Author Interview: Hannah Reynolds

COver of SUmmer of Lost Letters with The SYdney Taylor seal

I am so thrilled that BookishlyJewish has been chosen to participate in the Sydney Taylor Book Awards blog tour this year. The Sydney Taylor Awards are presented each year to outstanding works of literature written for children and teens. I got to catch up with Hannah Reynolds, author of Summer of Lost Letters , which was named a 2022 Sydney Taylor YA Honor book.

Read the interview below! To learn more about the Sydney Taylor Books awards you can visit their website or check out the Association of Jewish Libraries website and blog.

BookishlyJewish: Can you describe the process of writing Summer of Lost Letters? Was there any particular inspiration?


Hannah: I set out to write a fun, banter-filled romcom, because that’s what I like to read. I especially enjoy fish-out-of-water stories, so I wanted to drop my heroine — Abby — on an exclusive New England island for the summer, where she’d be slightly overwhelmed but determined to find her footing. I also love a little Nancy Drew-esque sleuthing, and opposites-attract romances, so I knew I wanted to write a story with both of those. 


But the backbone of the book, the bond between mothers and daughters, was inspired by my own relationships. Specifically the one between my grandmother, my mother, and me — a Holocaust survivor, a child of survivors, and a grandchild. There’s a lot of complexity around the communication (or lack-thereof) between generations: the silences kept, the worries, the generational trauma. There’s also a lot of joy and closeness. So in between all the flirty banter and kissing and skinny-dipping in THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS, I wanted to write a story grounded in something deep and strong, something that rang true to my own experiences — the unconditional love between mothers and daughters.


BookishlyJewish: Who is the ideal audience for your book and what do you hope readers take away from it?


Hannah: Most of all, I want teenagers to connect with my books, with the feeling of figuring out your place in the world, whether that’s your family’s past or your own future. But I like to think, since THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS is so inter-generational, that anyone can really enjoy it. I want all readers to come away happy – my goal in writing is to make readers laugh and smile and to feel sheer delight. Romance stories are so powerful and so optimistic and uplifting, and I think we need more of that in the world.


BookishlyJewish: What does being a Sydney Taylor honor book mean for you and Summer of Lost Letters?


Hannah: I was really honored and blown away to get this award — it really means the world to me. Abby’s family history and her relationship with Judaism is so similar to mine, and this felt like a really validating acknowledgement of my experience. There’s so many different ways to be Jewish, and I hope that this Sydney Taylor Honor Award means more readers will find their way to THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS, and see themselves in it.


BookishlyJewish: when did you know you wanted to be a writer? To write Jewish books?


Hannah: I’ve always wanted to be a writer — I remember drawing “illustrations” in kindergarten and telling my mom the words I wanted to accompany each page (the stories were usually about magic puppies and princesses). The Jewish aspect of my books is just as long-standing — it never occurred to me not to write Jewish characters! I love exploring themes of identity and belonging, and for me, a lot of that is tied to being Jewish. Also, there’s so many cool, hidden pockets of Jewish history — I hope I get the chance to explore plenty more of them.


BookishlyJewish: I like to end all my interviews by asking the author if they have a favorite Jewish book or author. Do you?


Hannah: There’s so many great Jewish books getting published these days! A few I’ve read recently and really enjoyed are The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, and Milkfed by Melissa Broder.

Hannah Reynolds is the author of The Summer of Lost Letters, out now, and Eight Nights of Flirting, out October 25, 2022. She grew up outside of Boston, where she spent most of her childhood and teenage years recommending books to friends, working at a bookstore, and making chocolate desserts. Hannah received her BA in Creative Writing and Archaeology from Ithaca College, which meant she never needed to stop telling romantic stories or playing in the dirt. After living in San Francisco, New York, and Paris, she came back to Massachusetts and now lives in Cambridge.