ReadWonder: An Inside Look #237 (Author Interview)

An Inside Look with Christina (C.C.) Harrington

(Author of Wildoak)

*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)

*Season #ELEVEN (Fall 2021)

*Season #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

*Season #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

*Season #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

*I'm excited to present season #FIFTEEN 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 THIRD interview in which I'm calling Season #FIFTEEN.

*Thank you to Christina for being the Two Hundred Thirty-Seventh author I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

Wildoak

by C.C. Harrington

(September 20, 2022)

How did you come to know Maggie?
This is such an interesting question! It’s often hard for me to pinpoint how a character comes into being because I never set out with specific intentions, if that makes any sense. I tend to write from the heart, so whenever the first idea or kernel of inspiration comes into being, it usually comes about because of something I’ve read, seen or heard that has moved me deeply.

In the case of Maggie, she and Rumpus really came about in conjunction with one another. I was researching the true history of Harrods and the sale of leopard cubs in London during the 1960s when I came across a speech that Dr. Alan Rabinowitz had given, many years ago in New York. Dr. Rabinowitz was a world-renowned cat conservationist who had grown up in the 1960s with a stutter. He went on to co-found an amazing organization called Panthera and made it his life’s mission to work on behalf of big cats all over the world. I started to think about themes of communication and understanding and found myself going back to some of my favourite interviews and books by Dr. Jane Goodall – another source of inspiration for me on so many levels. From there it felt as if Maggie came looking for me, rather than the other way round if that makes any sense – in early drafts she showed up on the page still unsure of her childhood self, but sure that she wanted to share her story and tell me all about a snow leopard that had changed her life.

What do you think is her most admirable quality?

Empathy. With courage as a close second.

Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
I feel very protective of Maggie, and so proud of her for persevering and pursuing her dreams in spite of the hardship she faced growing up. Part of me wishes she could have reached a place of strength and conviction sooner, or more easily, because it hurts to feel her pain. But then again so many of us, in different ways, are shaped by the challenges we face, whatever they may be. Shaped and hopefully strengthened - in the ways that matter most. So, no, there isn’t anything I wish she would have changed or done differently.

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

I believe that what Maggie has to offer – and this can apply to any child who is struggling with the judgement or misunderstanding of others, be it speech related or otherwise, is the example that each one of us has something meaningful to offer, exactly as we are. That there is power in empathy. And that each of us has the potential to effect change, no matter how local the level.

How did you research Maggie and the circumstances she found herself in?I did a great deal of research for all of the main characters in the book and for the time period it’s set in too – including old-growth forests, underground root systems, historical references to the Big Freeze and what sort of animals were for sale in Harrods at the time! For me, research starts with reading material – I like to begin with non-fiction first-person accounts of particular experiences or circumstances, including collections of essays, blogs, podcasts, photographs, interviews, journal features, magazine articles, news coverage and documentaries. From there, I start conducting my own in-person interviews and conversations with experts – so in the case of Maggie, I worked closely with individuals from The Stuttering Foundation of America and The Stuttering Association for the Young, with speech language pathologists in the US and the UK, and then with multiple expert readers who could share their own unique perspectives. For Rumpus, I visited a conservation-based zoo in Colorado to observe a snow leopard first-hand, and then worked closely with the big-cat keeper there. And as always in all cases, I wrote and revised multiple drafts in order to fully take on board the detailed levels of feedback.

Do you and Maggie share any similarities?

Yes…! we were both born in the UK, we are both passionate about the natural world, love to walk around bare foot and climb trees. I also love animals, especially cats. I’m naturally an introvert too and also find standing up in front of a crowd immensely nerve-wracking. But she is braver than me.

What was the hardest scene to write about her?

I think the scene in the village hall, during the community meeting when she ventures on to the stage… She so desperately wants to speak up for Rumpus at that point, but it’s so hard. I could feel her self-criticism, hurt, embarrassment and deep frustration and wanted to wave my pen like a wand and just make it all go away. But of course I couldn’t. And shouldn’t have either. Everyone suffers in different ways at different moments, and true progress is always the stronger for having been hard won. It’s never easy. Possible, but never easy.

Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?

I think that her biggest supporter would be something of a tie between her mother and Fred. Her mother loves her unconditionally and fights on her behalf, right from the start. But then Fred witnesses first-hand the immense courage and perseverance it takes for her to eventually succeed in protecting Rumpus – so his support of her by the end is equally fierce and loving.

Why do you think humans and animals have such a special connection?

Well… hmmm… I’m pausing here, because they do and they don’t. It’s tough to generalize on such a broad scale. I think that there are so many wonderful instances of humans connecting with animals – as domestic pets, in the wild and also in terms of the tremendous conservation work that’s being done on behalf of so many endangered species. But there is still a huge amount to be done in terms of education, species protection and edification of the rights of nature. We are at a critical moment in our history when it comes to mankind’s relationship with the natural world. I am hopeful that our love for animals will help to fuel the kind of action and change that is needed for all of us to thrive: animals, humans and plants.

What do you think Maggie is doing at the present time?

I think that right now, Maggie is sitting at her kitchen table with a cup of tea in one hand and a pen in the other. There’s a plate of chocolate biscuits nearby. She picks up her glasses and peers down at her calendar. Small grandchildren run in and out, noisy, and she thinks about the next conservation conference she’s due to speak at. She’s deciding exactly what it is she wants to say, and even though public speaking is still very hard for her, she continues to do it and is as committed and passionate as ever. If you look closely over her shoulder, you’ll see a picture of her and Rumpus in a frame and know that even though he died long ago, he’s never far from her heart.

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Monday, January 23, 2023

An Inside Look #237 (Author Interview)

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