story, and what lessons do you hope readers will take away from reading it?

At its most basic, this is a story about coming to terms with not fitting into one's family of origin and then finding the agency to create a new, better life. And I don't have an agenda for any of my books, but if someone reads this one and is inspired to make a positive change in their life, especially if it involves traveling or expanding their horizons, that would be cool.
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Thank you so much for chatting with me today, and congratulations on the upcoming release of The Secret to Belonging! The last question I have for you is: your middle-grade series, Alone, also tackles strong emotions such as helplessness and isolation. What was your experience like writing for a young adult audience? Was there anything that surprised you?

I don't usually think too much about category as I'm writing. I try to be true to the story that wants to be told, and later I consult with my agent and editor to confirm where it belongs in the market. And if anything, writing YA is slightly easier because I don't have to take care of the reader in the same way. With middle grade, I'm always cognizant of young readers who might need certain topics handled with care. And thanks for mentioning the Alone series. I'm excited for the third book which comes out in February and is called Afar. It's another companion novel, like Away, and all three books can be read in any order, or each can stand alone. One of my middle grade beta readers summed up the series this way: "Alone is an adventure, Away is a mystery, and Afar is a thriller." I think that's pretty accurate, and I hope readers will love the new book when it comes out.

​Author Information

Image Source: Courtesy of Matt Crossley

Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week, and she has been a writer ever since. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan taught multiple subjects across the arts and humanities to students of all ages. She divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast.

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​I had so much fun chatting with Megan E. Freeman about The Secret to Belonging! Be sure to grab your copy in stores, available September 15th! If you could be an exchange student in any country in the world, where would you choose? Let me know in the comments below.