Among her accolades, author Jane Smiley – who grew up in St. Louis – received the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for her best-selling novel “A Thousand Acres,” later adapted into a film. Smiley has penned numerous works, and now, we travel across the pond for “Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton,” the sequel to “The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton.” The first book finds Lidie in “Bleeding Kansas,” a violent period in Kansas leading up to its statehood that is viewed as a catalyst for the Civil War. As Smiley returns to St. Louis, we catch up with the author.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Carmel Valley, Calif., is now your home, but you were raised here. What do you miss about St. Louis?
One of the things I always loved about St. Louis was how different the neighborhoods are. You could walk around and see these incredible, beautiful houses. I’d never seen anything like them. … I remember walking along Forest Park and looking up at this house and seeing the bricks sparkle…