In 2016 Lauren Wolk published the rural American post-war novel Wolf Hollow, to great acclaim - and it went on to win a Newbery Honor medal for 2017. In an interview with Denise Mealy, Lauren talks about her inspiration for the setting of Wolf Hollow:
Lauren Wolk: My mother’s stories of her childhood on a small farm in western Pennsylvania inspired Wolf Hollow. So did many, many wonderful visits there, from the time I was a baby right up until my grandmother died at 96, in 2014. Three generations of that farming family taught me about life during World War II—through stories and hundreds of photographs (yes, a picture of my mother and her brothers really did win a camera and a lifetime of film)—but the farm itself taught me about rural life. Not much changed from my mother’s childhood to my own. The farm was the same beautiful place where everyone worked very hard and valued simple things, like gathering on the porch when a storm moved through, or sitting around the kitchen table at night, peeling apples for pies, or picking anything and everything ripe, from peaches and melons to tomatoes and raspberries. It was a hard, magical, unforgettable way of life, and I miss it very much.
www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2016/10/lauren-wolk-discusses-wolf-hollow.html
Not long afterwards, in late 2017, the beautiful Beyond the Bright Sea had emerged and was ready for print. This time a sea-wrecked sailor, his adopted daughter and their ramshackle island home create the setting, making for a riveting mystery adventure.
In both stories Wolk's young heroines quietly question those judgements and challenge the beliefs of those around them. Delightful reading!
My Zinga Rating - Five Stars ✭✭✭✭✭
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