By: Emily Pirrello 

Karen Winn, a West Morris Mendham High graduate, released her debut novel on May 3rd. “Our Little World” is a riveting story of sisters, secrets, and tragedy. The story takes place in a small fictional town in New Jersey— Hammend, (an anagram for Mendham). 

Winn has created this incredibly gripping, and tender novel with a world parallel to her own childhood of growing up in Mendham. “I tried a different location for the novel at first, and it just didn’t work, ultimately I chose to stick to my roots.” Although this is a fictitious story, Winn found inspiration from some of her own real-life childhood memories. 

Winn shared that she had quite an “angelic childhood”. 

“I had an amazing childhood; tragedy didn’t strike us.” By writing “Our Little World” she was able to insert tragedy into a parallel childhood of her own. This novel takes place in 1985, Winn “loved the idea of not having technology present, it adds to the suspense. The characters are not privy to information at fingertips, it’s a different experience of learning about tragedy. Growing up in these simpler times, preserves the innocence of youth.” 

Her inciting incident of little Sally going missing at Deer Chase Lake, is actually inspired from a moment in Winn’s own adolescence. “I was swimming at Sunrise Lake Beach Club, and my mom couldn’t find me. The lifeguards emptied out the lake, I didn’t hear the whistles blow, but followed everyone out of the water. I remember these frantic young lifeguards were gathering all the girls asking my mom if “this is her daughter”. Winn says she’ll never forget the look on her mom’s face when she first reunited with her. This corresponding scene in “Our Little World” is eerie and engrossing—a parent’s worst nightmare. 

When speaking with Winn, one is likely in awe of all of her accomplishments. She’s always had two strong passions in life, nursing and medicine and writing and literature. Even when she was a practicing Nurse Practitioner in the ICU, she found ways to incorporate her love of writing by writing the hospital newsletter. 

After moving to Boston with her husband and starting a family, Winn joined a local writer’s group in 2009, and she is still in the same writer’s group to this day. She “loves having found a community of writers.” In 2016, Winn decided to take the leap of pursuing her novel, “I had written short stories previously and loved the idea of writing a novel because it would allow me the space to deeper explore complex character development and relationships.” 

Winn is also incredibly humble, “I feel so fortunate and lucky to be publishing my book, it’s a lifelong dream.”  Publishing a novel is no small feat. What’s next for Winn?

She is excited to be working on her next novel which takes place in present-day Boston centered around a group of female friends and their relationships. 

Be sure to mark your calendars as Winn is traveling from her home in Boston to visit locally in June.  On June 11, at 3:00 p.m, an in-person event will be held at The Bookworm in Bernardsville. No advance registration is required. 

For more information on Winn, visit www.karenlwinn.com.