Bobbi Miller is the author of the new middle grade novel The Barbary Chronicles: The Lost Prince. Her other books include Big River's Daughter. She lives in Georgia.
Q: Did you need to do much research to write your new book, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: I write historical American fantasy, a blend of American history with the tall tale tradition that captures so much of the American identity. So I am always knee-deep in research.
I recreate historical communities of those who often feel unseen and unheard, those whose isolated lives were complex and multi-layered, not only defined by class, gender and race, but also lived experiences.
In Barbary Chronicles, the protagonist and her crew live in the shadows of San Francisco’s elite. In researching this background, I was taken aback by the similarities to current social and political challenges.
As the old saying goes, history doesn’t always repeat, but it often rhymes. Understanding the past informs our present—and our future. I include much of this research in my author’s note.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: In historical fiction, the challenge to write female heroes becomes more so because the male-dominated public sphere is distinctly separate from the female-dominated private sphere.
While uppity women who dared cross those lines are often the focus of many historical reads, they tend to be described as daring, even courageous, but are rarely considered heroes.
But girls in historical fiction are heroes in the truest sense of the word. The heroine’s journey embodies its own language, ordeals and symbols that are uniquely her own.
Strong female characters are not merely spunky or clever spirits with backbone. Nor are they—think superheroes—female impersonators let loose on the unsuspecting world. They seek neither domination over another nor ascendance into elitest power.
The female hero makes choices when life no longer fits her definition. There are at times no happy endings. In the end, these stories do not necessarily find the female hero safe. But they are free to be who they need to be.
And sometimes, they take the lead. Such stories empower the young, and often reluctant, reader to seek and ultimately discover the hero within herself.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I tend to work on a couple of projects at a time. I just finished a new manuscript, further exploring genre-blending of historical fantasy and folklore while exploring themes of environmental justice in which American tall tales meets the magical realm of Camelot in a 1870s girl-centric retelling of the Knights of the Round Table.
And I’ve started mapping out a potential sequel to Jack London’s story, just in case readers want to know what happens next!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Fun fact: In researching 1870s San Francisco, I came upon an 1870s map of the Barbary Coast and used this as the visual to help me “visualize” the setting. The designer at Charlesbridge Moves, Diana Earley, and her team used the map as a backdrop for the book’s poster. The artist, Allysa Adams, brought my characters to life! You can find and download the poster as well as the reader’s guide here.
You’ll also find a slew of interesting activities, including recipes for popular desserts from the 1800s!
For more information about my book, Barbary Chronicles: The Lost Prince, please visit the book page at Charlesbridge Moves here.
For more information about my writing, visit me at TeachingAuthors, a team of children's book authors with a wide range (and many years) of experience teaching writing to children, teens, and adults.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment