On this episode of Complicated Conversations we are joined by Dr. LaToya Watkins. Her debut novel, PERISH, is a sprawling story about a Black Texan family that explores the effects of inherited trauma and intergenerational violence as the family comes together to say goodbye to their matriarch on her deathbed.We chat with LaToya about the pivotal opening scene of the novel and how it sets the tone for the rest of the story as well as the development of Helen Jean, the complicated matriarch; what lessons LaToya learned creating all of these strong, complex female characters; the strong sense of place and setting and how LaToya found that it is the women who carry on the stories of generations; how the antidote to intergenerational shame and silence is truth; and what healing looks like in all its complexity. We got very emotional on this one, but we learned so much: “truth is beautiful” and loving “people where they are” just might be the answer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.