ReadWonder: An Inside Look #188 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Kathryn Erskine

(Author of Lily's Promise)

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)

*Season #NINE (Fall 2020)

*Season #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

*I'm excited to be back for season #ELEVEN 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 TENTH interview in which I'm calling Season #ELEVEN.

*Thank you to Kathryn Erskine for being the One-Hundred Eighth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

Lily's Promise

by Kathryn Erskine

(May 18, 2021)

How did you come to know Lily?
Like all my characters, Lily began talking in my head. I know it sounds strange, but that’s how it happens with me. Actually, Libro spoke first (not surprisingly!) and he introduced me to Lily and Hobart. The other characters grew from there. Also, as many of my characters, Lily is a little bit me, so she was easy to come to know.

What do you think is her most admirable quality?
I think Lily’s openness is key. By that I mean that she is open to trying to speak out and strive for five even though it’s something extremely difficult for her. She is open to her new house and neighborhood, even though she misses her old one, because she appreciates the positive things like a big fenced yard for Skippy. And she’s open when it comes to friendship. She doesn’t shy away from Hobart because he gets teased or people think he’s weird, or Skylar because he’s poor, or Dunya because she’s an immigrant. She doesn’t close herself off from people others might reject because she’s open to learning about them and getting to know them, and to becoming friends with them.

Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
I like to let my characters navigate their own stories and feel that there’s a reason for why they do, or don’t do, certain things. Even though I’m the author, sometimes it feels like I’m just sitting back and watching the characters grow.

What do you think Lily can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
I wanted to deal with her grief honestly and not brush past that. It’s so difficult when people think you should be “back to normal” because it has been six months since you suffered a tragedy. It’s not normal. We carry that sadness always, but it does lessen and we do get to the point where memories that make us cry because we miss the person eventually make us laugh because we remember what a fun or even funny experience it was. It takes different people different amounts of time to heal, or start healing, and we need to respect that.

As for starting a new school, I went to eight different schools so I understand the anxiety of starting someplace very new and unfamiliar, especially since some of those schools were in other countries with different cultures. What always made the experience morph into something fun rather than something filled with trepidation was making friends. Having a group of friends, whoever they are—sometimes they’re family or teachers or people younger than you, it really doesn’t matter—makes everything OK again.

As regards immigration, I was fortunate that two local schoolgirls, one who came from Iran and one from Pakistan, read my book for authenticity of Dunya’s character and feelings. Of course, no two immigrant experiences are the same, but these wonderful girls are certainly closer to the experience than I am, given that they have lived it.

How did you research Lily and the circumstances she found herself in?
I always read psychology books about how someone my character’s age might deal with loss, or whatever my character is going through. I also have a sister-in-law who’s a psychotherapist so she’s a great resource I can tap! And, as I mentioned in #4, I drew on my own experiences of starting new schools and being a shy person. I’ve also had to deal with people who behave rudely and unkindly. Sometimes I’m more successful at that than others. I do try hard, like Lily, to speak up for those around me!

Do you and Lily share any similarities?
Yes! I was very shy in school and it was hard for me to speak up. Like Lily, I would know the answers to the teachers’ questions but could rarely bring myself to answer. Sometimes that was because I’d be targeted as a “nerd” or “know-it-all” or “teacher’s pet” but other times it was simply that I was too shy. I’m still introverted but not nearly as shy as I was. I also love learning, especially geography! And I like being kind to people and appreciating those who are a little different than the average person.

What was the hardest scene to write about her?

The scene where she’s in her bedroom going through her box of memories and thinking about Dad is very poignant. I feel for her. And yet, I hope there’s a smidge of hope and positivity because, after all, she had an awesome dad, even if it was for a short period, and some people don’t have those kinds of memories.

Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?
Well, beyond her mom, I’d say all of her new friends but, in particular, Hobart. Part of that is because Hobart really needs a friend himself. He’s also just plain kind and wanted to help out a new student. I think they’re a really good match because Lily is quiet and serious and almost like a big sister to Hobart, and Hobart’s exuberance and joy is so helpful to Lily to lighten her mood and make her laugh and see life a little differently.

Why do you think some young people are able to stand up to bullies and rise above it, while others seem to succumb and become powerless?
I think a lot of it is personality. Some people are naturally more outgoing, outspoken and confident. Others are quieter and more sensitive. It’s hard to change your personality. There’s also upbringing—if you’re taught to be kind and respectful at home, your first instinct is not to talk back. Bullies often target the more sensitive people because they know they can hurt them. It’s easier than dealing with someone who’s going to give back what you throw or shrug it off because they don’t care what you say. So, two tools I used were to try act the part of someone who didn’t care by pretending it didn’t bother me (even though it did), but the better tool was to have a group of friends because they had my back and I had theirs, just like Lily and her friends.

What do you think Lily is doing as the present time?
Lily is now navigating middle school which she is much better equipped to do having had a year at J.H. Banning Upper Elementary. Also, she has her whole group of friends with her so she is flourishing. She and Dunya are doing Geography Bee and, even though Lily is really good, I have to say that Dunya is even better. But more important than being the top Geography Bee student, Lily has learned to speak up for herself and her friends, even though it’s still not easy.

Book Pages

Monday, November 8, 2021

An Inside Look #188 (Author INTERVIEW)

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