Vikki VanSickle's "The Mystic and the Missing Girl"

Vikki VanSickle has worked as a bookseller, a menstrual health educator, a creative writing instructor and publishing professional with Penguin Random House Canada. Currently, she lives and writes in Toronto and hosts a book segment on CTV Your Morning.

Here VanSickle dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Mystic and the Missing Girl:

The Mystic and the Missing Girl takes place in a small, lakeside town that seems charming on the surface, but is hiding some murky secrets—including the truth about seventeen-year-old Ginny Evans, who went missing in 1998. This is an ensemble piece that plays with small town stereotypes, dabbles in the supernatural, and offers numerous opportunities for character actors to shine. Think a cozy mystery in the hands of a screenwriter like Diablo Cody. Here are some of the main players:

Our hero is Drew Benson— a reluctant psychic and tarot reader turned sleuth. A former teenage Goth, Drew is a little messy with a quick wit and a vulnerable side. She is unsure of her path or where she belongs. I would cast a quirky, fast-talking brunette like Cristina Miliotti or Kat Dennings in the role.

Nick Campbell is Drew’s high school nemesis—top of the class, valedictorian, he is what Drew calls a ‘type A Virgo.’ These days he’s had quite the glow-up, transitioning from nerd to sexy nerd thanks to a careful diet and cross fit. Described as a dead ringer for Clark Kent (but blond!) I think Wentworth Miller could pull off slightly prim, beefy nerd very well.

Gloria “Gigi” Gong is not just a sidekick. She is a sarcastic, whip-smart Scorpio who runs the local pub and used to front an all-girl punk band called The Poor Clares. Drew describes her vibe as “hot, grumpy, Asian witch.” This is a role I could see Greta Lee absolutely killing.

Foster Banks is Drew’s “most handsome and least favorite mistake.” Tall, lanky, and dark-haired, he has the sleazy appeal of a bass player in a Brit pop band, even when all cleaned up for his job as a lawyer. He is the kind of man who smirks instead of smiles and can make any comment seem suggestive. This is a role the charismatic Francois Arnaud was born to play.

Amanda MacKinnon is the haunted best friend of the missing Ginny Evans. She hides away, working in a crusty old hair salon, unable to leave town because of her heavy memories of Ginny. Despite her work as a hair stylist, her own look is a little off the mark, stuck in the early 2000s with chipped burgundy nails and matching dye job. This is a perfect role for a millennial icon like Julia Stiles or Clea Duvall.

Charlene Wilson is a twice divorced career waitress who has seen it all and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She has the raspy voice of a lifelong smoker and despite a wary, world-weary demeanor, knows how to land a joke. I would love to see formidable character actress Dale Dickey in this role.

Visit Vikki VanSickle's website.

Writers Read: Vikki VanSickle.

--Marshal Zeringue

Linda Kass's "World News from Waverley High"

Linda Kass began her career as a magazine journalist and correspondent for regional and national publications. Along with her forthcoming novel, World News from Waverley High (September 2026), she is the author of three previous works of historical fiction: Tasa’s Song (2016), A Ritchie Boy (2020), and Bessie (2023). A longtime civic leader, she is the founder and owner of Gramercy Books, an independent bookstore in Central Ohio. Kass lives in Columbus with her husband, Frank; they have four children, six grandchildren, and a labradoodle named Wally.

The set-up for World News from Waverley High:

1969. Lena Rosen is an intelligent, observant teenager torn between spontaneity and self-consciousness. During her junior year, she becomes attuned to the pulse of her times in her first-period Current History class, where rebellion, social change, and musical innovation of the 1960s dominate discussion. When Lena becomes the associate editor of the school newspaper The Beacon, she is drawn into the swirling discourse surrounding the Vietnam War, civil rights, environmental disasters, and campus protests—while also grappling with her growing attraction to Jack Stone, the paper’s editor.

Here Kass dreamcasts an adaptation:

Here are some age-appropriate-looking, older-teen-playing actors and actresses who are commonly cast as 16- or 17-year-olds, including performers who may be a bit older but still pass convincingly:

For Rita Fields: Maddie Ziegler — good for the popular girl, social media girl, or slightly aloof “everyone knows her” type; often cast in teen roles and can read as 16–17.

For Caroline Brown: Chloe Coleman — works well as the smart, cool, socially aware popular girl; has a strong “older teen” look on screen.

