Bobbie Pyron is the author of the new middle grade novel Octopus Moon. Her other books include Stay. She worked as a librarian for more than 30 years, and she lives in North Carolina.
Q: How did your own experiences inspire you to write Octopus Moon?
A: Like Pearl, I struggled with chronic depression and anxiety as a child. This was in the early ‘60s. Back then, people didn’t talk about mental illness, and couldn’t imagine a child of 5 or 6 being depressed for “no reason.”
So, of course, there was no Dr. Jill for me, nor were there kid’s books/novels with a main character like me. This is the book my 10-year-old self desperately needed.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Pearl and Dr. Jill?
A: I would describe it as one that evolves over time. At first (and this is very typical), Pearl is very resistant to therapy. On the one hand, she doesn’t like “all these people talking about me”; on the other hand, she’s frightened by what is happening to her.
Dr. Jill provides a safe, accepting place for Pearl to confront her mental illness. At the same time, she gently encourages Pearl to “try one impossible thing,” and she gives Pearl many different tools to cope with her illness.
By the novel’s end, I would describe the dynamic between the two as almost collaborative, working together to help Pearl (and her family) learn to live and find hope with this particularly insidious mental illness.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: That’s a good question! As is often the case with novels, Octopus Moon went through several different titles before landing on that one. I think my agent came up with it.
At one point in the story, Pearl reads that octopus have millions of touch sensors on their tentacles. There is nothing between an octopus and its world. Pearl feels that way too, which is quite overwhelming.
At the same time, though, she takes comfort in the fact that the moon is always full. Our perspective, though, doesn’t allow us to see it that way. Even when her depression causes her to feel not “whole,” she will be again.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it a “full-bodied and authentic exploration of living with depression.” What do you think of that description, and what do you hope readers take away from the story?
A: I was quite pleased with that description, especially from Kirkus! It was very important to me that Pearl’s depression and anxiety showed how it is different from a “bad day,” or being “overly sensitive.” It is an illness that is chronic, like diabetes or asthma.
There’s a lot of shame associated with mental illness, whether it be OCD, bipolar disorder, or depression. I hope Octopus Moon will take some of the burden of that shame away from kids (and adults) who live with a mental illness.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I have a book that’s out on submission as we speak. It’s a lovely story about a foster kid and a stray dog, set in my beloved western North Carolina. The book I’m currently working on is fantasy, something I’ve never tried before! I’m thoroughly enjoying it! Neither book is written in verse.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Please, please, please, if you read Octopus Moon, read the Author’s Note at the end! There’s a lot of great information on mental health resources. And if you are reader living with mental illness, particularly chronic depression, I hope Pearl’s story helps you feel seen, and gives you hope.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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