Want to know more about The Daughters? Author Joanna Philbin spills the beans!

1.What was your inspiration for writing The
Daughters?

My own life! My dad has been on television ever since I was born,
so I grew up with one foot in the normal world of school and
friends and teachers and homework, and another in the world of
cameras and going to movie premieres at night and being on his show
a few times a year. There was so much that was fun about it, but a
lot that was confusing, too. I always felt that people expected me
to be different because I had a dad who was in the public eye. A
little cooler, a little prettier, more popular with guys.
Definitely more stylish. So when I was in my mid-twenties and
struggling with all of these feelings of not being “enough,” I came
up with the idea for a novel. It would be about three best friends
who help each other get through the high points and pitfalls of
living with a famous parent, and who also don’t feel that they
measure up. Then I immediately put it aside! It took me a long time
to be ready to write it, and I think part of that was realizing
that these feelings of not measuring up weren’t unique to me. I
think almost everyone feels that they don’t measure up in some way,
whether it’s in the department of looks, money, or talent. You
don’t have to be the daughter of someone well-known to have those
feelings. It’s a universal experience.

2. Did you do any special research for the
book?

For a long time, I had the three main characters in my head, but I
didn’t have a real premise yet for a novel. What would happen to
them? What would be their journey? Then in December of 2007 I saw
an article in the New York Times. It was about a new modeling
agency in New York that cast real people, of all ages and sizes and
ethnicities, and booked them for ads and fashion spreads. These
people were usually the opposite of what we consider beautiful. And
it was called “ugly modeling.” I read that article and thought,
“This is Lizzie’s story! She’s going to wind up doing this!” And
then I decided to write the first book just about her.

I then interviewed a fashion stylist about Fashion Week, because
believe it or not, I’ve never been to a fashion show! He was
incredibly helpful, and really gave me a blow-by-blow description
of what it’s like to walk into the tents. I loved hearing about all
the booths in the front where people hawk all the the watches and
sunglasses. I also interviewed a musician I know who tours with
Michael Buble, and he explained what goes on in a real recording
studio, and how you could change someone’s sound from something
bluesy and low-fi, like, say, early Norah Jones, to something
really pop-py, and produced, like, say, Gwen Stefani.

3. With which daughter do you most associate? Are any
actually based on you?

That’s a really hard question! To be honest, there is a little bit
of me in all the Daughters. None of them are actually “based” on me
at all. I’ve never grown up the daughter of a supermodel, or a
tycoon, or a pop star. They are completely made-up characters. But
all of the girls, and what each is going through, is rooted in my
own experiences and emotions.

Of all of them, though, Lizzie might be the most similar to me,
because she is the one who wants to be a writer. And I definitely
relate to her insecurities about her looks, and being the daughter
of a beautiful woman. But really, all of them are equally close to
me.