For Lena Rosen: Sunny Sandler — can fit the bubbly popular girl or well-liked campus-cool character; can read as a 16–17-year-old with the right styling.

For Abby Hackman: Mia Talerico — better for sweet, recognizable, younger-looking popular teen roles; still reads very young but can fit younger teen roles; or Julia Butters — youthful but can plausibly play slightly older teens.

For Rich Kohn: Mason Thames — very strong for the popular boy, athlete, or romantic lead type; very strong fit for 16–17 roles.

For Jack Stone: Jacob Tremblay — can work as the sensitive popular guy or the unexpectedly central friend; often casts well into teen parts despite a youthful look, could be popular boy/heartthrob.

For Kerry Ross: Walker Scobell — can play younger or older teen depending on styling.

For Mike Jones: Caleb McLaughlin, Jaden Smith, or Michael Rainey.

For Derek Wright, Stephen Long: Marcus Scirbner or Miles Brown.

Directors who fit 1969 high school:

Richard Linklater – He’s masterful with period detail and ensemble young casts, and he has already done late‑60s/70s milieu in films like Dazed and Confused and Everybody Wants Some!!, both praised for their lived‑in authenticity rather than nostalgia gloss. He’d be ideal if you want the feel of students’ everyday lives, hanging out in corridors and parking lots, with history simmering in the background rather than front and center.

Kelly Fremon Craig – Her films, The Edge of Seventeen and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, show a keen ear for adolescent dialogue and inner life, plus an ability to adapt period material (the latter is set in the 1970s) without making it feel like a dress‑up exercise. She’d be a strong choice if you want a deeply character‑driven, intimate story about one or two students navigating 1969’s social shifts.

Greta Gerwig – With Lady Bird and Little Women, she’s shown she can blend coming‑of‑age, social context, and a precise sense of time and place, and she’s very attuned to young women’s interiority. If your story centers on a girl or a group of girls in 1969, especially with an undercurrent of feminist awakening, her sensibility could suit it beautifully.

Jeff Nichols – He often works in specific American historical moments with a quiet, observant tone, and his work with teens in Mud shows he can capture young characters against a larger cultural backdrop. He’d tilt the project toward an understated, mood‑driven Southern/Midwestern Americana feel.

A practical example: if your novel’s tonal center is something like The Learning Tree or Kes—grounded, observant portraits of young people with social tensions in the background—a Linklater or Nichols type makes sense. If you’re closer to a Judy Blume–meets‑political‑awakening story in a Midwest or Northeastern high school, someone in the Gerwig/Fremon Craig vein is closer to the bull’s‑eye.

Visit Linda Kass's website.

Writers Read: Linda Kass (June 2026).

Writers Read: Linda Kass (July 2026).

Writers Read: Linda Kass (August 2026).

--Marshal Zeringue

Sara Cooper's "Ravenous"

Sara Cooper is a novelist and an award-winning playwright-lyricist. She lives in New York with her husband John and their son Theo. Major awards include Richard Rodgers Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters (2022); ASCAP Foundation Lucille and Jack Yellen Award (2021); Grand Jury Prize, Barnstorm Media (2020); Jonathan Larson Grant, American Theatre Wing (2014).

Ravenous, her debut novel, was a Finalist for the 2025 Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards.

Here Cooper dreamcasts the lead for an adaptation of Ravenous:

Okay, so, as a playwright, I love dreamcasting. I hadn't actually thought about who would play Breigh in a movie, but I got super excited when I saw this prompt.

Quick summary of the book: Ravenous is about a pregnant influencer who specializes in unboxing and takes things way, way too far. It's very stream-of-consciousness and is kind of a super intense feminist horror anticapitalist fever dream.

First of all, if I was casting for a theatre piece (which I feel I must include here, because, like I said, I'm also a playwright!), I'd cast Sherz Aletaha. She's a brilliant actress and plays comedy and tragedy with insane nuance. She's also incredibly smart, and I think she would do amazing things in this role because she would really dig into the big philosophical and sociopolitical questions asked by the book. I've been very fortunate to have worked with Sherz on a few projects and she is an absolute genius. I think she'd be the perfect Breigh Marie because she'd be hilarious but she'd also play her with compassion, which is important to me.

