I would like to welcome Laura Resau, one of my favorite authors for her poetic imagery and use of language.
AOB: Where is WHAT THE MOON SAW set?
Laura: Oaxaca, Mexico
AOB: Could you tell us about your story?
Laura: 14-year-old Clara Luna travels to Oaxaca, Mexico to visit the mysterious grandparents she’s never met before. In their remote village, she discovers a part of the world and a part of herself she never knew existed. (Ages 10 & up)
AOB: How are you connected to the setting of your story?
Laura: I lived in Oaxaca for two years as an English teacher and anthropologist.
AOB: What inspired you to write this story?
Laura: My experiences traveling and living abroad, and my relationships with my ESL (English as a Second Language) students and immigrants I’ve worked with and befriended.
AOB: What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?
Laura: This was my first book, and I wasn’t sure if it would ever get published. It took me five years to write and revise, during which time my confidence wavered quite a bit. The manuscript was rejected by eleven editors and agents and many tears were shed before I was offered a contract for the book.
AOB: What other YA/MG books have you written? Are any of them set outside of the United States? If so, which ones and where? What are these stories about?
Laura: All of my YA books are set mostly outside of the US. THE QUEEN OF WATER – a true story about child slavery— is set in the Ecuadorean Andes. RED GLASS—a road trip adventure — is set in an indigenous village in Oaxaca, Mexico as well as rural Guatemala. THE INDIGO NOTEBOOK—first in a travel-mystery-romance trilogy– is set in Ecuador; THE RUBY NOTEBOOK, the second in the series, is set in southern France; THE JADE NOTEBOOK, the conclusion, is set in coastal Oaxaca, Mexico.
AOB: What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it set outside of the United States? If so, where? And what is it about?
Laura: I’m now writing a YA novel that is partly set in the Lacandon Mayan jungle in southern Mexico. It’s a fantastical adventure involving chocolate!
AOB: What else would you like us to know about you or your story?
Laura: If you do read any of my books, you should check out my website and blog to read about the inspiration behind the books and see pics of places in the books.
AOB: Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? And why?
Laura: I loved A WRINKLE IN TIME. It made me think about the possibilities of the universe and existence and space and time in a whole new way.
Thank you for your time, Laura. I look forward to your next book!!
If there’s an author who’s written a YA/MG book that is set outside of the United States that you’d like to see interviewed on World Reads, please send me the name of the author and title.
