SECRET LIFE
Fiona Snyckers on why she wanted to write a novel about a couple who escape a cult
H
ER new book hadn’t even hit the shelves and the screen rights had already been snapped up.
And when you read Fiona Snyckers’ new novel, The Hidden, you will understand why filmmakers were so keen to get their hands on it.
It’s a fast-paced tale about a couple whose past catches up with them in the most shocking way ever.
As kids Becca and Michael Abrahamson were members of far-right survivalist group the Patriot Fathers and lived in the forests of Oregon, totally cut off from society. After falling in love, they escaped the cult and built a new life in California with their three kids.
When the group they used to belong to stages the worst terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11, the FBI comes knocking on Becca and Michael’s door.
It’s a book that explores the lengths to which an ordinary family will go to protect themselves from their past, says the Joburg author.
“I’ve long been fascinated by separatist/survivalist groups in America and by the threat posed by the ultra-right.”
This book wouldn’t have worked in any other setting than America but as a South African, Fiona had to do a lot of careful research.
“But ultimately, one is writing to entertain, not to provide a non-fiction handbook on a particular subject,” Fiona says.
She’s definitely succeeded in delivering an entertaining read. Fiona, who is the author of the Trinity young adult series as well as the awardwinning Lacuna, has a wonderful knack for writing dialogue and creating believable characters. She also doesn’t shy away from exploring taboo topics.
She says despite her book’s dark themes, she had a lot of fun writing it.
“It was my refuge during a time when the world around me felt particularly out of control. I created a fictional world that I was in charge of and found that process soothing,” Fiona says.
“I wrote the book during the Trump years and into 2021 when Covid had the world in its grip. It was an unsettling time to be alive.”