I also would cast Sherz in the movie, but, since she mostly does theatre, I'm going to dreamcast a film-specific actor, too. Stephanie Beatriz would be amazing as Breigh. She is so incredibly funny and also brilliant at playing intense and smart, and she's got such great charisma and on-screen presence that you love her even when a character acts badly (which Breigh definitely does).

Visit Sara Cooper's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

E. J. Copperman's "Where There’s Smoke…"

E.J. Copperman is the nom de plume for Jeff Cohen, writer of intentionally funny murder mysteries. As E.J., he is the author of the Haunted Guest house series, the Agent to the Paws series and the Jersey Girl Legal mysteries, as well as the Fran and Ken Stein mysteries. As Jeff, he is the author of the Double Feature and Aaron Tucker series; and he collaborates with himself on the Samuel Hoenig Asperger's mysteries.

Here Copperman shares some notes for the casting agent on an adaptation of his new novel, Where There’s Smoke…:

The fact is, I don’t know what my characters look like.

That’s been true in every novel I’ve written (and there have been a bunch). I don’t picture the character beyond a very general type unless their appearance will be important to the story, and it almost never is.

So trying to (mentally) cast a movie of Where There’s Smoke… the second Haunted Paint Store mystery, I have to go with attitude rather than resemblance. I believe the reader will form a mental picture of the character and no matter what they imagine, they’ll be right. So no physical descriptions for me.

Laura Meehan, is a woman knocking on the door of middle age, but not walking over the threshold yet. She make self-deprecating comments about the way she looks, but I don’t think those are to be taken seriously. Certainly her husband Roy doesn’t think she’s lacking in any department. She’s not a girl-next-door type, but probably a girl-two-doors down woman.

Her deceased father, Amos Meehan, is an ex-police detective and ex-owner of the paint store Laura now owns and operates. He has a wry outlook, likes to prod people just a bit, and thinks all of his opinions are indisputable facts. He’s going to be in his late sixties or early seventies forever, and luckily he can’t see himself in a mirror. When I’m writing Roy I’m probably thinking about my own dad, but more assertive. And I don’t think he looks like my father at all: Amos isn’t nearly Jewish enough for my dad.

Roy isn’t the most handsome man in New Jersey, but he’s no slouch, and that’s all I know about what he looks like. He’s a computer whiz but not the stereotypical geek/immature adolescent you might be used to. He’s very good at his job and he can be an enormous help to Laura when she’s investigating a crime. As all paint store owners do. He has a sense of humor that isn’t New Jersey-bred but he still communicates perfectly with his Jersey girl wife. But he worries more about her poking into things outside her own realm than Laura does.

If you’re a producer and want to turn Where There’s Smoke… into a movie, television series or YouTube sensation, feel free to cast whomever you like. Just email and I’ll give you my agent’s contact information.

Visit E. J. Copperman's website and Facebook page.

My Book, The Movie: The Thrill of the Haunt.

Writers Read: E. J. Copperman (November 2013).

The Page 69 Test: The Thrill of the Haunt.

My Book, The Movie: Ukulele of Death.

The Page 69 Test: Ukulele of Death.

Q&A with E. J. Copperman.

The Page 69 Test: Same Difference.

Writers Read: E. J. Copperman (February 2025).

The Page 69 Test: Where There's Smoke....

--Marshal Zeringue

Barbara O’Neal's "A Thousand Painted Hours"

Barbara O’Neal is the author of more than a dozen award-winning, bestselling novels, including the runaway bestseller, When We Believed in Mermaids, which has been published in 21 countries and spent many months on both the most sold and most read Amazon Charts, as well as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Washington Post bestseller lists. O’Neal is an avid traveler and passionate cook, and discovered the Oregon coast on a pandemic-era trip with her husband. She now lives on that rocky, moody coast in a quirky beach house and writes her books from a room overlooking the sea. She lives with her British husband, who has promised to never lose his accent, and their cats and dogs.

Here O’Neal dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, A Thousand Painted Hours:

I would so dearly love to see this as a movie! It would be the kind of movie I'd watch ten times. It is a love story at its most elemental level, an epic story told over several decades about Elsie Turner, the daughter of an British civil servant in Nainital, India, and Elsie's friend Tanveer Singh, the son of a local Maharajah. It begins with the Blitz in London, a subject I never quite get enough of, and flashes back to the friendship, then love story of the two over time, and follows the pair as they fight for their ideals, not always in harmony, and for the lives they each wish to have. Tanveer is devoted to Indian Independence, while Elsie is trying to find her voice as an artist, and as they come together and are torn apart many times, they each have to grapple with the times and their class, and the very real, sustained connection they've found with each other.

