An Interview with Rose Molina
A Southern California native, I joined the Air Force right after high school to see the world. I saw Missouri. Returning to Orange County, I finished my B.A. and M.A. at California State University, Long Beach. Teaching high school social science became my career and my love. I retired in 2022 and now spend my time volunteering with the adult literacy program at the local library. Favorite pastimes include travel. skiing, and scuba diving. I have two lovely daughters and five amazing grandkids.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
When I was about eleven or twelve years old, I decided that I wanted to be a writer. Then I realized that I hated answering homework questions in complete sentences. But my love of reading never wavered. I was seldom without a book. I read Thomas Hardy, E.M. Forester, Emily and Charlotte Brontë, and countless others. I wanted to write like them, but the world had moved on. I also always loved houses and wanted to build my own. But living in Southern California, that also was not likely to happen. But I never stopped dreaming, so one day I put pen to paper and combined the two.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I retired from teaching high school social science three years ago. I was able to fund my college education with my GI Bill! I served four years in the Air Force as a missile systems analyst specialist for the Minuteman II weapon system. In high school, I worked at McDonald’s like most teenagers. I also worked at a shooting range. My job was to change the paper targets once they had been shot to pieces. Now I devote most of my time to volunteer work. I tutor for the adult literacy program, judge high school writing contests, and manage a local writers’ co-op.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
As most writers, I had several working titles before settling on A Very Fine House. The story takes place in 1972. During that time period, Crosby, Stills, and Nash had a hit song titled “Our House.” It was a wonderful love ballad that still ignites memories of my youth whenever I hear it. The refrain goes:
“Our house is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy ’cause of you.”
It finally hit me that the perfect title for my novel about a house becoming a refuge for girls coming of age had to be a A Very Fine House.
What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?
I pulled into my driveway one day and saw a package on my doorstep. I couldn’t remember ordering anything and assumed that it was left there by accident. Addressed to me, I opened it and saw my preview copy. After ten years of dreaming, writing, editing, and re-writing, it was finally in my hands.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
“Our House” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash! The songs of the seventies play an important part in A Very Fine House. Music is a language that speaks to many people, especially those coming of age. “Tapestry” by Carole King plays a significant part in the story, as do the Beatles, of course!
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
There are two groups of readers that would especially enjoy A Very Fine House. The first are the baby boomers who lived through the seventies. I hope the story brings back wonderful memories of times gone by. Hopefully, those forgotten friends will ignite a light that reminds them of the fun times, the great songs, and the thrill of knowing that life is just beginning.
The second group is the blossoming girls who must learn to live in two different cultures while finding their way in life. Adolescent and teenage angst are real. And when these young people have a set of rules to live by at home and a completely different set in the world outside their doors, life can become overwhelming. The emotional hurdles can be overcome to discover a path to great things. You just need to know that birds may fly in flocks, but they make their own nests.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
Reviews! I am proud to have brought enjoyment to so many readers. I love hearing how people relate to the situations in the story. So many readers experienced the same school antics and had the same questions about the world as it existed in 1972. Those who lived during that period of time appreciate those trips “down memory lane.” The younger readers acknowledge that navigating those teenage years has changed little in fifty years. All have enjoyed the humor in overcoming the struggles of the characters.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I am currently writing a story about a woman who is near the end of life. Her family hires a caregiver who discovers that tending to the physical needs of the elderly woman means caring for the emotional needs of her adult children as well.
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