An Inside Look with Ali Standish
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
How did you come to know Georgia?
Of all my protagonists, I think Georgia is the one who bears the most resemblance to my childhood self. We share a lot in circumstance and in character. We both love nature, summer camp, and reading. We both have expansive imaginations. We are also both children of alcoholics. And while every child has their own unique identity and story, there are points of commonality among all children of addicts. So it wasn’t hard for me to connect with Georgia’s character. Actually, in some places I had to remind myself that we were not one and the same, and I needed to let her choose her own path!
What do you think is her most admirable quality?
I love Georgia’s big heart and compassion. It is her greatest strength and also her biggest vulnerability. At the beginning of her story, her heart is totally open, which is why Daddy’s betrayal of her trust is so terrible. Eventually, things get so bad that she nearly closes her heart off to the world, but it’s her compassion for her Aunt Marigold—who unexpectedly finds herself in danger—that makes Georgia reverse course. I love that she is able to find the courage to keep her heart open and to extend that compassion to herself.
Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
There are things I wish all children impacted by addiction could know from the outset: This is not your fault, or your responsibility to change; You are loved and important; You should always ask for help if you feel scared or unsafe; Your story is not defined by your family member’s addiction. Unfortunately, it takes most children a long time to learn those lessons, and some never do. So while I wish there could have been a shortcut to save Georgia the pain she goes through, I think she needed to take that journey to end up in a place where she is ready to mend her heart.
What do you think Georgia can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
Firstly, I think she can show those readers that they are not alone, and they don’t need to be ashamed about what they’re going through. Secondly, I hope her story illustrates that there are healthy and not-so-healthy ways of coping with trauma, and gives kids a roadmap for how to rely on their inner strength and external support systems to get through tough times. And last, I think she will bring them hope for better, happier days to come.
How did you research Georgia and the circumstances she found herself in?
I read a lot of books that broke down different aspects of addiction—how it functions on a neurological level, what the risk factors are, how our societal perception of it has changed over time, etc. I also read books that were written specifically for family members of alcoholics/addicts. But I actually started by talking with my family. I wanted to know what they remembered about the time when my father and brother were both at the lowest points in their respective addictions. It’s not a chapter of life we talk about often, but I found it really interesting to hear how their memories converged and differed from my own. We all had our own insights on how we got to that place, and how we got out. I kept all those perspectives in my mind as I wrote this book, because it’s not just Georgia who is impacted by addiction. It’s Mama and, of course, Daddy.
What was the hardest scene to write about her?
There were a lot of tough scenes, but I think the hardest for me was Georgia’s final confrontation with Daddy, when she sees him at his worst. He’s very drunk and does something really hurtful. It’s a really raw scene that was painful to write and might be painful to read. But I think it was necessary to include because it illustrates how alcoholism can change someone into a completely different person.
Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?
Me, of course! Georgia is lucky that she has a lot of people rooting for her. While her mother doesn’t always have the language to express herself, she always tries to do the right thing for Georgia—including sending her away to Aunt Marigold’s. Aunt Marigold is prickly at first, but eventually becomes a very important figure in Georgia’s life. And then there is Hank, Marigold’s handyman, who always has a wise word or two and a wink to spare. But really, it’s Angela—the mysterious girl Georgia meets in the forest—who sets Georgia on the path to healing with her support and advice. Of course, things get complicated with Angela later on, but whatever your understanding of her role at the novel’s end, I think we can agree that the world would be a much better place if we all had an Angela to rely on!
Why do you think some young people try to “escape” from their real life, issues and family problems when dealing with certain situations that require them to face or deal with them head on?
The urge to escape is a primal one. It’s a self-preservation tactic. Literally, it is a way that we try to preserve our self as it once was—intact, happy, whole. When we actually face a problem, we have to say goodbye to that self and step into the unknown. If Georgia admits that it isn’t healthy for her to have a relationship with her father, she is breaking the most important bond in her life. Even though it’s the right thing to do, it’s a very scary choice. Why not just spend one more afternoon at the wishing lake, pretending everything will go back to being the way it always was?
What do you think she is doing at the present time?
Counting the days to Camp Pine Valley! She will have been VERY sad to miss camp again last summer due to the pandemic, but now that all her counselors will be vaccinated and the campers will quarantine and test before, they have the green light to reopen this summer.
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)
Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)
Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)
Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)
Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)
Interview #127 with Phil Bildner (Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)
Interview #128 with Leslie Connor (Author of A Home for Goddesses and Dogs)
Interview#129 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Queen Bee and Me)
Interview #130 with Jody J. Little (Author of Worse Than Weird)
Interview #131 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Things You Can't Say)
Interview #132 with Kaela Noel (Author of Coo)
Interview #133 with Rebecca Stead (Author of The List of Things That Will Not Change)
Interview #134 with Gae Polisner (Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me)
Interview #135 with Emily Blejwas (Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)
Interview #136 with Joy McCullough (Author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost)
Interview #137 with Kim Baker (Author of the Water Bears)
Interview #138 with Erin Entrada Kelly (Author of We Dream of Space)
Interview #139 with Jess Redman (Author of Quintessence)
Interview #140 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Every Missing Piece)
Interview #141 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Brave Like That)
Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)
Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot)
Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)
Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave)
Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)
Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)
Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero)
Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)
Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)
Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas)
Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There)
Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)
Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)
Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)
Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)
Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)
Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)
Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)
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