ReadWonder: An Inside Look #153 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Linda Sue Park

(Author of Prairie Lotus)

*Welcome to my favorite feature of my blog.

*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)

*Season #FOUR (Summer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019)

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*I'm excited to be back for season #NINE with brand new interviews/authors.

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the ELEVENTH interview in which I'm calling Season #NINE.

*Thank you to Linda Sue Park for being the One-Hundred Fifty-Third author I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

*Here is my Review of the Novel..

Prairie Lotus

Prairie Lotus

by Linda Sue Park

(March 3, 2020)

How did you come to know Hanna?

I've been imagining a character like Hanna--an Asian girl in a historical prairie setting--since I was a young reader. I loved stories with prairie settings, and I would tell myself those kinds of stories starring a girl who looked like me. When I came to write the book (almost 50 years later!), it was easy for me to call on those memories. Sometimes, the things that are important to us in childhood stay with us forever.

What do you think is her most admirable quality?

At 14, Hanna has already begun to think about her identity and how it affects her place in the world. For many people, including myself at her age, that is not an easy thing to do. But it's something ALL of us--not just those from marginalized communities--need to think about if we want to try our hardest to make the world a truly fair one.

What do you think Hanna can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?

One of the great things about novels for young readers is that they provide a safe place to practice life. Hanna thinks about what she wants to say when people bully her. She rehearses the words in her head so that she's ready with a response. You can see this in scenes with Dolly and with Mrs. Harris.

I wish I'd known this when I was young: to think about how to respond in difficult situations, and to practice or rehearse. It's hard to think clearly when you're emotional, and this kind of practice can help steady you, and make you feel more ready to respond.

How did you research Hanna and the circumstances she found herself in?

I read lots of books and articles, as well as watching documentaries and interviewing historians. I also went on three different research trips. It took me about two years to do enough research that I felt like I could start writing. And I did more research along the way as I completed the story.

I love the internet. I DON'T TRUST THE INTERNET. When I find an interesting article or fact online, what I do next is to seek out books on the same subject, or an expert to interview. Or both! I think of the internet as a *starting point*, to guide me in the right direction toward deeper research.

Why do you think some people, like Hanna, have the courage and strength to stand up for themselves, even when they are quite different from the “norm”, while others have such a difficult time doing so?

Some of it is personality, of course. But it always helps to have support. The support of a community is best, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have that. Hanna doesn't have a whole community in LaForge. Her main source of support comes from the memories of Mama. And eventually, she gains the support of a few of the townspeople, like Bess and Sam and Miss Walters.

If you feel alone in the world, no matter who you are, I PROMISE that there are people who can help support you. They are not always easy to find, but start by asking the adults you trust. And don't give up: Keep asking.

What do you think Hanna is doing as the present time?

Either sewing in the shop or doing chores at home. There weren't a lot of modern conveniences on the prairie in the 1800s, so people always had a lot of work to do. That's why Hanna tries to find moments of enjoyment in her work--in things like sewing and cooking. I also think she found time to grow a little garden--tomatoes, lettuces, raspberries. :-)

*Here are links to the One Hundred Fifty-One interviews...

SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

Interview #1 with Elly Swartz (Author of Finding Perfect)

Interview #2 with Jeff Zentner (Author of The Serpent King)

Interview #3 with Nora Raleigh Baskin (Author of Nine, Ten, A September 11 Story)

Interview #4 with Cammie McGovern (Author of Just My Luck)

Interview #5 with Kate Messner (Author of The Seventh Wish)

Interview #6 with Paul Griffin (Author of When Friendship Followed Me Home)

Interview #7 with K.A. Holt (Author of House Arrest)

Interview #8 with Abby Cooper (Author of Sticks and Stones)

Interview #9 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Counting Thyme)

Interview #10 with Claire Legrand (Author of Some Kind of Happiness)