Ed Burns Gets Personal in Debut Novel, “A Kid from Marlboro Road” (Exclusive)

The book, which follows an Irish-American family much like his own, grew out of daily pandemic conversations with his mother

Actor, director and writer Ed Burns has a lot of credits under his belt, but his newest project has him as excited as he's ever been.

"I can't wait," he tells PEOPLE of his new novel. "I'm as excited about this book coming out as I've ever been for any movie. Maybe more."

That anticipation, the first-time author says, grows out of the personal nature of the project. The book, while fiction, draws heavily on Burns' own family background.

Related: Christy Turlington and Husband Ed Burns Snap Rare Family Photo with Their Two Teens in Greece

Burns' novel, A Kid from Marlboro Road, is a story that grew out of the kind of family stories that get told so many times over no one really remembers what's true or not. It follows a 12-year-old narrator who's at his beloved grandfather's wake, looking around at the over-full room. He doesn't yet realize how much his family and his community impact who he is or who he'll become.

"There's freedom in fiction," Burns says. "The book allows me to really get inside this kid's head, in a way a movie just can't do. And you don't have to worry about the budget, either."

As the book's synopsis puts it, "past and present intermingle as family stories are told and retold. The narrative careens between the prior generation’s colorful sojourns in the Bronx and Hell’s Kitchen and the softer world of Gibson, the town on Long Island where they live now."

Burns first rose to fame with his indie film The Brothers McMullen and went on to star in Saving Private Ryan, The Holiday and Man on a Ledge and directed She's the One and Alex Cross, among others. This book began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he'd call his mom in Florida every day and listened to her stories about growing up in New York.

Those stories provided fodder for the book, but they also gave a rare look into his mother's life before marriage, kids and all that comes after. Of course, "the best thing about a novel is you get to rewrite a little bit," the author adds. "You get to embellish."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Related: PEOPLE's Best Books of August 2024: Moon Unit Zappa Reflects on Father Frank and More New Reads

For Burns, who grew up in Queens and has two kids Grace, 21 and Finn, 18 with former model Christy Turlington, 55, writing the book feels like cementing a legacy for his family. Even though the book is fiction, so much of the people and places in it are echoes of reality. For that reason, Burns didn't have to do a lot of research, other than reaching into his brain — and his mom's — to find the source material.

"Writing these stories, it feels like creating something of a family history," Burns explains. And for anyone who grew up in a family with a long shadow, that history will ring true. Or, as the publisher bills it, "Out of one boy’s story a collective warmth emerges, a certain kind of American tale, raucous and joyous."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

A Kid from Marlboro Road by Ed Burns is available now, wherever books are sold.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.