Don’t Let Me Keep You is an ambitious, lyrically written novel that traces the joys, griefs, and quiet power of motherhood through one woman’s life as each of her seven children grows into their own destiny. Author Kathie Giorgio talks to Book Glow about the novel.
Describe the book in one sentence.
In Don’t Let Me Keep You, the struggles and joys, fatigue and exhilaration of motherhood, are captured in the full panorama of family life.
What led you to write it?
I’m very into being a feminist and writing about women’s issues. To me, equal rights means equality for all people, all women, no matter what they choose to do in their lives. I’ve known several women now who were particularly strong in math and science, and who felt pressured to perform well in those areas, and to take on careers, in order to equalize the male influence. But some of those women wanted other things…and they felt unable to reach for them. So I wanted to write about that, and also write about what it’s like to let adult children go, and how, no matter how hard we try to be neutral, we will always have an influence on our children.
Which authors or books most influenced your voice and why?
I don’t know that I have a specific “voice” in my work. I think I write with a different voice for different projects. But the writers who have most influenced me are John Irving and Ellen Gilchrist. John Irving because he taught me how to write about unique characters that, somehow, everyone still finds familiar. Ellen Gilchrist because she was so brave and fought against every boundary put on women writers.
How do you organize your writing day—do you have rituals or routines?
I own and run my own business, a creative writing studio, and I work usually no less than 85 hours a week. So my day is pretty regimented. I meet with clients in the morning, write in the afternoon, and meet with clients and teach classes in the evening. I read manuscripts for the next day late into the night. When I’m writing a novel, I assign that novel a song, which I play every day as I sit down to write. This puts me immediately back into the world of the novel, leaving behind all the things I have to do in my everyday life. For Don’t Let Me Keep You, the song was “When I’m With You” by Sheriff.
What does your research process look like (for historical settings, technical details, etc.)?
Like most writers these days, I reach for the internet. But I often will also talk with people who I know have similar issues to my characters. For some books, I’ve been allowed in to various support groups, so that I can speak to many people at one time. I feel like it’s important to really speak to those who have experienced what I want to write about.
Which character in your book was the most fun (or challenging) to write, and what made them so?
Hildy, of course. Having to dig into her back story, to find the exact moment when she became entranced with her body’s ability to create a new human, was difficult and amazing. I actually didn’t write that chapter until I’d written the rest of the book, because I felt I really needed to get to know her to understand where this desire came from.
What themes or questions are you most interested in exploring through your work?
Specifically in Don’t Let Me Keep You, it was all about the balance of wanting to be a mom and wanting to be fully yourself. How do you essentially give yourself to a child without losing yourself along the way? But in all of my work, I don’t think I could answer your question. The questions change with everything I take on.
Is there any one thing that especially frustrates you about the writing process?
No. I love the whole process. The only thing I love as much as going through the process of writing is teaching it.
What’s the toughest hurdle you’ve faced during your writing career, and how did you overcome it?
Learning to juggle the desire to write and the desire to publish. Add in there a third ball, defining success, just makes the whole thing so hard. As I began to publish, I had to keep reminding myself that the writing is the cake, the publishing is only the icing. Having to deal with the business side of a writing career is hard, but necessary. I’ve had to learn to wear very different hats and use very different parts of my brain.
Any advice for novice writers?
Don’t. Give. Up.
What do you hope readers take away from your book?
I would like readers to realize that a part of equality, if not all of it, is allowing women to choose what they want to do with their lives. There is no limit. There is no choice that is wrong.
What’s next?
I just had a poetry collection, Let Me Tell You, Let Me Sing!, released in September. In early 2026, another poetry collection will be released, called The Birth Of A Widow. My next novel, Unique In All The World, is currently sitting on my publisher’s desk, and I’m hoping for a release date soon.
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