Shelley Nolden - A Dark Medical/Psychological Thriller

Shelley Nolden is an entrepreneur and writer, now residing in Wisconsin. Previously, she lived in the New York City area, where she first learned of North Brother Island. At the age of 31, Shelley was diagnosed with leukemia and completed treatment three years later. The sense of isolation and fear she experienced during her cancer ordeal influenced her multiple award-winning debut novel, The Vines. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, The Vines.

Please give us a short introduction to what your debut novel, The Vines, is about.

On New York City’s abandoned, forbidden North Brother Island, the remains of a shuttered quarantine hospital conceal the scarred and beautiful Cora, imprisoned there by the doctors who torment her. When Finn, a young urban explorer, glimpses her through the foliage, intrigue turns to obsession as he seeks to uncover her past--and his own family's dark secrets.

Why did you pick North Brother Island as the backdrop for your story?

When my husband first suggested that I write a novel set on abandoned North Brother Island, after spotting it from a plane that was descending to LaGuardia Airport, the task felt daunting. So much research and trial-and-error structuring would be required to create a novel that needed to span over a century to encompass the island’s full dark, fascinating history. Back then, in 2014, I was still recovering—physically and emotionally—from three years of treatment for leukemia. I didn’t know if I had it in me. But, as I dug further into this little-known piece of New York City’s history, I began to feel compelled to tell North Brother’s story. And, I had some emotions of my own that I needed to work through. After coming so close to dying, I was still terrified that I would. From my own fears of death and disease came a protagonist with an astonishing immune system and a will to survive that is repeatedly tested throughout The Vines.

How did your main character, Cora, surprise you?

I didn’t expect Cora to be so resilient and tough. She endures quite a lot; I couldn’t remain that strong if I were in her shoes. The courage and grit that Cora possesses are attributes I longed to have during my battle with leukemia.

Besides writing, what other interesting skills do you have?

I’m an entrepreneur at heart, which goes well with writing since the creation of a novel takes as much passion and dedication as starting a business. I’m a co-founder of GRYT Health, a tech startup whose mission is to improve health outcomes for cancer patients. My personal battle with cancer led me to get involved with a group of cancer survivors/caregivers who have made it their personal mission to help those facing cancer. One of GRYT’s programs is the Global Virtual Cancer Conference, a free, virtual event mid-November each year that’s designed to give cancer patients and caregivers access to information and support.

Intriguing title. Please tell us more about how it came about.

Finding the perfect title was not an easy task. Anything virus or pandemic related would have been too limiting. The Vines is a sweeping historical fiction saga that details one woman’s battle to survive against insurmountable odds; it’s not pandemic fiction or a medical drama in the traditional sense. After several failed brainstorming sessions, we hit on The Vines. The phrase perfectly symbolizes the rampant wilderness that has overtaken the abandoned hospital complex on North Brother Island as well as Cora’s indomitable spirit.

How much research did this story require from you? What was the most interesting aspect of this research?

While the main characters and their conflicts are all fictional, The Vines includes many historical details about North Brother Island and the real people who lived there, including Typhoid Mary, who was exiled there.

Originally an isolation hospital for the city’s poor immigrants, Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island underwent several reincarnations before becoming an experimental treatment center for drug-addicted teens in the 1950s. In 1963, the facility was shuttered. Ever since, a forest has been hellbent on destroying the hospital remains. Now a federally protected heron reserve, North Brother Island cannot be accessed without a permit from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re not accepting applications.

To incorporate the island’s full modern history in a story that spans over a century, I had to conduct extensive research. The novel wouldn’t have been possible without photographer Christopher Payne’s coffee table book, North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City, which was published shortly after I began investigating North Brother as a possible setting for a novel. The maps and labeled photographs in his book gave me the background information necessary to piece together a fulsome understanding of the Riverside Hospital complex and how it has changed over time.

You can learn more about the island and its history, as well as view my source materials and a detailed map we created for The Vines at https://www.shelleynolden.com/about-north-brother-island/

This book received multiple awards. What was the experience like for you?

I think it’s very common for writers to feel insecure about their work. Novels are labors of love that become subject to public opinion. It’s a scary process, for sure. Especially for those of us who are perfectionists. When The Vines won its first award, I was in shock. I might have danced around our living room . . . Now that the book has received five awards, it feels more real.

There are so many fabulous books, written by authors who share my passion and dreams. A large portion of my activity on Instagram is dedicated to touting the books I love. Come find me there to see my book recommendations!

Readers say this book was really hard to put down. How did you pull this off?

One of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve ever received is that your characters need to want something. When readers are rooting for a novel’s characters to obtain their goals, it keeps them turning the pages. In The Vines, survival and freedom are two of the biggest desires my characters have. Given our collective experience throughout the pandemic, readers feel the urgency of these goals even more.

Which character in this novel do you most relate to and why?

I relate most to Lily Skolnik, who has battled cancer twice and lives in fear of not only that disease but all the other freakishly low probability ways one can die. When the trauma from my leukemia ordeal was still fresh, I was afraid to even step into the sun because of the risk of skin cancer. Lily doesn’t let her fears consume her, but they’re omnipresent in the back of her mind.

I’m still heavily involved in the cancer community, and so, unfortunately, I know too well that many patients and survivors share my anxieties. I created Lily for everyone in that community. Because we “get” what it’s like to live with this fear; we’ve been there. I also tucked in a small reference to honor those whom we’ve lost. Lily has a cacti memorial garden. Each cactus on her windowsill represents a friend who’s passed away. The two names Lily mentions when looking at her garden are the first names of two people who meant a lot to me. I still think about them often and miss them so much.

Lily’s foil is the main character, Cora McSorely. While drafting this novel, Cora was the person I longed to be. And not just because she has an incredible immune system. Cora is strong, resilient, and brave. Unfortunately, given the challenges that are forced upon her, she needs every ounce of grit she can muster. 

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I’m an early morning, highly-caffeinated writer. Because I’m a mom and have a day job, my writing blocks must be efficient. I always know what scene I’ll write next before I sit down with my laptop. My story ideas come to my while I’m doing other things, like swimming laps or walking our German shepherd, Storm.

What are you working on right now?

I’m currently at work on the sequel to The Vines. In 1780, the HMS Hussar, a British frigate rumored to be carrying eighty shackled revolutionary war soldiers and a golden guinea payroll owed to British soldiers, sunk in the East River. To this day, no one has been able to locate the ship. In The Vines, Cora finds a golden guinea in the sand along North Brother Island’s shore. Perhaps Cora knows more about what became of the rest of the treasure than we do. . .

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

You can learn more about me and North Brother Island on my website, https://www.shelleynolden.com/
I’m most active on Instagram (@shelley_nolden) and Facebook (@ShelleyNoldenAuthor). 
I love connecting with readers about both my novel and other books they enjoyed, so feel free to stop by and join our conversations or send me a direct message.