The Board
Katy Farber
Blackstone Publishing
Sept 2025
The Board by Katy Farber delves into one mother’s attempt to uncover the dark secrets that pervade her small New England town. Olivia has just moved into a small town to get a fresh start, but she and her daughter must deal with a major culture shock. Within days, Liv is on the “problem” list of Bob Stewart, the man who acts both as principal and superintendent, and he shuts down her concerns at a school board meeting. Liv’s daughter, Piper, who suffers from anxiety, struggles to adapt at a school run like an army barracks.
To make matters worse, after Liv discovers that a former teacher was bullied, intimidated, and forced to resign by the board, she begins a quest to uncover what’s really happening at the school.
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Katy Farber: I taught 6th grade in Vermont. A parent of one of my former students posted on Facebook that Blackstone Publishing was looking for someone to write a story with teaching experience. She put me in touch. I wrote about a corrupt school board with a principal/superintendent. I ran with the idea.
EC: Can you define “the problem list?”
KF: Anybody that does not get in line with the way the school board and principal/superintendent run things, even slightly questioning them, gets put on this list. They are immediately disregarded, not listened to, and cannot access the systems.
EC: Do you still teach?
KF: I teach at the college level now. I teach undergraduate and graduate school. I have been teaching in Vermont for two decades.
EC: How would you describe Olivia?
KF: Olivia grew up in Vermont to hippie parents and ended up living in Boston until she gets divorced. She is frustrated with the firm she worked in because of harassment issues. This fueled her to do something when she sees something else going wrong. Olivia was influenced by her aunt, a librarian and a champion of truth. She inherits a house from her aunt and moves to this small town that is not welcoming to her.
EC: Would you say she is a likeable or unlikeable character?
KF: I have gotten feedback she is unlikeable at times. I think she is a flawed character. She is obsessive about figuring out what is going on and lets that cloud some of her judgement.
EC: What is the role of Piper, Olivia’s child, in the story?
KF: She is a collection of students I have had over the years. They are sensitive souls that need different things. A lot of them suffer from anxiety. She needs a creative nurturing environment based in nature and is not getting it at this school. Piper is having a tough time. Olivia did not pull her out of this public school because of her financial situation. She has limited options.
EC: How would you describe Bob Stewart?
KF: The classic narcissist who needs to be in control. He makes sure everyone knows he is the top of the hierarchy, and the teachers/parents should fall in line and just follow directions without asking questions. His perspective is he knows best.
EC: What do you want readers to get out of the book?
KF: I want readers to consider how to live in a civil society that has diverse voices. How we honor the identities of our students. I want people to consider how to make the school stronger within the community. The school should be a supportive place for teachers, parents, and students. Everyone should have a place and a voice.
EC: Next book?
KF: It will be another thriller with different perspectives.
THANK YOU!!
