Former Sparta resident releases first novel

By Meghan Byers
SPARTA— This Thursday evening, Sparta Books will welcome author Leah DeCesare to a "Girl's Night Out" dinner and discussion at Ristorante Il Porto, featuring her new book, "Forks, Knives, and Spoons." DeCesare, a former Sparta resident herself, has returned to celebrate the release of her first novel.
"Forks, Knives, and Spoons" is the story of Amy York, a young woman who dreams of being a journalist, and who begins her freshman year at Syracuse University armed with her father's earnest advice. There are three types of guys in the world, insists Amy's father: forks, knives, and spoons. Along with her roommate, Veronica, Amy goes on to elaborate on this "Utensil Classification System" and put it to the test as she encounters the trials of both romance and newfound independence.
DeCesare is no stranger to the writing world, having previously published two works of nonfiction in her "Naked Parenting" series, for which she drew on her experience as a doula and early parenting educator. But until she'd published her first novel, DeCesare said, "it didn't really feel real."
"I always wanted to be a novel writer," explained DeCesare, who is already working on her second novel. "That was always where my heart was."
Although she said fiction is "much more challenging," DeCesare has found herself right at home in her new genre.
"I love it," she said. "I get such a charge out of it. I would get immersed in the book like I do when I read. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen – and then it would dawn on me, 'You have to figure out what happens!'"
The story is based around "a kernel of truth." Like Amy York's father, DeCesare's father also gifted her with the Utensil Classification System shortly before DeCesare left home to attend Syracuse University. And "Forks, Knives, and Spoons" takes place in the late 1980s and early 1990s when DeCesare herself attended school, but the setting nevertheless required more research than she'd anticipated.
"Even though I lived through it, I had to research a lot...and I had to reimagine life without cell phones," said DeCesare. "There's that satisfaction of clanking a payphone down when you're mad, versus touching a button...By dropping the story against an era before all of this technology was out there, I wanted to highlight a universal truth – that we all want to find love, wherever that is, and however that is. We're all looking for companionship and that special relationship."
Still, "Forks, Knives, and Spoons" isn't entirely about romantic love – in fact, far from it. DeCesare says it's the friendship between Amy and Veronica that forms the heart of the story, along with the journey that both girls take toward self-confidence.
"[Amy] really learns to believe in herself," said DeCesare. "That's an overarching theme I have throughout the book, for all of the women."
DeCesare hopes that women of all ages will be able to take away that same message of cultivating inner strength from "Forks, Knives, and Spoons."
"We need to believe in ourselves, and value ourselves, without attaching our value to a man," said DeCesare. "We need to believe that we can do anything, and really trust that."
Anyone interested in attending the "Girl's Night Out" event at Il Porto this Thursday can call Sparta Books at 973-729-6200 to make a prepaid reservation. The $42 ticket price includes a three-course dinner (with tax and tip) beginning at 6:30 PM, and a personalized copy of "Forks, Knives, and Spoons."