Author Taylor Jenkins Reid talks new novel, what to expect from 'Daisy Jones & the Six' series
Reid's new novel is set in the '90s and centers around the world of tennis.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is known for telling epic stories about strong women and she continues to do just that in her new novel, "Carrie Soto is Back."
The New York Times bestselling author of "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," "Daisy Jones and the Six" and "Malibu Rising" is out with a new book about a legendary athlete who attempts to make a comeback when the world considers her past her prime.
In the book, which is set in the '90s, Soto is a tennis player who has shattered every record and claimed 20 Grand Slam titles. Six years after retiring, she makes the decision to return to the court in an attempt to reclaim her record.
"Carrie Soto is a little different than some of the women that I've written about because she's a little less charming," Reid shared in a recent interview with "Good Morning America."
"She is brusque, she is very blunt," Reid continued. "She has an arrogant side to her. And yet I think the more that readers engage with her, the more they will find that she's also very vulnerable and you know, just looking for the same things we all are, which is to know that we belong and that we're loved."
In order to bring Carrie, a Latina woman, to life, Reid said she worked with a Spanish language editor to make sure she accurately told her story. She said she wanted to honor women in tennis today who come from diverse backgrounds.
"When you look at the incredible women in the [Women's Tennis Association] right now -- Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, Leylah Fernandez and Miranda Cano -- so many of these women are women of color and tennis is an inherently white sport," Reid said. "It did not feel right to me to put forth two tennis champions who were white. It felt like this should be a story that honors the women of color that are doing an amazing job in the sport right now."
For fans of Reid's books -- spoiler alert -- they'll notice Carrie is a recurring character from her previous novel, "Malibu Rising." The crossover of characters and details in her books is something many on "booktok" and "booktube" rave about, but it's something that Reid says wasn't planned.
"When I'm writing each of these books, I'm just trying to naturally write what comes up," Reid said. "There's no larger agenda."
Despite the popularity of the "Easter egg" trend, Reid said it ends with Carrie. "'Carrie Soto is Back' is the last in this universe. The Easter eggs are over," she said. "Whatever happens next will take place in a totally different world."
Meanwhile, Reid's previous novels are getting the television and movie treatment. Her 2016 novel "One True Loves" is being adapted into a film starring "Hamilton" actress Philippa Soo and "Shang-Chi's" Simu Liu. The movie is in post-production now and will premiere later this year.
Reid's bestselling novel, "Daisy Jones and the Six," about the rise and fall of a fictional '70s rock band, is being adapted into a television series starring "Zola" and "The Devil All the Time" actress Riley Keough, "Peaky Blinders" actor Sam Claflin, and model Suki Waterhouse.
"It's just going to be a really, really great show," Reid said. "To have such an amazing cast, to have each role cast so perfectly and to watch these actors -- they take the characters and make them even more than they are on the page. And so to watch them sort of become it and then make it even bigger and deeper, it's just a thrill."
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