READERS GUIDE

A Conversation with Marissa Stapley and Uzma Jalaluddin
What was it like to co-write this book?
Marissa: Without a hint of hyperbole, this book was probably the most fun I’ve ever had writing anything. Not only did I laugh a lot, but I also learned a lot—which I always find invigorating. Ramadan fell in the month before we started our first draft and Uzma suggested I fast for a day as research for the book. We could probably turn the texts we sent between dawn and sunset that day into a comedy routine. The Hakka Chinese place I ordered Gilmore Girls–gluttony levels of takeout from that night still have me on their list of best customers. I was that person who says, “But not even water?!” over and over. (And I did end up drinking water, I just couldn’t do it.) In the end, though, the experience was beautifully profound. Writing with a co-author of a different background from my own made the process even more of a collaboration. It was a constant conversation, from the moment the idea was born—involving compromise, generosity, open-mindedness, and faith—to the moment the book was finished.
Uzma: This was my first co-authored book and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Writing a novel is an inherently isolating process—it’s just you and your characters most of the time. When Marissa first approached me about this project, I had just finished a draft of my third novel. After spending so much time in my head, I was ready to share the reins with someone else! The resulting partnership went even better than I expected. I think we did a great job communicating and compromising. We also did a great job outlining, which is the key to any happy author collab!
What was your co-writing process like?
Marissa: There are a few keys to successful co-writing: a fully developed outline, a willingness to compromise, the wisdom to know when to let things go or stand your ground, and a sense of humor. Writing books is normally a solitary endeavor, which is why co-writing can be such a joy, but it’s also a major change in process for any author. Our particular process was that we outlined the book first and made sure that outline was as detailed as possible. Dividing up the chapters was easy because we were each writing a different character. We wrote the first half of the novel before having a check-in with our agents and our editors, then carried on with the rest of it. We wrote mostly in tandem and would read each other’s chapters as we went, which also makes the process a lot smoother.
Uzma: I also really enjoyed getting immediate feedback. The fun little comments, texts, and reactions we shared were so encouraging and galvanizing to read. We made each other laugh, and cry. Usually I’m a little shy to share my work with anyone in the early stages, but since we were writing partners, it felt natural. From the outset it was clear that we were creating something really special and unique.
How did you think of this original and heartwarming idea?
Marissa: A few years ago, we were having a phone chat about some film/TV options we had respectively signed for past projects and confessed our mutual desire to one day write a screenplay.
Uzma: Like most writers, I always have a dozen story ideas and prompts in my head, each fighting for attention. I love holiday movies like The Holiday, It’s a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, Die Hard (yes, it’s a Christmas movie, fight me) and Love Actually. The idea of writing a multi-faith holiday movie popped into my mind. Some readers might not know that Muslims traditionally follow the lunar calendar, which is 354 or 355 days long. So our calendar jumps back ten days every year. Over the decades, I’ve observed Ramadan in December, as well as July (I much prefer December, in case you were wondering). The last time Ramadan was in December was in the early 2000s, and I remember there was an extra festive magic in the air, as three holidays—Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan—all fell within days of each other. I thought it might be neat to use this situation to spin a fun holiday story that encompassed the joyful aspects of each holiday. I even had a working title for the holiday movie—Happy, Merry, Eid Mubarak! I mentioned this to Marissa during our call.
Marissa: I couldn’t stop thinking about the concept, though at the time, neither of us had the space in our schedules to take on a new project. Then the stars aligned and, suddenly, we both did—and it made sense for us to turn this screenplay idea into a novel. I remember calling Uzma to ask her if she wanted to write a novel with me. She was so surprised! (And, I like to think, delighted.)
Uzma: I would say it was initial surprise—I had never even thought about co-writing a book before—followed by excitement.
Marissa: She told me she needed two weeks to think it over—which impressed me. I’m impulsive and jump right into things, which is sometimes great and sometimes not so much, but Uzma is very thoughtful about her decisions.
Uzma: Actually, I just truly believe in a pro-con list, plus I was in the middle of marking essays for my high school classes. I needed to schedule some time to think it over!
Marissa: It meant a lot to me to know how deeply she had considered it before saying a wholehearted yes.
Did these three holidays really coincide in the year 2000?
Yes! We took a bit of liberty with the exact timing, though. In the year 2000, Eid ul-Fitr (the celebration after the month of Ramadan) was actually celebrated on December 28. Hanukkah started on December 21, 2000, and ended on December 29.
Do either of you see any aspects of yourselves in either Maryam or Anna?
Marissa: As we were writing, Uzma would write to me and say, “That’s you, isn’t it?” (A semblance of the scene on the airplane where Anna explodes a bottle of perfume actually happened to me once. I’m also a very nervous flyer so I have engaged in all sorts of nervous and ridiculous in-flight behavior.) And, like Anna, I was raised in a multifaith home—my stepmother was Jewish, my stepdad a Christian minister; I have Jewish half-siblings—so many of her emotions and experiences come from my own life too. When I had children, my daughter in particular was very curious about Hannukah’s role in the holiday season.
