An Inside Look with Katrina Nannestad
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
How did you come to know Liesl?
I always wanted three siblings at the centre of my story so that I could explore the way children of different ages might be affected by these events. As I embarked on my research, my main characters Liesl, Otto and Mia started to take shape in my mind. The Wolfskinder survived in horrendously difficult circumstances that challenged (and defeated) many adults, so I knew that Liesl would have to be a strong, kind, determined girl if she was to keep her siblings alive and together. Once I got to know my characters, I took them with me on the rest of my research journey. This brought the facts and events alive as potential elements of their story.
What do you think is Liesl’s most admirable quality?
Her loyalty and love. I know that’s two qualities, but they really are inseparable.
Although We Are Wolves is a story about hardship, endurance and survival, it is ultimately a story of love. We see the love shown by strangers that helps the Wolf siblings survive. And central to the story is Liesl’s fierce love for her siblings that sees her doing whatever it takes to keep them alive – stealing, begging, lying, scavenging, killing animals, even giving up her identity.
Is there anything you wish Liesl would have changed or done differently in her story?
No. Liesl became so real to me during the writing of the story that I feel like I have been true to her personality and the way she would have behaved. Liesl was brave and loyal but she also had moments of despair and fury – like when she attacked Charlotte – which I think needed to be in there for the story and her character to be believable.
How did you research Liesl and the circumstances she found himself in?
I started by devouring all the information I could about the Wolfskinder and their stories. First-person accounts were hard to find. The Wolfskinder were living in Soviet territories after the war, so had had to hide their true German identities, for their own safety and that of the families who helped them. Some were never able to attend school again so writing their personal histories would not have been easy. It wasn’t until the demise of the Soviet Union that many people began to feel safe to talk about their German roots.
Now, of course, the Wolfskinder are elderly and many of these stories have been lost forever. I managed to glean information through articles, blogs, photographs, documentaries, snippets from history books and an autobiography, Abandoned and Forgotten – An Orphan Girl’s Tale of Survival During World War II, by Evelyne Tannehill. When the trail ran dry, I started chasing after details around the stories of the Wolfskinder - the history of East Prussia and the tumultuous events that surrounded the Red Army occupation at the end of World War 2. I waded through some very dry history books until I happened upon a gem – The Death of East Prussia – War and revenge in Germany’s Easternmost Provinces, by Peter B. Clark.
I watched documentaries, looked at photographs, scrounged information wherever I could find it. Again, I found a very helpful autobiography, Last Minute – Our Escape From East Prussia, by Rosemarie Miles Apsel. This little self-published account describes one girl’s experiences as her family fled their home at the end of the war. It gave fabulous details of what it was like for a child to experience these events. Personal accounts are always the most powerful.
And of course, I honed in on the finer details of Liesl’s life and experiences. I looked at what life would have been like for a German girl living in East Prussia towards the end of the war, including family life, the absent father, schooling, home, food, routines, beliefs, indoctrination, village life. I researched the details of every situation and location Liesl found herself in thereafter – East Prussian dairy farms, forest survival, weather and wildlife, transport systems, Lithuanian Christmas traditions, to name just a few. My final bit of research, oddly enough, took place after I finished my first draft of the story. I met with a German couple who had both been small children living in the eastern provinces of Germany during World War 2.
They were not Wolfskinder but shared many similar experiences when the war ended - poverty, hunger, prejudice, interrupted education, expulsion from their homes, and the terrifying realization that their parents were powerless to protect them. These lovely people were warm, open and generous in sharing with me, and their stories were very affirming of the way in which I had told my fictional story about Liesl, Otto and Mia Wolf.
Do you and Liesl share any similarities?
Absolutely. I always put something of myself into my main character when writing a book – not on purpose, it just seems to happen. Like Liesl, I am loyal and kind, I love my family and I was a good girl at a school and home, always eager to please others. As for Liesl’s resilience and determination in the face of danger … Hmmm … I couldn’t possibly say if the similarity would carry on. I don’t think any of us really know how we’d react to such trauma. I hope I’d be strong like Liesl.
What was the hardest scene to write about here?
I cried a lot while writing this story – partly because my characters become so real to me, but also because this story was inspired by true events. Many of the things that happen to Liesl, Otto and Mia in We Are Wolves happened to real children. So there were many scenes that were hard to write! But perhaps the most distressing was the one where the children have to destroy all vestiges of their German identity. Even though they are physically safe, it is the point at which they must abandon any hope of a return to their old life and their family. It’s a kind of giving up, a disappearing, but they are children and have no choice.
Who do you think was Liesl’s biggest supporter and why?
Karl was a great friend. Even though a child himself, Karl was older, stronger, more worldly-wise than Liesl, and we see that it lightens her burden at a time when there is absolutely no adult help at hand. The affection Karl shows Liesl is a glimmer of loveliness and light amidst the sadness, too.
Why do you think some young people are able to demonstrate such strength, courage, and perseverance, while sometimes their adult counterparts cannot?Wow! This is a big question and one which I didn’t find the answer to in all my research. The resilience and survival of the Wolfskinder is what fascinated me when I first read about them. How could these little children survive on their own (sometimes for years) in a war-torn land now occupied by a hostile enemy?
I do wonder if adults sometimes become overwhelmed by their greater understanding of what is going on, what is happening to those around them, and the terrible things that lie ahead. I describe this in the scene where the Wolf family are fleeing in the blizzard ahead of the Red Army, and some of the adults just give up. They stop running, Stop moving. Despair takes over.
