Marc Chua asked Chris Bohjalian:

Hi Chris! Its me again.....I recently finished an ARC of the Flight Attendant(and I loved it.) I do plan to buy the hardcover copy when it is released. I loved your main character, the flight attendant Cassie Bowden. (Yes, she is flawed in many ways, but she is compassionate at certain times with sheltered cats and her niece and nephew.) What inspired you to write this?-Marc

Chris Bohjalian First of all, thank you.

I am so glad that you loved "The Flight Attendant" -- deeply and truly grateful. Thank you for saying so,

And I meant it when I wrote that I am in awe of flight attendants.

Also, I am fascinated by aviation. One of my earlier novels, "The Night Strangers," is about a pilot who in a post-Sully Sullenberger world has to ditch his regional jet in Lake Champlain -- but unlike Sully, fails, and most of the passengers die. He, however, survives and is haunted (literally or figuratively; I leave it up to readers to decide) by guilt.

I try never to lose my appreciation for the miracle of aviation -- rather like Cassie.

And I really enjoy reading about flawed characters. Certainly I'm an encyclopedia of flaws; I think they are more real and relatable.

Thanks for asking, Marc!

And, again, I am thrilled that you loved the novel. Thanks so much for that, too!

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