Donna Gordon’s debut novel, What Ben Franklin Would Have Told Me, packs an emotional wallop: Lee, a young history buff in the late 1970s suffering from progeria, has a life expectancy that does not extend into adulthood. While on an educational trip to Washington, D.C., Lee learns the history of his caretaker, Tomás, an Argentinian whose wife and child number among that country’s Disappeared. The pair form an unlikely investigative partnership, assisted by a newspaper reporter and an underground network of “Abuelas” who gather information about the Disappeared, hoping to reunite Tomás with his family. The book was chosen by Kirkus’ editors for our list of the Best Indie Books of 2023. Gordon answered our questions via email.

What was the original idea that started you working on the book?

Two experiences converged to bring Lee and Tomás together in my story. I had volunteered at a camp in Sebago, Maine, for kids who had life-threatening illnesses and their parents. I met a boy who had progeria. Around the same time, I was involved with a project with Amnesty International. I met people from all over the world, people who had been imprisoned and tortured for so-called crimes against the government. Two of the people I met were from Argentina and had been among the Disappeared under the dictatorship of Jorge Videla during what came to be known as the Dirty War, which lasted from 1976 to 1983. People were being picked up off the street and separated from their families.

What inspired you to connect Lee’s story with Tomás’ struggle and the Disappeared in Argentina?

Issues of time connected the two characters: For Lee it was accelerated time, and for Tomás it was lost time. I knew if I put them in a room, they would begin to need one another.

Your story is set in the late 1970s—was it a challenge to re-create that world on the page?

Yes! I made two trips to Washington, D.C., to get to know the neighborhoods of Dupont Circle and Georgetown, along with Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated and where some key scenes were set. I made time and distance calculations for driving, walking, and taking buses. I felt like I was in the landscape, experiencing it all with them. I’m also a visual artist, and I spent a lot of time trying to put myself into a given space and letting myself describe it carefully.

Who is the ideal reader for your book?

An ideal reader might be someone who’s struggling with being different, or who perceives her/himself to be different from the norm. I’ve been surprised by the fact that men and women of all ages have enjoyed the book. The most common response I get from readers is that the story and characters stay with them long after they’ve finished reading.

What book (or books) were among your favorites in 2023?

Western Lane by Chetna Maroo; this novel’s about squash, and I’m an avid tennis player. All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. There are too many to name. And I like to pay attention to the books coming out from indie publishers!

Arthur Smith is an Indie editor.