Honestly, there are any number of actors who would play Tanveer beautifully. I love Riz Ahmed's soulful face. I also love Himesh Patel, and the wildly talented Dev Patel. Lately, I have been smitten by the Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh and he's done so much for the visibility of Sikhs that he'd be utterly perfect.

For Elsie, I imagined Rachel Weisz--she has the intelligence I'd like to see for this character.

As for directors, my dream person would be Mira Nair, but I would also be delighted with Sofia Coppola. I mean, why not dream big?

Visit Barbara O'Neal's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Laura Jensen Walker's "The Postmistress of Puddlington"

Bestselling, award-winning author Laura Jensen Walker is the Agatha and Lefty-nominated author of more than 20 books including Murder Most Sweet, Hope, Faith & a Corpse, and Death of a Flying Nightingale.

A rabid Anglophile since being stationed at an RAF base with the USAF in her twenties, Walker lives in Northern California with her Renaissance-man husband and two rescue terriers, where she drinks tea and dreams of England.

Her new novel is The Postmistress of Puddlington.

Here Walker dreamcasts an adaptation of the new novel:

I’m a big movie buff, so when I began writing The Postmistress of Puddlington during lockdown, I cast the film in my head.

Middle-aged spinster postmistress Hester Smith who loves Dickens and Jane Eyre is a toss-up between Olivia Colman and Kate Winslet—without makeup. Both are excellent actresses and Kate has proven she can do plain as shown in Mare of Easttown. (Plus, her hair color is the same as Hester’s.) But. . . there’s something about Olivia Colman that gives her a slight edge.

For Minerva Winterbottom, the bohemian, aging lady of the manor who likes to jitterbug, I envisioned two of my favorite actresses, and found it impossible to choose between them. Sadly, since then Dame Judi Dench has gone blind and at ninety, has aged out of the sixty-something role of Minerva. Therefore, (drumroll) the only woman to play Lady Winterbottom is Dame Emma Thompson. Emma epitomizes bohemian and is a phenomenal actress. (That scene in Love, Actually where she realizes her husband—played by Alan Rickman—cheated on her, is a masterclass in acting.) Also, the divine Emma is absolutely hilarious and wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay for Sense and Sensibility.) Enough said.

Then there’s Mary Robins, vicar’s wife and president of the local W.I. (Women’s Institute.) Initially, I thought of Rachel Weisz or perhaps Emily Blunt. Lately though I’ve been leaning toward Anna Madeley who does such a lovely job playing Mrs. Hall, the housekeeper, in All Creatures Great and Small.

For Mary’s pretty daughter Violet, I kept seeing Anne Hathaway in my head as I wrote. In my opinion, Anne is one of the most beautiful, talented actresses in Hollywood. And she’s proven she can do an English accent. Unfortunately, she’s now in her forties, while Violet is eighteen at the start of the war and twenty-four when Puddlington ends in 1945. I racked my brain trying to think of beautiful, dark-haired young actresses and came up with Selena Gomez—though I don’t know if she can do a British accent. If not, then Rachel Shenton who plays James Herriott’s wife Helen in All Creatures Great and Small, would be perfect.

Nora Clarke, the final character in my quintet of English women was the easiest to cast. Violet’s best friend Nora moved to the U.S. at thirteen when her American dad had to return home to care for his parents. She returns to England at nineteen to do her bit by enlisting in the Royal Navy as a “Wren” in 1939. Emma Watson (Hermione from the Harry Potter movies) was hands down Nora from the get-go.

Lastly, Amos Brown, the hulking, middle-aged gardener who quotes Wordsworth is Ciarán Hinds all the way. I’ve loved the Irish Ciarán since he played Captain Wentworth in Persuasion. I also adored him in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Belfast (for which he should have won the Oscar, in my opinion.) Runner ups: Colin Firth and Clive Owen, both now in their sixties, which is hard to believe. Colin Firth will always be Mr. Darcy to me.

