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Interview with C.J. Leede

Sage Nestler, MSW
4 min readNov 22, 2024

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I had the honor of interviewing author C.J. Leede for her newest novel, American Rapture, and I am so excited to share it with you.

This book meant so much to me and it is an absolute must-read — especially for those who have been affected by religion in one way or another. C.J. Leede’s first novel, Maeve Fly, was a smash hit, and I love the ferocity that she translates into her writing. My official review of American Rapture will be up soon, but please enjoy her interview for the time being.

As someone who was raised Catholic and experienced a lot of abuse within the faith, I found your novel, American Rapture, to be so cathartic. Do you have any specific experiences with the faith that led to the conception of this novel?

I’m so sorry to hear that, and I hope you’re okay. I was really so lucky in that I personally never experienced abuse in the church, but of course I know people who did, though I didn’t know that until I was older. For me growing up, I just struggled a lot with the ideas we were taught there, and they never really stopped hounding me for many years. It’s hard to pinpoint a moment because there were so many-my entire childhood in church and CCD and choir, and I was the kind of kid who listened to everything and took it all in, and the stories really are so frightening when you listen. But I do remember a Sunday school teacher…

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Sage Nestler, MSW
Sage Nestler, MSW

Written by Sage Nestler, MSW

💙🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️♠️👽♾️ Mental Health Specialist | Bibliotherapist | Author | Book Reviewer| Contact: info@releasingthephoenix.com

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