India, Sept. 6 -- 1What was the genesis of this novel? Before Russia's full-scale invasion, there were indeed "romance tours" to Ukraine which brought in Western men sold on the promise that they would find a docile bride "untainted" by feminism / modernity. I wanted to write a novel about the men (the "bachelors") and women (the "brides") who took part in this industry - and not for reasons one might expect. 2Did you decide to write about the war after the invasion? How did the Russian invasion impact you? I live in Canada but have family in Ukraine. The family has experienced a lot of loss. All my relatives, except for my grandfather, have had to flee their homes. My grandfather lives under constant aerial attack in Kherson. I decided to write about the war several months after the full-scale invasion began. It was all I could think about, so I had to fold it into the narrative of my manuscript. 3 The novel reflects your deep research into eclipsazoology and malacology. How did the stories of snails' extinction fit into the context of the war? I had already written a draft of the novel when I came across an article in The Atlantic, The Last of Its Kind by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ed Yong. He wrote about snail endlings (the last surviving members of species) and the emotional toll of this work on the biologist who cared for them. The article stuck with me. In the case of combining romance tours with snail conservation, it just worked out. It made sense to me that one of the "brides" would actually be a snail biologist funding her research by dating well-off men. She's not interested in romance herself, but getting snails to breed is her life's work. 4Did you visit your grandfather in Ukraine or discuss the novel with him? My sister and I went on a research trip to Ukraine in 2023. My sister, Anna Pidgorna, is a composer. We travelled further east within the country, but didn't make it to Kherson. The situation was bad there, and continues to be. The Russians were also targeting, and continue to target, trains and train stations. It felt too dangerous. At the time, I didn't know I'd be writing about my grandfather, so I didn't tell him about any book plans. I still haven't told him. A huge part of the book is a fantasy of rescuing him. Multiple relatives have tried to convince him to leave. I've had to accept that it's his decision to stay in his apartment and that he is prioritising independence over safety. If I were his age, maybe I'd do the same....