Author Anita Diamant to speak in Stowe

Her most recent novel, “The Boston Girl,” about a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early 20th century, was a New York Times best-seller.

Before beginning her literary career, Diamant was well-known for her nonfiction guides to Jewish life, including “The New Jewish Wedding” and “How to Raise a Jewish Child.”

Diamant began her writing career as a journalist. The skills she honed have carried over to her work as a novelist.

“I don’t set daily goals,” Diamant said about her writing rituals during a phone interview this week. “Mostly, I have deadlines, which I’ve incorporated into my DNA from working for newspapers.”

She sets timelines for her novels to help guide how she much time she’ll spend writing over several months.

“Some days are better than others,” Diamant said. “I’ve come to trust the process that there are bad days and good days and bad weeks and better weeks.”

She does most of her writing at her home office in Massachusetts, with occasional stints at the local library and Starbucks to break the monotony.

Diamant has been praised for her keen ability to create a sense of time and place in her novels, drawing readers into the specific worlds in which her characters live.

Her novels are usually sparked by an idea for a storyline rather than a specific character.

“The Red Tent” provided a way for her to imagine what might have become of Dinah, who is mentioned in only a handful of Bible verses.

“The Last Days of Dogtown,” based on a real-life seacoast town that was abandoned in the 19th century, was born of her curiosity about why and how its inhabitants fled.

“Boston Girl” started with her interest in Rockport Lodge, an inn that plays an important role in the book and has a strong Jewish connection.

“Because I travel in a Jewish world, that’s where I find a lot of my stories,” Diamant said. “My Jewishness affects everything.”

Yet, she pointed out that, while her debut novel is loosely based on an Old Testament story, it’s not meant to be a theological interpretation.

“I wrote it as historical fiction instead of a Bible lesson,” Diamant said.

The story takes place before Moses received the Ten Commandments and the Jewish religion was founded, she explained.

“I didn’t think of the characters as Jewish in any way,” Diamant said.

A recurring theme in Diamant’s novels is the strong, supportive relationships women share. It’s one of the qualities her fans frequently mention when discussing her books.

You’ll find plenty of nurturing characters and friendships spanning decades; you won’t find mean girls or frenemies.

“I think perhaps it’s an undervalued and undertold story,” Diamant said. “Women’s friendships are a little bit invisible. They are a real factor for many of us. Seeing them appreciated and embraced may have something to do with it.”

Diamant will sometimes create characters only to delete them as a novel progresses. She deleted several characters in “Boston Girl.”

“It has to move the story along,” Diamant said. “Even if it’s a great story and a neat idea, if it doesn’t do that, it has to go.”

She feels connected to the characters in her books, especially the more recent ones.

“I feel most connected to the ones in ‘Boston Girl’ because I spent more time with them recently,” Diamant said.

Before she starts a novel, she researches the location and time period where the story takes place. Once she starts writing, she’ll do more research to fill in any gaps.

“As I start writing, I realize I need to know about what movies were being shown, or what food was being eaten, or what was going on globally,” Diamant said.

Reading and researching at libraries and online are part of her writing process.

“I wrote ‘The Red Tent’ without ever being in the Middle East,” Diamant said. “You can get a lot out of reading books.”

She pays careful attention to small details.

“I try to find the material that will give it a sense of place in a tactile sense,” Diamant said. “There’s always food in my book.”

Over time, she’s developed a sense of when she’s ready to draft her first page.

“I have a comfort level with it, where I feel I know enough,” Diamant said. “It’s a place to start. I get restless reading about it.”

Diamant hasn’t started working on her next novel yet.

“I have some half-cooked ideas, nothing for consumption,” she said.

The JCOGS event will start with an author interview led by Rabbi David Fainsilber, followed by questions and answers.

“I really love the back and forth with the audience,” Diamant said. “It’s great fun and a great privilege and incredibly gratifying and people are very generous about sharing what they’ve gotten from my books.

“Going to a beautiful place like Stowe and meeting readers is icing on a cake. Not all writers have the opportunity.”