“Uncovering Hidden Truths: Caroline Topperman Reveals the Secrets Behind ‘Your Roots Cast a Shadow'”
MDH: This family memoir touches on so many big questions, such as the role of history—personal, national and cultural—in the shaping of one’s identity, whether trauma is passed down through generations, and whether humanity has learned anything from the past. There are many ways we could talk about the overarching message you hope to convey with your story, but I suspect that a lot is represented in the title. Can you talk a bit about how the title came to be?
CT: I get this question a lot, because the title really works. I have to give credit to my husband; it was his suggestion that I take the title of one of the chapters from the first version of the book and pull it out as a working title. And the funniest thing is, everybody across the board asked me, “are you sure you want that title?” And then they would sit for a moment with it and say, “oh no, it cannot be anything but that.” My publisher loved it too, and they added the subtitle. I was trying to get across the idea that you can’t ever really get away from your roots. I was born in Sweden to political refugees, and it didn’t matter that their country didn’t want them, and it didn’t matter that they didn’t necessarily want their country—they couldn’t get away from their past. It followed them everywhere. And it’s the same thing for me.
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