Salt to the Sea: A Review

As I mentioned last week, I've moved from Blogger to WordPress. The transition hasn't gone as smoothly as I'd hoped it would. You should have received an email from my new site with a link to this review but if you didn't, here is this week's book review.

Salt to the Sea is a wonderfully written multi-POV upper MG/YA/adult novel about a little-known huge event in WWII. 

I'm still working on the subscription issue. If you did not receive a link from WordPress, you can sign up on my home page. If you get an error message, please switch browsers and try again. If you still get stuck, email me! I apologize in advance if you receive notifications from Blogger and WordPress. As soon as my web designer can address this issue, I'll stop using Blogger.

Thank you for your patience and for following me!

THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM--Big News from Kathleen Burkinshaw and an Audiobook Giveaway!

Kathleen Burkinshaw is not only a dear friend of mine, but no stranger to this blog. I've shared her story of writing and publishing her debut middle grade historical novel in three different blogs: I interviewed her about how the book was built on her mother's experience in Hiroshima, reviewed the book, and then checked in with her post-publication. It's only fitting that she asked me to share her news about the audiobook that was just released! 

In this post you'll to hear from Kathleen and Yuuki Luna, the narrator. PLUS, if you click here, and then click on Sample, you can hear Yukki read the book.

 

 A United Nations Office of Disarmament Education Resource for Teachers and Students

Advisory Council Member, International Center for MultiGenerational Legacies of Trauma

HiroshimaNagasaki75

October 2018 BOOK RIOT list of "30 Fascinating Historical Fiction Books for Middle School Readers" 

Nominated 2019 NC School Library Media Assoc. YA Book Award

Finalist 2018 Sakura Medal, Japan

SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Finalist(southeast region)

Scholastic WNDB Reading Club Selection, 2018 & 2016

An Interview with Kathleen Burkinshaw

Carol: For my new followers who might not be familiar with your book, please summarize it for them.

Kathleen: THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM is about a young girl's life in Hiroshima during WWII. She discovers a shocking family secret right before her world is about to become a shadow of what it had been. THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM (TLCB) is based on my mother's experience surviving the atomic bomb. It is through her 12-year-old eyes that readers witness that horrific day. 

The novel is written with information on the culture, mindset, and daily life during WWII before the bomb was dropped-something that hasn’t been done before.  My hope is not only to convey the message that nuclear weapons should never be used again; but to also reveal that the children in Japan had the same love for family, fear of what could happen to them, and hopes for peace as the Allied children had. The ones that we may think don't belong or are our "enemy" are not so different from ourselves.

Carol: What was involved in making TLCB into an audiobook?

Kathleen: The audiobook process for TLCB happened later than most books, since the hardcover of TLCB first published 5 years ago. In my contract with TLCB's publisher, Sky Pony Press, the unexercised audiobook rights reverted back to me after a few years. So, once they were mine, my  agent Anna Olswanger, Olswanger Literary, began submitting to audiobook publishers in January 2021. I received an offer from Dreamscape in April! Naturally I was ecstatic!! 😁

I hoped that they would choose a Japanese or Japanese American voiceover artist and was overjoyed when Yuuki Luna reached out to me on Instagram after recording TLCB. Once she told me of her connection with Hiroshima, that her grandfather was a Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) from Hiroshima, I knew that it was meant to be.

We did not have an opportunity to be in touch while she was recording TLCB with Dreamscape. However, after that was finished we had an opportunity to meet each other on Zoom (she lives in California). Not only that, but that day I had the honor to meet her mother, a second generation Hibakusha like myself, and I introduced them to my daughter, Sara, a 3rd generation HIbakusha like Yuuki. I could feel my mom with us.

Yuuki's lovely voice and grace added so much to my written words about my mother's story. When I first heard her narration, I cried. It touched me so much to hear a young voice for my mother's character in Yuriko. I also cried  because I thought an audiobook would not happen. Although, I must confess that I haven't listened to the chapters about the day of the bombing or after that. I know it will be extremely emotional for me because I already hear my mother's voice and her cries when I read the words. And I know it was emotional for Yuuki to read as well because of her compassion and connection to the story. 
I'm so grateful that The Last Cherry Blossom is now accessible to more readers and I'm thrilled to say that in addition to being available through Audible, Libro.FM, and anywhere audiobooks are sold, it is also on Hoopla Digital. 

Interview with Yuuki Luna

Carol: Please tell me a little bit about yourself, how you got into creating audio books, etc. What is your background? 

Yuuki: I started out as a stage combat performer during my childhood, performing in local community shows and festivals. I then started performing with the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and then started voiceover work, which led me into the audiobook world. 

Carol: What goes into preparation of recording a book like TLCB? How long did it take to record—was it over many sessions? 

Yuuki: In terms of preparation for audiobook reads, I've found it best to read the work at least once, maybe twice before I start recording, taking notes along the way. Recording The Last Cherry Blossom did take around a week, as I tried to fit in a few hours of recording each day. 

Carol: Were parts of the book difficult to narrate? What was that experience like for you?