Uzma: I’m the eldest daughter of South Asian immigrants, so I can relate to some of the expectations placed on Maryam, though my parents are way more relaxed. I’m also not quite as dutiful as Maryam! And while I’ve been known to put my foot in my mouth, I haven’t managed to embarrass myself quite like Maryam did on the plane, thankfully. Other than that, most of my characters feel entirely separate from me, but I’m sure they’re all composite quilts of all the interesting people I’ve met in my life.
The Rumi quote at the start of the book is beautiful. How do you think it informs the story you’ve written?
Marissa: It perfectly encapsulates what we are trying to express with this book and, which I in particular, having been raised in first a Christian household and then a multifaith one, have always suspected to be true: that all faiths are predicated on some universal tenets and truths about God, faith, charity, kindness, goodness . . . it really is all the same light, even if it hits a little differently in certain places. There’s so much fear and unrest in the world and I think a lot of it comes down to lack of education about what all these other faiths center around. Being able to come together with another author and write a beautiful story that honors all three traditions in a way that also entertains and delivers joy and inclusion feels like one of the most important creative projects I’ve ever been involved with.
Uzma: Ditto.
Was there a real-life inspiration for the town of Snow Falls?
There’s a real town outside Ottawa called Almonte that practically doubles as a holiday romance movie set. After reading about it in a New York Times article, it seemed like the perfect location to turn to for Snow Falls inspiration. But really, it’s also supposed to be the kind of town you’d read about in other holiday rom-com novels or see in your favorite holiday movie, because part of the beauty of these books and films is that the places they’re set in feel familiar—almost like they’re all set in the same little town. There’s such comfort and familiarity in that. And then, of course, we put our own spin on the typical holiday rom-com town by making it diverse in a way that surprises everyone who looks beyond the snowy, festive surface.
This book often compares the families we are born with and the families we choose for ourselves. What do you think a found family can provide that a family of origin might not be able to?
Marissa: I’m very close with my family—but it’s also an unconventional family with step-parents and ex-step-parents and half siblings, and friends who are family. None of it is textbook, and that’s perfectly fine with me. While a chosen family can provide many of the things perhaps your blood family already does, one thing a chosen family can give you that traditional family cannot is a vision of you outside of the context of your background. Anna is able to see Maryam as someone other than the responsible, in-charge person in her family—but she also admires that about her new friend, and makes Maryam value the qualities in herself she may have been overlooking. And for Anna, who has a smaller family circle, the Aziz family provides her with a chosen family.
Uzma: I’m fortunate to have a large extended family—aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, all of whom live in Canada, the United States, India, and the Middle East. We keep in touch through Zoom calls, WhatsApp chat groups, and visits when we can, and I get together with my family in Toronto often. Yet I also have a large network of friends who have become found family. I think this is common for immigrant families. When my parents first moved to Canada from India, they didn’t have any family living here. And so they made good friends through the mosque or cultural events. Growing up, I had a lot of “aunties” and “uncles” who weren’t blood-related, but they were all supportive, and in many cases, surrogates for family who lived thousands of miles away. I’m still very close to the friends I met through my mosque, and I consider them my sisters.
Uzma, you mention several Ramadan dishes in your acknowledgments. Which is your favorite dish, how is it prepared, and why is it your favorite?
I truly can’t pick one! Ironically, while Muslims fast during Ramadan from dawn to sunset, there is a lot of emphasis on food the rest of the time. You eat the early morning meal together with family and break fast with family. In this context, food feels especially nourishing to both the body and the soul. When we break our fast at sunset, we usually eat a small appetizer meal before dinner that consists of delicious snacks and fruit and drinks. For instance, my mom makes amazing dahi vada, which is fried dumpling fritters made from ground lentils soaked in yoghurt and drizzled with tamarind chutney. I also love my mother-in-law’s palaada, a crepe made with rice or wheat flour and filled with sweetened, shredded coconut. This past Ramadan, I became addicted to mango milkshakes. And for Eid, we make a sweet pudding called shier khurma, with vermicelli noodles, nuts, dates, and cream. I’m craving it right now!
Marissa, what is your favorite holiday dish, how do you like to prepare it, and why is it your favorite?
I love latkes but have only ever made them once. They were so much work! So now, I just really appreciate it when people make them for me. (I’ve never tried them with Ranch dressing, by the way, but am a Ranch Dressing Enthusiast, so maybe I should. #ranchdressingoneverything!) At my family holiday dinners, I’m always in charge of the turkey and dressing, which I learned how to make from my beloved late mom, Valerie. It was one of our favorite “no-recipe recipes.” She was an interior designer and we used to play “No Room, No Budget!” too. When rooms in my 1920s Toronto fixer-upper needed an upgrade but I’d already spent all my money on rewiring or a new roof, I knew just who to call. I loved being able to put that in the book.
