BOOK
REVIEW
Bells For Eli is a triumphant debut brimming
with captivating characters and Southern
charm. Author Susan Beckham Zurenda
writes powerful and clear prose that pulls the
reader inside small-town South Carolina more than
50 years ago, and tells the story of Adeline Green
and her coming of age experiences with friendship,
love and the powerful bond she has with her
cousin, Eli. Zurenda’s ability to create a truly
authentic and vivid backdrop to such a heart-felt
story is something readers will enjoy on every
page.
Author Susan Beckham Zurenda explains what
she learned about her writing voice through
the process of completing this debut novel, “the
genesis for Bells for Eli was a short story that won
the South Carolina Fiction Prize many years ago.
In that story, I chose a third person limited female
narrator, but in the novel, I wanted a more intimate
voice to connect with the reader. What I learned
in creating Delia’s voice was not to force it. Almost
from the beginning it didn’t feel like I was creating
the voice so much as it felt like Delia speaking to
me. It was much like listening to a girlfriend or one
of my daughters talking, but instead of her talking
to me, it was through me. I wrote Delia’s dialogue
26 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE March/April 2020
the way I heard her speak inside my head.”
Choosing her favorite character was not an easy
choice.
“I liked creating all the characters,” she said. “I
missed them a great deal when I fi nished writing
the book. But now that I’m going on a book tour,
I’ll get to visit with them often. I particularly liked
watching Mary Lily come to life because I’ve never
known anyone quite like her. But I guess if I’m
pressed, I’ll say my main characters are my favorite.
It’s not a matter of liking one more than the other;
what I like best is who they are together.”
The writing process can be much different for
authors. Well-developed characters often take on a
life of their own, sometimes disrupting the writing
process for the author, often taking the story in a
surprising direction. Zurenda talked about what
she enjoyed most about the process and what
surprised her.
“While I was writing the novel, each chapter
was a milestone, and I enjoyed the gratifi cation
of fi nishing each one,” she explained. “From the
beginning, I knew what the content of the opening
chapter and the penultimate chapter would be. I
attempted to make an outline of the chapters in
between, believing I’d fi gure out how to write the
A Book Review
By Jonathan Herbert