Yuuki: The book became difficult to narrate the more I got closer to the end; the emotions became so real that I needed to take a few breaks in between. Kathleen's story and words are also powerful and hit home in many ways, as I also have family from Hiroshima as well. Her novel is such a rare gem that paints the most genuine picture of how families in Hiroshima (including my own) lived during the war, and I feel honored to have been a part. 

GIVEAWAY

Leave your name and email address (if you are new to my blog) in the comment to enter the giveaway. If you decide to follow my blog or share this on social media, I'll enter your name twice. Kathleen will arrange for the winner to receive a download code for the book.

REMEMBER: I cannot enter you unless I have your name and email address. If you're not sure, leave your email address in the comment. Giveaway ends at 6PM on Wednesday, November 3. 

Congratulations to Barbara Younger who won Headstrong Hallie from last week's blog. 

 

FREE LUNCH: An Audiobook Review

Congratulations to Connie Saunders for winning THROUGH THE WARDROBE from last week's blog. Here's a tip to win a book. Whenever Connie enters my giveaway, she ALWAYS shares it on social media. This earns her more chances to win a book--and it works!

"This book is for every kid. Whether they pay for their lunch or not."  FREE LUNCH by Rex Ogle. 

REVIEW

"Why can’t I get what I want at the grocery store?" Rex asks his mother. Unfortunately, he knows the answer.  It’s been like this all his life. He hates seeing all of the chips, candy, and ice cream that other kids eat that he doesn't; he hates watching his mother try to stretch every dollar and use food stamps; he hates his constantly empty stomach; he hates having cashiers looking at him like he might steal something because his clothes come from the thrift store. 

Told in first person POV, this nonfiction autobiography is Rex's own story growing up in a dysfunctional family. He's angry that his family--including Sam, his mother's stuttering live-in boyfriend; and Ford, his toddler half-brother that Rex takes care of--are all poor. 

And he hates the helplessness and fighting in their home that poverty creates. Rex wants to blame his mother for not working but he also realizes that without a job, "all of the love goes out of Mom." Over and over she tells him how hard it is for her to get a decent job and blames him for being ungrateful.

The ultimate humiliation is when Rex enters middle school and discovers that his mother registered him for the free lunch program. Every day he feels like a beggar while he waits for the lunch lady to check his name off the free lunch checklist.  

Ogle doesn't hold back from painting the realistic but ugly picture of his childhood. The family moves frequently as the adults look for jobs. The lack of money leads to tension, arguing, and fighting. His mother gives him a black eye on more than one occasion. Rex's clothes are stashed in cardboard boxes and he sleeps on the floor--along with the cockroaches. 

The one bright light in his life is his abuela, his Mexican grandmother. She is his cheerleader. "You are smart and handsome. Life is not always fair," she tells him. "I lived in a one-room house without indoor plumbing and dirt floor with my13 brothers and sisters. We made it work. You will too." 

As hungry, poor, and angry Rex is, he tries to control his emotions, to not be rude, and to not hit back. But his own anger makes him feel evil. He has to remind himself that "being poor is not a disease."

In the cauldron of poverty and abuse, Rex experiences problems at school and with his peers. Despite worrying about how he can keep his poverty a secret so that his friends won't turn on him he thinks, "School feels safer than home." 

But things get worse. His friends reject him. He wears a monster costume on Halloween and starts worrying that he is a monster-- just like Sam or his mother. His family moves to public housing which is the last straw. He lashes out and tells his mother, "I hate you." She slaps him. Hard. He is constantly on edge wondering when she will strike back him and how could their lives get worse. Would they be homeless? Would they starve? Would he die? 

He develops a friendship with Ethan, a boy who he sits with at lunch. Ethan's point-of-view -- that his life isn't as perfect as it seems even though he his parents have lots of money--is eye-opening. "Come on, no one has a perfect life!" Ethan says... "Money isn't everything. Trust me."  

Towards the end, his mother gets a good waitressing job and the family takes some steps towards healing. Sam goes out of his way to give Rex an unexpected Christmas gift and the book ends on a hopeful note.  

FREE LUNCH tells it like it was for young Rex Ogle. A few readers might object to some crude language. To me, it was a brutally honest book. As Rex says at one point, "I don’t trust the word free. Look what it’s cost me." 

The audiobook is narrated by Ramon de Ocampo, who performs all of the voices excellently. I was particularly impressed with how well he showed Sam's stuttering. 

In a Facebook exchange, Rex told me this was the hardest book he's ever written--until the one he's writing now which is the sequel. But he's "glad it's helping some kiddos out there."

This is not an easy read; there were times I had to stop listening. I would recommend that middle-grade students read or listen to it with their parents or teacher so they can discuss it together. Although Rex is entering sixth grade in the book, the tough content might indicate it is more for young adults. 

GIVEAWAY 

If you're interested in adding this book to your home or school library, please leave me a comment by 9 AM on June 26. The winner will receive an audio code and instructions on downloading the book. As always, if you decide to follow my blog or share this on social media, let me know what you do in the comments. PLEASE leave your email address if you are new to my blog. This giveaway is courtesy of Recorded Books. 

