Q&A with Polly Horvath

 

 

 

Polly Horvath is the author of the new middle grade novel Library Girl. Her other books include The Canning Season. She lives in British Columbia.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Library Girl, and how did you create your character Essie?

 

A: Nothing in particular inspired me to write Library Girl. I never work from a point of inspiration. I go from book to book writing whatever shows up and my enduring rule is to write the book that appears on the page for me, not the book that I think I might want to write from my clever little ideas.  

 

Essie, I suppose, has a lot of the same history and qualities I have. I grew up in a library, if not physically, then emotionally. From the time I was a toddler, I went to the library every Saturday and my mother or I brought home armloads of books. She would leave me in the children’s room while she perused the adult section.  

 

I became fascinated with not just the books but all the trappings of the children’s room: the book displays, the bathroom for children, the water fountain, the librarians’ desk and the offices. I think I must have fantasized a good deal about living there.

 

Q: The Washington Post said of the book, “This whimsical story is rich with quirky, lovable characters, the warmth of found family and an unexpected twist.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think it’s a good enough description. To me one of the major imperative points is that the novel stresses the importance of  people being able to read anything and everything and writers being able to write their own stories uncensored.

 

I think this is of critical importance if people are to understand each other. And it makes life more interesting.

 

Q: Did you need to do any research to write the novel, and if so, did you learn anything especially surprising?

 

A: I didn’t really need to do any research because Huffington, Indiana, where the story is set is totally fictional. To me this is the big plus of the imaginary world. You can do whatever you like with it.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between your characters Essie and G.E.?

 

A: I think largely they never understand each other. Essie cannot believe he betrays her as he does. She doesn’t understand it.  G.E. doesn’t understand why she is so upset.  

 

The fact that they cannot get beyond this stresses one of the main themes of the book, which is that people need to really hear each other to understand each other and only if we really understand each other can we know, love, and forgive each other.  

 

And truthful storytelling is a piece of that puzzle. It is why Essie reads and then later chooses a life in books. Or as she says, “Trying to understand was one of the reasons people chose a life in books.”

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am busy writing an adult novel and enjoying it immensely and soon will begin the daunting task of finding an American agent for it. But I am looking forward to moving in this direction.  

 

Many people feel that The Canning Season was an adult book. I think it was an everyone book myself, as all books should be.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Polly Horvath.