ReadWonder: An Inside Look #271 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Lynne Kelly

(Author of The Secret Language of Birds)

*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)

*Season #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)

*Season #SIXTEEN (Fall 2023)

*I'm excited to present season #SEVENTEEN 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 #SEVENTEEN

*Thank you to Lynne for being the Two Hundred Seventy-First author I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

The Secret Language of Birds

by Lynne Kelly

(April 9, 2024)

How did you come to know Nina?
I'd known her for a long time as just a minor character and source of annoyance in my last book, Song For a Whale. I wrote her as someone who tried to communicate with the deaf main character, Iris, though she knew hardly any sign language and didn't respect Iris's personal space. I hadn't planned to write anything more about Nina, but later I started thinking more about her, and wondered if I could get to know this character well enough to feature her in her own story. So, I started brainstorming to figure out why Nina is the way she is, like why she ends up pushing away someone she's trying to befriend.

What do you think is her most admirable quality?
She's really curious! Nina will try to learn everything she can about whatever subject she's into. Also I think once she does befriend someone, she'll be a loyal friend.

Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
Because she worries about getting in trouble, she keeps an important discovery from her aunt Audrey, who runs the summer camp. She could've looped her in and avoided some trouble and embarrassment later!

What do you think Nina can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
I think she's an example of someone who reflected on her behavior and aimed to do better. She knows now that she'll learn a lot more and communicate much better if she takes time to step back and listen.

How did you research Nina and the circumstances she found herself in?
Most of the research for this story had to do with the discovery she makes at camp-- a pair of nesting whooping cranes in Texas. An event like that was what sparked this story; I learned that a few whooping cranes have recently wandered from Louisiana into Texas and found nesting sites, marking the first time in over a century that cranes have nested in Texas. Nina strikes me as someone who goes all-in on whatever she's interested in at the moment, so I made her a birder and led her to this fascinating discovery! For some of the story research, I visited the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI, the Whooping Crane Festival in Port Aransas, TX (who knew there was enough whooping crane content to fill a 4-day festival?), and corresponded with staff at the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, who oversee the population of cranes represented in the book.

Do you and Nina share any similarities?
I'm more similar to her than any character I've written so far. I'm fascinated by animal behavior, for one, and I do love sharing fun facts about what I've learned, maybe without realizing the other person isn't as interested as I am! Also I remember being nervous about going to summer camps where I didn't know anyone else, then I'd end up enjoying it after all.

What was the hardest scene to write about her?
I think it would be the one that flashes back to a scene from Song For a Whale; we see an incident in the cafeteria, rewritten this time from Nina's point of view. Even though I knew the events of the scene already, it was heartbreaking to dig deeper into Nina's character to find out why she behaved the way she did, what she was hoping to accomplish and how it all went awry.

Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?
Her aunt Audrey is one who understands her best and has wanted her to come to this camp for a long time. She also doesn't fit in with the family and broke away from what was expected of her. She'll demonstrate for Nina that we can enjoy things we're not especially good at, without trying to be perfect or learn everything there is to know about it.

Why do you think some young people can show such resilience, strength, and courage during difficult life situations; sometimes even more than the adults in their lives?
I'm not sure, but I wonder if it's because they've bounced back from smaller challenges and can then overcome larger setbacks. Maybe younger people are more likely to still have hope that things will get better, and they'll use the strength they've gained to forge ahead. It probably helps to see examples of people who've made it through adversity, but some people who didn't have those kinds of role models turn out to be strong, compassionate, and empathetic despite the trauma they've experienced. I wish I knew what made the difference!

What do you think Nina is doing at the present time?
Probably birdwatching, unless something else has grabbed her attention! I think the experience at camp will make her more likely to make her a lifelong birder.

Book Pages

Sunday, April 21, 2024

An Inside Look #271 (Author INTERVIEW)

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