Behind the Scenes with Donna Everhart- Part II

Last week Donna Everhart, author of The Road to Bittersweet, relayed how she discovered her story, why she made Laci Stamper autistic, and why she included a traveling carnival. Thanks for coming back for this concluding post as we look behind the scenes of her writing process.

QUESTION #1

CAROL Were you conscious of the themes you wanted to include as you wrote, or did they come out of the story?

I was not, at first, conscious of any themes and I didn't write with this in mind at all.  This is something that often happens for me through the simple process of beginning to explore a story.  I've said in the past I'm a true pantster sort of writer,  (i.e. write by the seat of my pants) and although I'm writing to a contract - meaning I have to put together a proposal for each book consisting of a synopsis and the first three chapters -  there are still many aspects to each story not covered when it's sent off to my editor.  My synopses tend to run about five pages, but then I have to sit and write about three hundred pages and while I have the overall main ideas down, there's still plenty of room to explore. This is usually how I end up with something happening like a theme.  

In this story, I began recognizing there was an overarching theme and in this case, it was obviously the water.  As I began to put together the instances where it had a significant impact to my characters, the most obvious was the flood.  Then there was the necessity of drinking it for survival.  That, along with the fact that (without giving away any spoilers) it can kill us by drinking it, this all began to surface (no pun intended!) as a true foundation of this story.  Then I began to view the waterfall as having significance, as if their lives were in a free-fall, and that they really had no sense of control for much of what happened to them.  I love when I have those unanticipated moments in writing where something unexpected adds in a layer, making it more meaningful and significant. Those are the moments which I find truly magical, and I wish they'd happen more often!  

CAROL: That's interesting because for me, the theme was about Wallis Ann accepting herself. I loved the carnival chapters becausetthen she was forced to think about who was "normal" and who the "freaks" were. The ending was perfect!

QUESTION #2

CAROL: What can you share about your research process?

DONNA: I hope this doesn't come as a disappointment, but I mostly relied on good old Google.  I did speak to one person on the phone who was a lifelong resident in Jackson County and I needed her to clarify how the bridges that were out impacted the flow of traffic - although highly unlikely that there was "traffic," per se.  I found her on some site that blogged about Jackson County, and it was really happenstance to find her and that site. She confirmed you could go northbound, but not southbound on Highway 107 for instance. Little details like that matter.  

I also spent an extensive amount of time researching about dialect for that timeframe too.  What's been amusing to me, is when I talk about the dialect used in the book at a book event, and I tell those who came just before I read the book that Wallis Ann will say things like, "I won't going there," instead of "I wasn't going there."  Some laugh and shake their heads and say, "Well shoot, that's how I talk anyway."  (and they're not from the mountains.  :)   

One particularly helpful site where I studied about dialect was done by the University of South Carolina, College of Arts and Sciences.  I listened to actual recordings taken in 1939 of residents in various mountain counties of North Carolina, and Tennessee.  This work was done by a gentleman by the name of Joseph Sargent Hall or his assistant Bill Moore, and the transcriptions and recordings are available to listen to and read.  They have done an extensive amount of work on this site for the speech patterns of Appalachia - which the pronunciation of in of itself can get people worked up, as in whether you say App-a-LAY-cha, or App-a-LATCH-a.  

I always find this part of the work really interesting, and feel as if I

come away from each book with a little bit of knowledge I'd never had before.  Like the fact they called Coca-Cola "dope."  The fact that Wallis Ann and Laci could have Snickers, or Lays potato chips, and what cotton candy was called back then (spun sugar).  I learned about making a log cabin, and how to start a fire like Wallis Ann did - using "punk wood" and quartz rock.  Other parts of the research had to do with studying topography maps as I wrote (click on the link to see the map Donna consulted), so that I could put Wallis Ann and her family into certain areas with some sense of what they might have experienced while traveling. One part that I studied long and hard was along the Tuckasegee River, as well as the ridges nearby like Cherry Gap and Cullowhee Mountain.  I will be going to that area later this year, and can't wait to take pictures of the river and possibly some of the other spots mentioned in the book.

Donna Everhart

A SONG INSPIRED BY THE BOOK

Last week I shared a picture depicting Laci. Here is "The Pretty One" written by Pam Tillis. This is part of Shari Smith's ingenious TRIO exhibits: "One book is given to both a songwriter and a visual artist. They write a song and create a work of art inspired by the book they read fulfilling their TRIO. Each TRIO selection will be installed as part of an exhibit debuting at the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance in September of 2017 and traveling to museums, galleries, and literary events throughout the following year."

Donna is working on her fourth book, SHINE MOUNTAIN (working title). The main character, Jessie Sasser, is sixteen years old, who is quite unhappy with her lot in life.  Born into a family legacy of moonshining, she wants no part of it because she's certain it killed her mother. The story takes place in 1960, in Wilkes County, in an area known as the Brushy Mountains. 

GIVEAWAY

This is your last chance to enter the giveaway for the Audiobook fantastically performed by Amy Melissa Bentley. Random.org will select a winner on Thursday, June 28. Leave me your email address and name and I'll add your name to the list. If you've already entered that's okay, I'll add your name again!

And one last thing. Check out the cover reveal for Donna's next book, The Forgiving Kind. It's gorgeous!