by Ali Standish (April 16, 2019)
How did you come to know Miranda?
I come to know my characters in bits and pieces, over weeks and months and sometimes years. Miranda first appeared to me as a girl longing for a connection with her mother. As I started writing about her, she became much more than that--a baking show aficionado (in fact, it was Miranda's love of baking shows that inspired my own and not vice versa!), a deeply loyal friend, and a budding sailor. I can't really say where those characteristics come from--just that when they came, I knew they felt right. And gradually, I came to know Miranda for the wonderful, complex girl that she is.
What do you think is Miranda's most admirable quality?
Miranda has many fears, and because of this, she believes herself to be a coward, and even a burden. But, as she learns over the course of the book, there are lots of kinds of bravery. Miranda loves with abandon, even though her mother's rejection constantly breaks her heart, and I think that's a very rare--and important--type of bravery.
Is there anything you wish Miranda would have changed or done differently in her story?
Would Miranda look back and wish she had done something differently? Probably. I think most of us would. But mistakes are often the greatest teachers, and I think Miranda's journey unfolded just the way it needed to.
What do you think Miranda can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
Because of her strained relationship with her mother and the social isolation she experiences at school, Miranda is very insecure about herself at the beginning of her story. I think that's something she shares with a great many middle-grade readers. I hope that her journey towards self-acceptance, even in the face of her mother's rejection, will help empower readers in similar situations to accept themselves (flaws, fears and all!). Equally, I hope it shows them that growth and change is possible, but that, as Mr. Taylor says, change is often just finding something we had within us all along.
How did you research Miranda and the circumstances she found herself in?
Well, August Isle is a fictional town, so I didn't have to do much research there! I did have to think back to my summers sailing at camp to write some of the seafaring scenes (as well as ask for the input of a sailing expert or two). There is a character in the story, Mr. Taylor, who has just returned from a trip around the world and brings back lots of stories with him. Those tales did require a lot of research and consultation with people who are familiar with the places and cultures featured (including my Finnish in-laws!).
Do you and Miranda share any similarities?
Oh, yes! I think I have at least some common ground with all my characters (and all humans, for that matter). Like Miranda, I occupied an uncertain place in my family growing up. I didn't always feel like I entirely belonged. I wasn't comfortable in my own skin physically, and middle school was really hard socially. All those things led me to have a lot of insecurities about myself, as Miranda does. Oh, and we also both like experimenting with pie recipes!
What was the hardest scene to write about Miranda?
It's hard to say without giving too much away, but the climactic and falling action scenes were probably the trickiest to navigate. Miranda transforms in many ways over her summer on August Isle (doesn't the magic of summer lie in its ability to transform us?), and so writing the chapters where she faces her fears and attempts to resolve her conflicts were like getting to know a whole new character in some ways, while still staying true to Miranda's core.
Who do you think was Miranda's biggest supporter and why?
I think Miranda is, actually, surrounded by love and support. From the Grovers, from Mr. Taylor, from her father, and others. But many of us put so much focus on the people who don't support us or don't accept us, that we are blinded to how many people are out there cheering us on. Both Miranda and I are learning to focus on the people in our lives who are always rooting for us.
Why do you think some adults run from or stay away from their past while young people, like Miranda, hit their past head on and face it with eyes wide open?
Kids are curious by nature, and they live in a state of constant change. So whereas many adults feel they can't escape their pasts--that their histories are what define them--kids are always looking towards the future. When you have faith that you will continue to grow and change, I think that makes it easier to open up the past and examine it.
What do you think Miranda is doing as the present time?
I see her pulling a perfect pineapple-cherry upside-down cake out of the oven and taking a picture to text to Sammy, Caleb, and all her friends and fans on August Isle!
