International Writers Inspiring Change presents: Don't Let Me Keep You by Kathie Giorgio

Hildy Halverson, a genius in math and science, is pushed by her parents to step into a male-dominated field and change the world for women. But Hildy, enamored of the scientific force of the human body, and her own body's ability to create and sustain life, decides to go against contemporary expectations. She marries young and raises a houseful of kids.

Hildy wants her children to choose their own life paths. As each child is born, she tells them, "You can be whatever you want to be, and whatever you want to be will be great." Despite her efforts to not influence her children, Hildy does so, often in unexpected ways. Each child is introduced in that first private moment between Hildy and her new baby. This is followed by a chapter revealing that child's life, years later. Woven throughout is an underlying grief over the death of the sixth baby soon after birth. That grief is more pervasive than any of them expect.

In this ambitious novel, the struggles and joys, fatigue, and exhilaration of motherhood, are captured in the full panorama of family life. Hildy lovingly raises her children, then lets them go, finding herself along the way.

Reviews:

"Don’t Let Me Keep You is a lyrical meditation on motherhood, ambition, and societal expectations. Kathie Giorgio’s novel follows Hildy Halverson, a math and science genius pushed by her parents into a male-dominated field to “change the world for women.” The story weaves themes of identity, sacrifice, and resilience, blending emotional depth with sharp social commentary." - Reader

"Don't Let Me Keep You is an emotional symphony that readers will savor and remember long after the final page. It’s a testament to the enduring impact of a mother’s love, the quiet yet profound influence of family, and the bittersweet beauty of letting go." - M.C.

"Synopsis: Meet Hildy Halverson, a remarkable individual who defied societal norms to empower her children to forge their destinies. Instead of conforming to the expectations of a male-dominated field, Hildy embraced the beauty of life by marrying young and nurturing a loving family, a choice that had a significant impact on the surrounding society.

Despite her best efforts to remain neutral, Hildy's influence subtly shapes her children's paths, each encouraged to pursue their passions. As we delve into the intimate moments between Hildy and her newborns, we uncover a poignant tale of resilience and acceptance, tinged with the lingering sorrow of loss, a journey that will resonate with every reader.

Critique: Don't Let Me Keep You is a heartfelt journey that celebrates the legacy of a mother who believed that greatness lies in following one's heart.

Kathie Giorgio is a gifted author whose writing captivates readers with its profound depth and insight. Through her compelling narratives, Giorgio 's characters exude a powerful voice that resonates with the desire to spark societal change." - Midwest Book Review

Our review of Don't Let Me Keep You

Don't Let Me Keep You by Kathie Giorgio is a literary fiction that chronicles the life of Hildy Halverson, a mathematical genius and potential starlet whom everyone expected would enter the patriarchal society and make a big splash, and yet, on the cusp of making that career choice, Hildy finds another passion, inspired by the amazing ability of the female body to create life, and decides that her goal is to have children and to make a large family. The story follows the lives, more or less, skipping back and forth from the present and the past, as Hildy's family grows, following the progression of her children. It's a slow burn, but a story that really grows on you because in so many ways it touches the reality of what real family life is like; the ups and downs, the trials of motherhood, the triumphs and the tragedies. Moreover, and what I found particularly inspiring, was the way the author, without soapboxing the issue, shows just how much strength and persistence, love and care, and sheer guts it takes to be a mother; the commitment required to endure the pains of pregnancy, birth, raising children and in the end, watching as each of them flew from the nest to start their own stories. It is a reminder that women are truly the genus of humanity, that it is their strength and passion to create and nurture life which makes everything possible for the future of the race. A recommended read and a deserved 5 stars.