I think children are often more flexible than adults. Maybe they better adapt to a rapidly changing world, even if that world is full of danger and deprivation. Or maybe it’s just that children keep going because they don’t know what else to do. How do you make sense of an event that is so big and bad and traumatic? You can’t, so maybe you just carry on the best you can.
I’m really pondering rather than answering this question! But of course, authors don’t have all the answers and stories don’t need to answer all the questions. Life is full of messy situations and unanswered questions, and I love that stories can be a starting point for discussions about complicated issues. I’d love to know my readers’ thoughts on this question. Feel free to send me an email! You can find out how to contact me through my webpage:
www.katrinanannestad.com
What do you think Liesl is doing at the present time?
A number of my readers have asked about what happened to different characters in We Are Wolves after the final page. I always reply that the power is theirs to decide. Authors have the power while they’re writing a story, but once it goes out into the world, the reader is in control. They get to decide the future for each character – unless the author writes a sequel!
But just in case you want a definite answer from me … Liesl would be an elderly woman now. I like to picture her living in a comfortable home where she is visited daily by her many children and grandchildren. I think Otto and Mia might live nearby with their families too. Otto is a retired pilot. Mia is an artist who paints beautiful forest scenes, always with a cow at the centre.
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)
Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)
Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)
Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)
SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall/Winter 2021)
Interview #179 with Katherine Applegate (Author of Willow)
Interview #180 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Born Behind Bars)
Interview #181 with R.J. Palacio (Author of Pony)
Interview #182 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Too Bright to See)
Interview #183 with Barbara Dee (Author of Violets are Blue)
Interview #184 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Troubled Girls of Dragonmir Academy)
Interview #185 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of We Could Be Heroes)
Interview #186 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Shape of Thunder)
Interview #187 with Joseph Bruchac (Author of Rez Dogs)
Interview #188 with Kathryn Erskine (Author of Lily's Promise)
Interview #189 with Elly Swartz (Author of Dear Student)
Interview #190 with Heather Clark (Author of Lemon Drop Falls)
Interview #191 with Veera Hiranandani (Author of How to Find What You're Not Looking For)
Interview #192 with Elizabeth Eulberg (Author of The Best Worst Summer)
Interview #193 with Cathy Carr (Author of 365 Days to Alaska)
Interview #194 with Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard (Authors of REAL)
Interview #195 with Gillian McDunn (Author of These Lucky Stars)
Interview #196 with Alyssa Colman (Author of The Gilded Girl)
Interview #197 with E.L. Chen (Author of The Comeback)
Interview #198 with J.M.M. Nuanez (Author of Birdie and Me)
SEASON #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)
Interview #199 with Jamie Sumner (Author of One Kid's Trash)
Interview #200 with Chad Lucas (Author of Thanks a Lot, Universe)
Interview #201 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Where We Used to Roam)
Interview #202 with Rebecca Caprara (Author of Worst-Case Collin)
Interview #203 with Leslie Connor (Author of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?)
Interview #204 with Caroline Gertler (Author of Many Points of Me)
Interview #205 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of Susie B. Won't Back Down)
Interview #206 with Shawn Peters (Author of The Unforgettable Logan Foster)
Interview #207 with Aisha Saeed (Author of Omar Rising)
Interview #208 with Adrianna Cuevas (Author of Cuba in my Pocket)
Interview #209 with Jennifer Swender (Author of Stuck)
Interview #210 with Brenda Woods (Author of When Winter Robeson Came)
Interview #211 with Danya Lorentz (Author of the Book Of a Feather)
Interview #212 with Saadia Faruqi (Author of Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero)
Interview #213 with Ellen Hopkins (Author of What About Will)
SEASON #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)
Interview #214 with Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner (Authors of What About the Octopus)
Interview #215 with Lauren Wolk (Author of My Own Lightning)
Interview #216 with Rebekah Lowell (Author of the Road to After)
Interview #217 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Honestly Elliott)
Interview #218 with Dan Gemeinhart (Author of The Midnight Children)
Interview #219 with Melanie Conklin (Author of A Perfect Mistake)
Interview #220 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Different Kinds of Fruit)
Interview #221 with Tracy Edward Wymer (Author of The Great and Mighty Benjamin Teller)
Interview #222 with Louise Hawes (Author of Big Rig)
Interview #223 with Paul Acampora (Author of In Honor of Broken Things)
Interview #224 with Shannon Doleski (Author of Gabe in the After)
Interview #225 with Jennifer Ziegler (Author of Worser)
Interview #226 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Hummingbird)
SEASON #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)
Interview #227 with Celia C. Perez (Author of Tumble
Interview #228 with Greg Howard (Author of The Visitors)
Interview #229 with Rob Buyea (Author of The Daredevils)
Interview #230 with Sashi Kaufman (Author of Sardines)
Interview #231 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of The Real Deal)
Interview #232 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of New Kids and Underdogs)
Interterview #233 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of The Hope of Elephants)
Interview #234 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Rover's Story)
SEASON #FIFTEEN (Winter 2023)
Interview #235 with Varsha Bajaj (Author of Thirst)
Interview #236 with Torrey Maldonado (Author of Hands)
Interview #237 with C.C. Harrington (Author of Wildoak)
Interview #238 with Margi Preus (Author of Windswept)
Interview #239 with Dayna Lorentz (Author of Wayward Creatures)
No comments:
Post a Comment