Renowned author (and sometime Modern Luxury contributor) Lisa Barr (@lisabarr18) debuted her new HarperCollins novel, WOMAN ON FIRE, March 4.
Boasting multiple awards under her belt—including the IPPY gold medal for best literary fiction 2014—it’s no surprise Barr’s latest tome is receiving praise from myriad New York Times bestselling authors. The latest news? A-list actress Sharon Stone is set to both produce and star in a film based on Barr's enthralling tale! We sat down with the witty wordsmith to talk about her work, the Windy City and what we can expect from her next.
Tell us a bit about your new novel.
It’s a gripping tale of a young, savvy journalist from Chicago who gets embroiled in a dangerous international art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece. I worked on this novel during COVID-19 lockdown, putting all my favorite elements into the book: suspense, history, art, passion, daring journalistic pursuits and, of course, strong, fiery women.
Let’s talk about your love for strong female characters.
As a mom of three young adult daughters, I live and breathe in the Land of Women. Hence, strong female characters have always been part of my personal life and literary repertoire. In Woman on Fire, I wanted to feature a woman-versus-woman showdown. Jules Roth, the journalist, has a lot of me in her—particularly back when I was a young, fearless investigative journalist. And the gallerist Margaux de Laurent is evil, brilliant, wounded, unscrupulous—a blast to write. Jules and Margaux couldn’t be more different, but they match based on their determination, strength and survival instincts.
Your protagonist lives and works in Chicago—how does the city influence the novel?
No matter where I travel, Chicago is home. Chicago is where I got my start as a journalist. I covered its politics and interviewed many of its movers and shakers. You can take the girl out of Chicago, but not Chicago out of the girl. I always infuse our town and especially strong Midwestern values into my work and characters.
Katie Couric named Woman on Fire a must-read for 2022. How does that feel?
Not only do I admire Katie and love her memoir, but also the first thing I read in the morning is Katie Couric Media’s “Wake-Up Call” [newsletter]—it is so eclectic and informative. You can only imagine my joy when I opened the site and there was a picture of my book among authors’ works that I admire. It was a big moment in the Barr house.
Finally, what’s next?
I’m working hard on my next novel. It is also historical fiction and suspenseful. Every time I try to leave the era, somehow WWII pulls me back in. It’s dark, gritty, sexy, artsy and historical—all the twisty things I love to write, read and imagine. I mean, how else can I be a heroine, an assassin and a femme fatale all from my little corner in suburbia!
Photography by: COURTESY OF LISA BARR; BY JULIE KAPLAN PHOTOGRAPHY
