'Shuggie Bain' author Douglas Stuart on love, working class - Los Angeles Times

Poverty, abandonment, violence, abuse and self-destruction may sound relentlessly grim, but Douglas Stuart, who built "Shuggie Bain" on the framework of his own life story, sees light breaking through the darkness, resilience and hope in Shuggie's willingness to try again each day. That's why he gave voice and stood as witness to the lives of the Bains and their neighbors - but especially Shuggie and Agnes.

Stuart's true story explains his positive perspective, at least in part: After his mother drank herself to death, Stuart, 44, escaped those dire circumstances, built a successful fashion career and a life with his husband in New York, then carved out small pockets of time over a decade to write this novel. It was rejected by 32 publishers but - here's where the hope and resilience come in - it eventually found a home, earned the prestigious Booker Prize and became a bestseller.