1. What made you decide to give readers two stories, i.e. a cross between Vera's life and her family history?

2. What was your intnetion for the interpretation of the different artwork in the novel? What connections did you expect readers to make with the art and Vera's life?

3. How much research and background information did you have to gather on pearl diving, Japan, and WWII before you could really start your story? What made you decided to write about this?