Lauren Wolk is the author of the new middle grade novel Candle Island. Her other books include Wolf Hollow. She lives on Cape Cod.
Q: What inspired you to write Candle Island, and how did you create your character Lucretia?
A: I’m always inspired first by place. I was inspired by the islands off the coast of Maine, with just a few kids in the school. The islands are amazing; the people are incredible. And I live on Cape Cod and know a lot about shore life and seasonal tourist invasions.
I grew up with all that, and had a feeling it would be interesting. What if a girl comes there, she and her mother have a secret, and they find themselves neither here nor there.
Q: Is the island in the book real?
A: It’s imagined, but I’ve spent a lot of time on the coast of Maine and the islands.
Q: So setting is where you always start?
A: The plot for me comes last. I tried mapping it out, and it felt like work. I start with setting, add characters, and ask “what if” questions, and I pull the thread and it comes together.
Q: Creativity and the arts play a big role in the novel, with an artist, a singer, and a poet among the characters—why did you decide to highlight this in the novel?
A: I’m a visual artist, a poet, and a filmmaker. Creativity is the answer to lots of problems. I spent 15 years as the associate director of a cultural center, and was surrounded by artists, and in my broader life, I’m steeped in it.
In this case, I’ve had people say that a kid that age can’t do this or that. I spend a lot of time with kids. It’s a huge mistake to pigeonhole any of them. The 12-year-old me, the friends I had, kids I see now are reading, making art—why not celebrate those kids?
I’m stunned by what kids can do when they’re encouraged. Let kids be as creative as possible.
Q: Did you know the secret in the book before you started writing it?
A: Not before I started. I’m not a passive bystander. I’m holding [my character’s] hand as she leads me into her life. Even if it weren’t good for the book, it motivates me. It’s fun.
Q: In an interview with The Boston Globe, you said the book might take place around 1967—why did you decide on that time period, which isn’t specified in the novel?
A: That’s when I was a kid and we started spending time on Cape Cod. My childhood on the Cape influenced the book. I like writing historical fiction.
In this case, I put 1967, and people said, why not let the reader decide? Those little islands are like time machines—there’s an old-fashioned way of life. We played in the woods, we sailed. The islands still feel like you’re going back in time. I decided to leave it vague. It could be any time after the ‘40s or ‘50s.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I finished two more middle grade novels. I have a picture book coming out next spring, and there’s another one. A new film project has taken over my life. It’s a lesson to all of us—you never know what’s coming. It’s a new layer to the cake.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: This and all my books are meant for all ages. [Recently I’ve spoken] at a senior center. It’s partly because I write historical fiction, partly because I don’t write down to kids. I write stories that happen to have young protagonists. I meet so many adults who enjoy middle grade and young adult books.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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