Visit Laura Jensen Walker's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Alphabet Sleuths.

Q&A with Laura Jensen Walker.

The Page 69 Test: The Alphabet Sleuths.

Writers Read: Laura Jensen Walker (February 2026).

--Marshal Zeringue

Katie Tallo's "Where Her Secrets Lie"

Katie Tallo has more than three decades of experience as an award-winning screenwriter and director. After winning an international novel contest, she began writing mystery thrillers. In 2020, her debut thriller, Dark August, was an instant bestseller, earning acclaim as a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and an Apple Book of the Month. It also made the Globe 100 list. Since then, Tallo has written two more novels in the critically acclaimed Gus Monet trilogy including Poison Lilies and Buried Road. Her first standalone crime thriller, Where Her Secrets Lie, comes out August 2026 and her next thriller, The Last Villa, comes out in June 2027. Tallo lives with her husband in Ottawa where she is currently cooking up her next novel.

Here the author dreamcasts the lead for an adaptation of Where Her Secrets Lie:

If they make my book, Where Her Secrets Lie, into a film, I’d love to see Helen Mirren play the fiesty, wild-haired, beer-drinking protagonist, Lenny Bird. Helen is ten years older than Lenny but she’s got the vibe, the look, the sexy energy and the agency to pull off this edgy grandmother who takes on a ruthless crime boss. Her work in Mobland — hell, all her work — proves she’s got the gritty chops to be the perfect Lenny Bird.

While writing the novel and developing the lead character, I was very much inspired by a photo of Helen taken when she turned 70. It’s a sexy, fierce image of a beautiful older woman in her prime. Every time I looked at the photo, I got a little closer to understanding Lenny. It would be hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

Visit Katie Tallo's website.

The Page 69 Test: Dark August.

Q&A with Katie Tallo.

Writers Read: Katie Tallo (June 2022).

The Page 69 Test: Buried Road.

Writers Read: Katie Tallo (December 2024).

--Marshal Zeringue

Rachel Peterson's "Killing Sadie"

Rachel Peterson graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in English and Creative Writing. After starting her career as a copywriter, she made the shift to the technology space and spent nearly a decade in New York City leading marketing teams for international tech companies before stepping away from the corporate world and focusing full-time on her career as an author. Peterson now splits her time between NYC and the Midwest, where she lives with her husband Ken, their dog Olive, and horse Hope.

Here Peterson dreamcasts an adaptation of her new YA thriller, Killing Sadie:

As a Midwestern kid who spent her early days dreaming of becoming an actor or author, my mind is constantly buzzing with who would play my characters!

We have quite a few characters to cover for Killing Sadie, so let’s focus on our twins, Sadie and Jayne Cooper. Sadie is our Midwestern golden girl with the personality to match, while Jayne is far edgier. But like most twins, they share an unspoken bond and are two sides of the same coin.

My mind jumps instantly to Isabel Gravitt (Tori Cooper in Your Friends and Neighbors), or Sadie Sink to play our twins! These two actresses have range for days, and can flip from polite to sinister in a second. And who are we kidding, every character in Killing Sadie needs to have this attribute! For their parents, Jon Hamm and Reese Witherspoon is a combination the world simply needs more of, full stop.

Putting my producer hat on, the mood for Killing Sadie leans camp and nostalgia, so if we can convince Sabrina Carpenter to return to acting, she might be my top spot for Liz! Or maybe India Lillie Davies from the AGGGTM universe, who played Andie Bell, a perfect comp for our party girl with hidden secrets.

Oh, and Jessica Beal or Simone Ashley as Detective Sloane, anyone? I could just die.

Visit Rachel Peterson's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

D. E. Carr's "When Squirrels Fly"

D. E. Carr has a career that spans the fields of neuropsychology, community health, and recreation management. She has a distance runner’s appreciation for the outdoors and thoroughly enjoys the humor and the brilliance of the residents of her adopted hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, When Squirrels Fly:

When Mel Caldwell makes an animated, middle of the night phone call to her niece, Allie, but hangs up before explaining herself, Allie initially shrugs it off. Her aunt has always been a little eccentric. But when Aunt Mel disappears from her home less than 24 hours later, Allie drops everything and travels to Michigan to search for her. Shortly after her arrival in Ann Arbor, Allie meets her aunt’s enigmatic next-door neighbor, George Bennet. She reluctantly accepts help from George unaware he hides a dangerous secret that will complicate the search. The duo becomes a trio when Allie’s affable, but annoyingly irreverent younger brother, Nick, arrives to help. To find Aunt Mel, they’ll need to work together to determine how a neighborhood trellis, virtual reality goggles, migraine research, and an itinerant chihuahua, are all connected to the case.

