According to the writer, what is a good book?

M: Today I’m talking to a writer who has recently published her first novel. Susan Moore, welcome to the programme.
W: Nice to be here.
M: I’ll start by asking you—what do you think makes a good book? I don’t mean necessarily financially, but popular with readers.
W: It should have something that lifts the reader beyond the page. The story is the vehicle for wider understanding.
M: So you don’t think it’s enough for a book to be written just to entertain?
W: What I’ve tried to do in my novel is to be thought-provoking without losing the fun.
M: So you think it’s good for readers to make their own pictures of what’s happening.
W: Yes, and a good book has layers to it—like peeling an onion—and each layer tells you something more about the characters or life. You can reread at different times in your life and it’ll always have something new to say.
M: What did you find most difficult?
W: I think getting the time scale right, because I don’t have a chronological plot. It’s more a series of flashbacks.
M: Well, good luck with your books, both written and unwritten.