Keene Public Library Hosts New Hampshire Author Laura Knoy

Award-winning journalist and author Laura Knoy, who lives in Concord, has very fond memories of Keene as a Keene High School graduate and member of the cheerleading squad, having been voted "Most Spirited." Knoy will return to Keene at the Keene Public Library on Jan. 17 with her debut novel, "The Shopkeeper of Alsace" (2025, Bedazzled Ink Publishing) which is "an uplifting tale of family, love, resilience and one unstoppable woman." Keene State College professor of English Dr. Brinda Charry will interview Knoy and lead the discussion at this event. According to publicity materials, Knoy was the founding host of New Hampshire Public Radio's "The Exchange," and worked at NPR as a national reporter, newscaster and host. Currently, she is an interviewer, moderator, narrator and host of two podcasts, including a book podcast she created called "ReadLocalNH." In a recent phone call with The Keene Sentinel, Knoy explains her many Keene connections and what surprised her most about publishing this debut novel. Here's an excerpt of the conversation: Victoria Chertok: Hi Laura! You have so many Keene connections. Let's start there. Laura Knoy: I was born in Lynn, Mass. and we moved to Keene in the late 1970s. I went to Keene High School and graduated in 1980 but have lived in Concord for 30 years now. We moved to Keene because my mother (Martha Bauman) got a job at Monadnock Family Services. Martha loved Keene and wrote for The Sentinel for many years with her "Wit and Wisdom" column. V.C.: And you worked in The Keene Sentinel's mail room one summer. How old were you? L.K.: I was in college, around 20. Guy MacMillan used to be the lead editor at the Sentinel, and whenever he and I would do events together, he would always say, "Laura got her journalism start at The Keene Sentinel." I worked in the room where the papers come off the press and there's a machine that opens them so that you can slide in the grocery store inserts. I was in charge of putting the inserts into the papers, keeping them in a neat pile, stacking them and then putting them on the conveyor belt to be tied up and sent out to the trucks. V.C.: How fun! L.K.: It was a great summer job. It was so noisy in there; I used to sing to myself loudly just to keep myself entertained. V.C.: That's great! Let's go back to your debut novel. Congratulations! L.K.: Thank you. It's nice to be in this space. It's been a long haul. V.C.: How did you decide to finally write the story, after all these years of knowing the family when you were a college student studying in France? L.K.: Your question is such a good one, like, what did it take to flip that switch? A couple times over my career I've had these aha moments. When people think of an aha moment, it seems like it just falls down from the sky, but I think it bubbles up from the ground. The novel tells the story of Sarah, who was Annette's mother. It's about a girl who grows up during World War I in Poland and then moves to France after the Great War and establishes the perfect French life for 20 years, and then it all comes crashing down leading up to World War II. V.C.: I see… L.K.: I'd known Annette for 35 years, and then I became close with her children, who were my age. I've always loved history, loved to write and love historical fiction. And so, in one sense, it was like an aha moment sitting there with Brigitte (Annette's daughter) in that restaurant in New York City, saying, "You know, I always wanted to write your mother's story." But on the other hand, it's a culmination. V.C.: Has anything surprised you since you released the book last November? L.K.: I'm surprised and delighted that people are really connecting with this book. I'm constantly getting emails and texts from people saying how much they love it. I talked to my first book group last weekend and it was so much fun to just sit around a table with all these people who know the characters and story intimately. I've been really overjoyed. V.C.: Let's shift gears. How has living in New Hampshire impacted your writing style or how you approached writing this novel? L.K.: I think you're really connected with landscape and outdoors and weather. I think you're more closely rooted in nature and where you live and how that shapes you and why it matters. I'm a big outdoors girl, so I'm very connected to place. The second thing is, I had a successful journalism career in D.C., so New Hampshire really gave me my amazing shot at being a talk show host. And those 25 years of interviewing people every single day gave me unbelievable research skills, interviewing skills and writing skills. I love it here and I can't thank the State enough. V.C.: Any closing thoughts? L.K.: I love the Keene Library. It's just such a beautiful space. I hope that people fall in love with "Alsace" the way that I have. I hope they fall in love with Sarah, because she's amazing, and almost everything in the book about her is true. IF YOU GO: WHAT: Laura Knoy's book talk on "The Shopkeeper of Alsace" WHERE: Keene Public Library, Heberton Hall, 60 Winter St., Keene WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. INFO: Call 603-352-0157 or visit www.keenepubliclibrary.org, www.lauraknoy.com/ TICKETS: This is a free event but registration is required. Register online at: keenenh.libcal.com/event/15956255.