Travis interviews author Peng Shepherd about The Cartographers, her latest standalone novel from William Morrow. From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, the Cartographers is a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history.
This episode is spoiler free!
Peng and Travis discuss the interconnection of plot and character, throwing out half of a first draft, and of course… so many fascinating facts about maps.
Want us to read your message on the podcast? Find out more here. For early access to episodes, exclusive episodes, and a video version of this interview, you can support us on Patreon.
Some purchase links are affiliate links. When you buy a book through one of these links you are helping to support The Fantasy Inn.
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google
About Peng Shepherd
Peng Shepherd is the nationally bestselling author of The Cartographers, The Book of M, and The Future Library.
Her second novel, The Cartographers, was a USA Today, LA Times, and a national Independent Bookstores bestseller. It was named a Best Book of March by The Washington Post, as well as a Pick of the Month by Good Morning America, Amazon, Apple, Real Simple, Buzzfeed, Bustle, and Goodreads, and was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
Her first novel, The Book of M, won the 2019 Neukom Institute for Literary Arts Award for Debut Speculative Fiction, and was chosen as a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, Elle, Refinery29, and The Verge, a Best Book of the Summer by the Today Show and NPR On Point, and has been optioned for television.
A graduate of New York University’s MFA program, Peng is the recipient of a 2020 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
She was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where she rode horses and trained in classical ballet, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York, and Mexico City.
The Cartographers
What is the purpose of a map?
Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.
But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence… because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.
But why?
To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps…
Transcript:
We will be posting full episode transcripts as our Patron support permits. If you liked our Peng Shepherd interview, your support can help us make the podcast accessible for all.