I like to think my turkey dressing is one of my “famous” dishes. I can never replicate it year over year, but it’s always a hit. The main ingredients are good bread, sausage, celery, onions, plenty of fresh herbs, and lots of creativity. I’m also a big fan of any sort of holiday fudge. My Grandma Jean made traditional chocolate fudge around the holidays, but also the kind that has peanut butter, caramel, and multi-colored marshmallows. It should be disgusting and maybe empirically it is, but it’s my absolute favorite holiday treat. It takes me right back to my childhood.
What does the “holiday season” mean to each of you?
Marissa: It means a break from the regular schedule, time with family, friends, and time spent giving back to the community. It means Christmas Eve church services, always an important tradition for our family (those candlelit services Anna so fondly remembers come from my own experiences at my stepdad’s church), and lighting menorahs while thinking about ways to spread light in the coming new year. I live in Ontario, so the holiday season definitely always means snow, too—and, hopefully, a good old-fashioned blizzard (perhaps without the need to call in the army for a rescue!) and a few cozy snow days. It really is the most wonderful time of the year, no matter what you celebrate.
Uzma: I’ve always loved the holiday season. For one, I got married during the holidays. Saima isn’t alone in thinking Christmas is a good time to tie the knot—for Muslims and people of other faiths, getting married during the holiday season just makes sense. Everyone is off work and school anyway! It’s also a time to reset and relax. I always return to work feeling refreshed and eager to jump into the new year. Since my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense, we have learned to make the holiday meaningful for us. We have a Lord of the Rings marathon and sleepovers with my nieces and nephew. I bake way too many gingerbread and shortbread cookies and decorate them very badly. Seriously, no one should allow me near royal icing. My extended family usually plans a big get-together on Christmas or Boxing Day. It’s truly become a special time of year.
Which was your favorite scene to write for this book, and why? No spoilers, please!
Marissa: The plane scene always made us laugh, even the umpteenth time we read it. It was a pleasure to lend some of my own absurd behavior to this character and have Uzma not just find it funny, but still want to be my friend.
She did say she will never get on a plane with me, though . . .
Uzma: We will definitely be travelling in separate planes. Though you like the window seat and I prefer the aisle, so maybe we can make it work after all! For myself, I enjoyed writing the early interactions between Maryam and Saif—meet-cutes are always fun. And of course, Dadu’s antics put a smile on my face. He stole the show every chance he got, and I love him for it!
If you could cast Anna or Maryam in a movie or TV series, who would play them? How about Nick, Saif, or Josh?
Marissa: With Anna, I have never been so clear on my muse for a character: she has always been Lily Collins. And, Josh? Justin Baldoni. Except when I told Uzma that, she said she imagined Saif as Justin Baldoni, too! I think it’s safe to say we both find him rather swoon-worthy. Josh could also be a Justin Guarini type. And if we could time travel, Nick would be played by a ‘90s Ian Ziering (as Steve Saunders in Beverley Hills, 90210), or Scott Foley in the late ‘90s and early aughts, when he played Noel Crane on Felicity.
Uzma: I’m so bad at dream casting! Justin Baldoni aside, I’d love to see some wonderful up-and-coming actors play the roles of Maryam and Saif!
What do you most want readers to take away from Three Holidays and a Wedding?
First and foremost, we want this book to entertain our readers and make them happy—but there is of course a deeper desire here too, and it’s twofold: we hope to either show readers a side of the holiday season they’ve never considered or perhaps have even been misinformed about, and to make other cultures and faiths feel included. As fans of holiday movies, and holiday traditions, we know how important it is to feel seen and included. Being able to write this adorable, joyful holiday romance that respects and values three different faiths has been so personally meaningful for both of us. I hope this book is as fun for you to read as it has been a delight to write! And no matter what holiday you celebrate, may you always be surrounded by love, kindness, and empathy. Happy all the holidays!

 
Discussion Questions
1.         What does the holiday season mean to you? Did this book change the way you think about the holidays?
2.         Like Anna discovering Nick’s engagement ring, have you ever been overwhelmed or confused by news that ought to be “good”?
3.         Were you surprised by the contrast between how Maryam and Anna saw themselves and the way they saw each other? What do you think they eventually learn from seeing themselves through each other’s perspectives?
4.         Have you ever had a meaningful interaction with a total stranger? If so, describe it.
5.         What might you confess to a total stranger during a moment of extreme turbulence on a plane?
6.         How do you think Maryam’s and Anna’s lives would have turned out if there hadn’t been a snowstorm?
7.         Dadu suggests that Anna take a “fast from worrying so much.” What do you think you might need to take a one-day fast from? How do you think the fast might affect you?
8.         This book has several instances of hidden or overlooked identities. What do you think the book is trying to say about what it means to really know someone?
9.         What roles do snow and winter play in creating romantic chemistry in the novel?
10.       Which character would you most want to be stuck in Snow Falls with, and why?
11.        What was your favorite scene in the novel, and why?
12.       What did you think of the ending? What do you think will happen to Anna and Maryam after the story’s end?