Review by International Writers Inspiring Change

About the author

KATHIE GIORGIO is the author of a total of fifteen traditionally published books: eight novels, two story collections, an essay collection, and four poetry collections. She’s been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in fiction and poetry and awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association, the Silver Pen Award for Literary Excellence, the Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence, and the Eric Hoffer Award In Fiction. Her poem “Light” won runner-up in the 2021 Rosebud Magazine Poetry Prize, and her work has also been incorporated into many visual art and musical events. Kathie is the director and founder of AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop LLC, an international creative writing studio. She lives with her husband, mystery writer Michael Giorgio, and their daughter Olivia, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Three of her adult children, Christopher, Andy, and Olivia, live close by, along with her solo granddaughter, Maya Mae. One adult child, Katie, has wandered off to Louisiana and lives among the mathematicians and alligators.

iWIC interview with Kathie Giorgio

What inspired you to write?

Originally, with my first words, I really don’t know what inspired me, other than the words themselves. I’m one of those annoying writers who started writing before they knew that what they’re doing is writing. I told stories before I could physically write. When I learned my letters, I began to trace the pictures out of my picture books and rewriting the stories the way I felt they should be written. Words played constantly in my head. Everything became a story. I kept collections of small bouncy balls, called Superballs, and rocks, and broken golf tees that I collected from a neighboring golf course, gave them all names and personalities, and wrote stories about them, in my head and on paper.

I guess you could say that what inspired me was the magic of words, how they could be arranged and rearranged to tell story after story after story. Story inspired me. I could, in a sense, make life become real, just by writing words on a page.

Who or what most inspired you in life?

There was never a time that I didn’t want to be a writer. When I was a junior in high school and began to apply for college, my parents told me I couldn’t be an English major with a creative writing emphasis, which is what a creative writing major was called at the time. They said I had to keep it a hobby, and I had to go to college to learn something that would pay the bills.

In desperation, I wrote to the man who was my favorite writer at the time – Ray Bradbury. I loved his novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and I read it a million times. In my letter, I told him that I wanted to be a writer, that I already thought I WAS a writer, and I needed to know how to make it my life. He wrote me back. His letter said,

“Dear Kathleen Thomas (my name at the time): Thanks for your letter. If you want to be a writer, of course the answer is: write every day of your life from now on...write, write, write: On top of which, stuff your eyes with stories, novels, plays, essays from every field in the world. Get to it. Good luck! I enclose some research materials that may help you. Best from, Ray Bradbury

August 31, 1978”

Write, write, write. Get to it. And so I did.

What do you hope to inspire with your writing?

This answer may sound odd, because a lot of my work has been described as dark or disturbing. But what I hope to inspire is hope. My novels and stories are always, always redemptive. My characters figure things out, they survive, and they move on. I want my readers to know that they have strength, that they have ability, and that there is always hope.

What is the backstory to your book? How did it come about?

I have four children, and they are 41, 39, 38, and 24. With every stage of motherhood I’ve passed through, I’ve thought it was the most difficult, and I wondered if I was doing a good job. That’s no less true now that they’re adults. And this is the hardest stage of motherhood – when you have to let your children go. When you realize that, while they are still the center of your universe, you are no longer the center of theirs.

I was also struck with what I saw happening in some facets of the women’s movement. There has been such a focus on STEM education, pushing girls into the science and math industries, largely because these roles are held predominantly by men. My own youngest daughter, who chose a college because it focused on the arts, found during her first semester that the school was changing to STEM. This is an all-girls college. Suddenly, she couldn’t even fulfill her fine arts minor, because there weren’t enough fine arts classes to take.

What perturbed me is that equality for women should mean equality across the board. I sensed that some felt it was a disservice to women as a whole if a woman wanted to go into what is considered a traditional woman’s role. In the book, Hildy is gifted in math and she’s gifted in science. She was pushed to go into those fields, but she was enamored in the science of her own body, being able to produce life. She wanted to be a mother and raise children. There were many who were disappointed in her choice.

But that’s the point – equality is choice. She had the right to choose that for herself.

One reviewer called the book “the feminist lit novel you need now.” That thrilled me.

41 years of motherhood is the backstory of this book. And I wouldn’t trade a minute.

The Author Shout-Out Podcast interview with Kathie Giorgio