Interviewee, where are these interviews taking place? In the U.S. there are a lot of things the interviewer is not allowed to ask. They aren't entitled to know anything about your family history, sexual preference, your health history, your personal life at all. If you tell them you have children, they can't ask if you have daycare provided for your children, and they can't ask if you have a car or how you plan to get to work. Politely declining to answer questions that are outside the legal framework is difficult, but you can and should do this if they get too inquisitive.

I was interviewed for a job in another state a couple of years ago, and they could do the math when reading my resume--I took 9 years off to raise my kids. Once they were both in school I went back to work, and had a work history since then. My answer was simple--I took the time off to raise kids. I had other gaps that they didn't note, and the answer would have been what was suggested above--I did take a year off and try my hand at freelance writing. I was lucky to be in a position to do that. Discipline was not my long suit as far as making enough money to live on, so after a while I realized I had better get a regular job, and I did so.

You can tell them the truth in many different ways. But the fact that you took that time off doesn't automatically mean that the prospective employer can do more than acknowledge it and receive a brief answer from you that assures them that you won't in the future disappear for long stretches of time.

I agree with those above who have said to interview them. If you're going to spend eight hours a day five days a week there, you need to know something about how they operate, so go in with a set of questions you need answered, and indicate to them that you'll have some questions for them when they're finished interviewing you.

Good luck!

SRS