Brandy Lien Worrall-Soriano

One of the critiques that I got about the book–one that I’d been expecting–was how I portray my mother’s voice. Her broken, heavily accented English. Would people think I’m mocking her, making fun of her? Then I thought about how I also portray my father’s voice–his slow, grammatically incorrect yet vernacularly appropriate twang. Let’s make this quite clear: these are the voices I’ve heard growing up and still hear in my head. They ARE my parents’ voices. And they are colourful, wonderful, unique–they are their own. And to portray them otherwise would be to erase those voices and all the quirks and highs and lows that come with them.

Several people suggested that it would be so wonderful and fun to do an audiobook version of What Doesn’t Kill Us. When I thought of the possibility, I became filled with glee.

When my father passed away almost nine months ago, I would call my parents’ house in the hopes of no one being home, so that I could hear my father’s voice on the answering machine. That simple message, “You reached the Worralls at 436-xxxx…,” wrapped around me like a thick blanket, warm and fresh from the dryer. I guess this is what I’m saying: when you’re writing stories about people you love, pay very close attention to the voices in your head, and in your heart.