Sarah Smith doesn’t remember much about her early years. She knows her mother died when she was six, and her father moved her and her younger brother to Northern Idaho. Once there, her life changed drastically. The only vivid memory she has of her early childhood is time spent with her best friend Juniper Holland. In her letters to Juniper, Sarah reveals her innermost thoughts and feelings about her reclusive life with three younger brothers in under the rigid oppression of her father and stepmother, who call themselves Separatists. Their lives are turned upside down by an FBI investigation of her father’s association with members of the Aryan Nation. When he refuses to be arrested on an illegal weapons charge, a standoff occurs. As the tension and violence escalate, Sarah faces life and death decisions in order to survive.
Interview with Peggy
Tibbetts
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Menomonie, a small town in west
central Wisconsin .
As a kid I thought small town life was pretty boring. It wasn’t until I grew up
and became a writer that I realized the value of my childhood home. Menomonie
is located in a region with a rich history in fur trading, logging,
agriculture, and of course the arts. Community events combined the arts and
history to celebrate the traditions of the past. One of the main venues was the
Mabel Tainter Memorial Library and Theater, a Romanesque sandstone building
that looked like a castle in my eyes, and was my second home. I took my first
art class there, my first acting class, German classes, and spent countless
hours curled up in the stacks reading books. No doubt it was boredom that drove
my curiosity about all the fascinating old stories. To this day, I love
research. I can get buried in it easily.
Now I live in a small town in western Colorado and I see how my own roots have
influenced my love of small town life and my appreciation for how art and
history shape our present everyday lives. I know my childhood in Menomonie has
had a huge influence on me as a writer.
When and why did you
begin writing?
When I was in first grade, every morning our teacher, Miss
Knight helped the class compose a "Today" story, which she wrote on
the blackboard. Then we had to copy it on blue-lined manuscript paper. Through
that daily exercise I grew to love writing and learned how to tell a story. I
still write my first drafts in long hand, only now I use yellow legal pads. In
school I enjoyed English and History. I was kind of a nerd with glasses and my
nose always stuck in a book. But it was a good background for a writer because
I spent a lot of time reading and a lot of time in the local library doing
research.
What inspired you to
write “Letters to Juniper”?
The ideas for my novels always come to me in the voice of
the main character. “Letters to Juniper” was no different. During the 90s, I
was as horrified as everyone else at news stories about the Montana Freemen,
Ruby Ridge, and the Waco Siege. In all three situations, children were living
inside the compounds during the standoffs. I asked the question: “What would it
be like to be a child, yet old enough to be aware of what was happening?” Not
long after, Sarah came to me and told me her story in the form of letters, like
a diary.
The recent standoff in Nevada between the BLM and rancher Cliven
Bundy and his supporters where women and children were involved in the
confrontation is reminiscent of those old conflicts between the FBI and
anti-government extremists. “Letters to Juniper” takes readers inside a social
order where the adults make up their own rules.
How did you come up
with the title?
In the early stages of plotting the story, I re-read “Anne
Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.” I was struck by how similar in many ways
Anne’s story was to Sarah’s. They were both held prisoner by events beyond
their control but still going through all the same phases young girls go
through. The title of that book is simple. I tend to go for simple titles. In
this case, the title describes the concept of the book, which is a collection
of letters to Juniper.
Is there a message in
your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The great Frank Capra once said, “If you want to send a
message, try Western Union .” When writing
about serious subjects, messages are bound to seep through. However if I do my
job right, the message is in the eye of the beholder. I prefer to show readers
a situation that is not black and white and let them decide for themselves. I
like to give my readers a view of the world through someone else’s eyes and
something to think about in the process.
What are your current
projects?
Lately I’ve been exploring nonfiction. My latest book release is “Crazy Bitch: Living with Canine Compulsive Disorder.” It’s the true story of my dog Venus’s struggle with mental illness and how her companion Zeus and our family coped. In other words, it’s a love story.
My current work-in-progress is titled “Confessions of an
Amazon Vine Reviewer.” Never before in the history of book publishing have so
many new authors sought reviews for their books. I have plenty of advice for
them, much of which arises from my experiences as a book reviewer for ten
years. I could probably title it “Book Review Etiquette” but that sounds
boring. And I definitely dish on Amazon -- a little bit.
I love blogging, which is actually why I started writing
nonfiction. My blog Advice from a Caterpillar [http://advicefromacaterpillar.wordpress.com]
includes book reviews, markets, contests, and a few author interviews. My blog
From the Styx [http://fromthestyx.wordpress.com] features environmental news
and topics related to life in rural western Colorado .
You can also find me on social media:
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/peggy.tibbetts
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/PeggyTibbetts
What would you like
my readers to know?
We are in the midst of a publishing renaissance. It’s not
enough to write a good story anymore. You must edit and revise. The process of
revision brings your story to life. Find a good editor. Read your manuscript
aloud. Learn to listen to your own voice.
My Review:
This is an interesting story. My mind is still thinking about Juniper. I also liked the format of the book. The chapters go by dates and are letters from Juniper to Sarah, and Sarah to Juniper. This was an interesting way to learn about the lives and families of these kids. Sarah's family is hiding from the feds, and her family keeps moving. It is hard enough to move once, I can not imagine what Sarah went through. The author talks about issues that all readers may not like (rape and abortion), however it made the letters seem more realistic. There are so many good parts in this book that I do not want to ruin it. I highly recommend this book. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.
I am also giving away a signed print copy to a lucky reader! Please enter here:
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