Decorah author Jen Gipp balances writing book and raising baby

In a testament to the mental fortitude of new mothers, Decorah author Jennifer Gipp finalized the efforts on her new book, "Breaking Through the Fog" while on maternity leave.

A native of Platteville, WI, Gipp graduated with a biology degree from Luther and has lived in Decorah since 2009 while working as an Optometrist and Internship Director at Gundersen Health System. She started writing what would become this book back in 2011, while home sick.

"I wasn't able to go in to work," Gipp said. "I always liked writing, so I did that and then I started to like the characters I had created. I kept working and it became a full-length novel."

Gipp finished and refined her story over the next couple of years.  Then she began working on publishing the novel while on maternity leave after the birth of her first son.

"When my little boy was taking a nap, I would spend time editing the book and working on the cover design," said Gipp.

Gipp said she enjoyed writing the novel.  "It combines a lot of my loves including traveling, family, and friendships.  One of the characters has a traumatic brain injury, so the book has some passages about recovering from a traumatic brain injury discusses the challenges facing patients with TBIs.  I also love the San Francisco Bay area, so the book has passages about the food, culture, and neighborhoods in the Bay Area.  The book deals with life, love and trauma, but ultimately comes down to the resiliency of the human spirit."

If the last year hasn't been enough work for her, Gipp is already in the midst of writing a new novel which she hopes to finish within the year. 

Gipp will be talking about her book and her experience with writing and publishing at Dragonfly Books on Friday at 7:00 p.m.