When Squirrels Fly blends the popular genres of Cozy Mystery and light Science Fiction, both of which transition well to the screen. Although Ann Arbor, Michigan is a bit bigger than the typical small town cozy mystery setting, the action is mostly contained in a two-mile radius encompassing the historic Old West Side. The movie could be filmed on location in Ann Arbor where the somewhat quirky ambience allows the characters an easy backdrop for comic relief. There will be no shortage of extras with a wonderfully diverse population to choose from.

To imagine this cozy mystery-sci fi movie, think Hallmark Mysteries blended with a toned-down version of Everything, Everywhere, All At Once - Mystery 101 meets Something, Somewhere, Once in a While. This will be the vibe of When Squirrels Fly, the movie. I can already picture some entertaining special effects.

True to the cozy mystery genre, Allie Caldwell is an amateur sleuth; also, an accomplished associate professor of neuroscience from Colorado. I see her being played by Jennifer Lawrence whose characters are typically strong, clever, intuitive, witty and a tiny bit clumsy. She also has great chemistry with Bradley Cooper who I see as George Bennet. George is a sympathetic neighbor, but he’s complicated. The banter will flow easily between these two actors, just as it does in the book.

Allie has a playful, chaotic relationship with her younger brother Nick, whose world view is at opposite ends of the spectrum from hers. I think Chris Pratt – the one seen in television’s Parks & Recreation and not the raptor-whispering hero in Jurassic World – has the demeanor, comedic timing, and charisma to be a good Nick.

Mrs. Oakley, the spirited 85-year-old ballet instructor who doesn’t look a day over 65, lives across the street from Mel and knows a lot more than she lets on. I see her being played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Finally, the floppy-eared, 8-pound, roving Chihuahua, Chidi, can only be played by my dog Cheech. He’ll need to lose a few pounds to fit the role, but he’ll think he owns the set by week two.

In order to maintain production deadlines, the film will need a director that can handle Chihuahua obstinacy. Wes Anderson is my ideal choice.

Visit D. E. Carr's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Elizabeth H. Winthrop's "Conviction"

Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop was born and raised in New York City. She earned her B.A. from Harvard University and her M.F.A. in fiction from the UC Irvine, where she was the recipient of the Schaeffer Writing Fellowship. She is the author of the novels Fireworks, December, The Why of Things, and The Mercy Seat. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and daughter and is Associate Professor of English/Creative Writing at Endicott College.

Here Winthrop dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Conviction:

I honestly didn’t have any cinematic notions in mind when I wrote Conviction, but in answering the question of who I’d want to star in a movie adaptation was fun, and when I stumbled across the “right” actor for each role, I knew it immediately.

Saoirse Ronan could play Maggie; she has that quality of fierce interiority, and she's believable as someone whose idealism could harden into something dangerous without ever losing your sympathy.

Ramy Youssef could play Ahmet. He has enormous charm, quiet intelligence, and a genuine spiritual seriousness.

As for Ann, I think Laura Linney. She has that quality of holding enormous pain very tidily, and then it breaks through in unexpected moments. She's also believable as someone who gardens, who bakes a cake for no occasion, who sleeps on a futon since her husband died. Grounded and devastating.

Edward Norton could play Josh. There's something in him that suggests a person who acts from quiet conviction rather than performance, and he can play genuine goodness without it being boring. He has interior complexity, which matters for a character the audience only gets in memory and absence. And he's believable as a carpenter, a father, someone who spends ten hours in a barn.

Hiam Abbass would be perfect as Nour, who is novel’s moral center-- aged, physically worn but inwardly fierce. Hiam Abbass has exactly that quality of power held very quietly.

Finally, Ali Suliman could play Sirvan. He actually looks how I imagined Sirvan to look—and Sirvan is the only character I imagined. And as an actor Suliman is perfect; he has gravitas and a profound sadness he can access without effort.

Visit Elizabeth H. Winthrop's website.

--Marshal Zeringue