Even from when she was a young girl, Lee Woodruff said she’s always wanted to write a novel. In fact, she finds it humorous that her first two books were memoirs.
“I had an imagination,” said the Delmar native, who now lives in Westchester County. “Something always drew me to fiction.”
Woodruff’s first book began as a journal. In 2006, Woodruff’s husband, Bob, a news anchor with ABC, was injured by a roadside bomb while embedded with troops in Iraq. While he was in the hospital recovering, Woodruff began writing her family’s story as a way to make sense of what was happening.
“I also knew my husband would want to know what happened after he recovered,” she said. “As a writer, I wanted to get it down on paper.”
Bob helped write the book, filling in his own perspectives and memories. Soon, “In an Instant” was a New York Times Best Seller. Woodruff’s second book, “Perfectly Imperfect,” was inspired by all of the stories that had been cut from the first book. They were eventually turned into a collection of humorous and insightful essays about family life.
For her third book, Woodruff has finally gotten around to that work of fiction, but it is still inspired by real-life events. As a correspondent for CBS This Morning and a former lifestyle contributor for Good Morning America, the beginning of the novel begins with a real phone call Woodruff once received. A young boy had been hit by a car driven by a teenage neighbor. The boy didn’t make it.
“The driver of the car was my son’s age, so it had an effect on me,” she said.
“Those We Love Most” tells the story of Maura Corrigan, whose 9-year-old son is hit by a car driven by Alex, 17. Woodruff said the story is less about what happens to the boy and more about the development of relationships and “a family’s resilience.”
Woodruff said her favorite character to write was Maura’s mother, Margaret.
“She’s the heart and soul of the whole family and has to be the one to hold it together after the accident,” she said. “She’s part of the generation that wants to put one foot in front of the other, and move on with life. There’s a lot of whining now, but there are times you just have to put your shoulder into it to make it work.”
The book explores the perspectives of two generations between Maura and Margaret. Woodruff said anyone who is a parent can relate to the book. She also believes “Those We Love Most” would make a good book club selection because there are lots of nuances to discuss about family, marriage, personal growth and the value of relationships.
Woodruff will speak about all three of her books at a local event at the Schenectady County Public Library. She will also talk briefly about the family’s nonprofit, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, a grant organization that provides support and resources to service members who have been injured, along with their families. A book signing will be held after the event.
“I’ll cover what we went through as a family and then our transition. It’s an event that brought us closer together, and I might not have written this book if it hadn’t been for that,” Woodruff said.
Woodruff’s discussion will take place on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. at the library’s main branch at 99 Clinton St. in Schenectady. To learn more about the book, visit leewoodruff.com. To learn more about The Bob Woodruff Foundation, visit remind.org.