Oriane Livingston is the author of the new middle grade novel The Guardians of Earth: Oona and the Luminous Beings. Also a screenwriter and a former attorney, she lives in Los Angeles.
Q: What inspired you to write The Guardians of Earth, and how did you create your character Oona?
A: The Guardians of Earth is the product of an expansion of consciousness experienced while hiking in the Santa Monica mountains of California, where I felt intrinsically connected with Nature and a deep sense of unity with everything.
I discovered later that this epiphany was similar to the “Overview Effect,” a cognitive shift reported by many astronauts such as former NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who experienced an overwhelming sense of universal connectedness while looking back at the Earth from its orbit on his way home.
Indigenous cultures, Eastern philosophies, seers from all traditions, yogis, some scientists such as famous primate expert, anthropologist, UN messenger, and environmentalist Jane Goodall, have all shared with the world this notion of oneness and interconnectedness of all things.
“I and the chimpanzees, the earth and trees and air, seemed to merge, to become one with the spirit of life itself…[sic] Each of us should do all that is in our power to protect life and conserve all species on this spaceship Earth,” wrote Jane Goodall.
Since then, the awe-striking beauty of Nature and the miraculous mathematical organization of its elements in the cosmos have absolutely fascinated me.
My second novel was in gestation. Earth would be one of its protagonists. Nature became my muse and a source of endless inspiration. I drew my inspiration from the sky, the trees, the birds… and wanted to use the mighty power of poetry to honor Earth’s beauty.
Éterna, the glorious woman embodying the spirit of Earth in the novel, with her ever-changing flowery hair and her cape dotted with stars, was born.
The creation of “Aqiwo” (Oona’s Chumash fellow Guardian of Earth and friend) aims at honoring the Native American culture, in particular the Chumash tradition, which has invited us to respect and honor the natural world since the beginning of time.
Cosmos, my beloved 4-year-old husky, is also a wonderful teacher and catalyst for my creativity.
The Guardians of Earth is also influenced by the works of titans of literature and cinema, such as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, The Romance of a Mummy by Theophile Gautier, or anime such as Princess Monoke by Hayao Myiazake and French film Ponette by Jacques Doillon.
Most children’s tales are about orphans. I wanted to craft a heroine who is not an orphan but finds herself very much alone in her own household.
Oona is very imaginative, precocious and curious. Like me, Oona is a budding astronomer and feels like she doesn’t belong. Her challenging childhood reflects my own upbringings. The roles are reversed in Oona’s home, which forces her to become a little adult, but also frees her to embark on her own “hero’s journey.”
I also wanted to use the novel as a vehicle to redefine the notion of “family.” The book aims at giving hope to kids who face strenuous situations at home.
Nature can bring them solace, purpose and joy. Nature can be an ally, even a family. I also decided early on that Oona would be able to communicate with flowers and animals, the messengers of Eterna’s kingdom.
I created Oona for every kid who feels alone, or different.
I wanted to write a book that would be both a love letter to Earth and a call to protect the environment, while giving hope and purpose to kids who feel alone.
Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: There have been several iterations of the ending of the story and the backstory of the narrative has been reimagined many times.
Several characters were even suppressed (I mourned them dearly, but they will most likely reappear in the subsequent books) but I knew from the beginning that I wanted to convey a message of hope, and that both Oona and Eterna would have to triumph at the end.
Oona would defeat her father, and Earth would be a lush paradise again. A precious little blue globe suspended in the cosmos, where all humans live in harmony.
Q: Did you need to do any research to write the book, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: To write the book, I did some extensive research about climate change, indigenous cultures, astronomy, zoology, Ancient Egypt, and the power of meditation among other subject matters. It was a thrilling adventure! Many of these findings are integrated in the story.
For instance, I love the similarities we share with animals. I learnt that most swans, wolves and penguins are monogamous, that elephants can cry, that whales’ songs can travel thousands of kilometers, and that otters hold hands while sleeping, among other incredible facts.
I was also quite surprised to learn there were pyramids outside of Egypt, like in Sudan, in Turkey or even possibly in China, and very much intrigued to discover that the Great Pyramid of Giza and the other pyramids of the Giza complex are aligned with the stars of Orion's Belt in the constellation Orion (subject to their own movement).
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: The book aims at awakening the love for Nature in every reader’s heart. My hope for this book is that it sweeps young people away and makes them marvel at Earth’s miraculous beauty, filling their hearts with hope and beauty, while igniting in them environmental stewardship.
The Guardians’ epic adventures intend to entertain, educate and empower the young to take action to protect the environment.
Like the heroes of the story, everyone can become a superhero. I humbly hope that some readers will feel compelled to become a Guardian of Earth in their own way, whether by rescuing an animal, planting a tree, or saving water!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: A movie adaptation of the novel is in the works, and I am currently writing a short nonfiction Manual of the Guardian of Earth that will supplement the book and give kids concrete daily green tips, and I am hoping to collaborate with a Chumash artist to illustrate the manual.
I am also in pre-production on a documentary feature based upon a nonfiction book about higher states of consciousness and the power of meditation, which I will also direct. And of course, I am already thinking about Oona’s next adventures…
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: The Guardians of Earth is a book where flowers, stars, mountains, and animals talk. Where a lonely little girl befriends a Chumash boy and a Sudanese girl trains to become a kung fu fighter, meets with the Sphinx, and flies on the back of an eagle.
I started working on this book about five years ago. I first wrote is as a screenplay but immediately knew that it was my second novel. I poured my heart and soul into it and loved it so much that I wrote it in both English and French. I consider this book as “the book of my lifetime” - my legacy - and I dearly cherish its characters.
I also absolutely love its cover! Gabriella Barouch did a terrific job painting my words.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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