The Wicked and the Just, by J. Anderson Coats
So, this is out in the world:
The Wicked and the Just, by J. Anderson Coats
(Link goes to Indiebound, where you can read a synopsis and the amazing blurbs from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Horn Book, and KAREN CUSHMAN.*)
I read several early versions of the MS, and it's evolved and grown since then. This is historical fiction without the preachy, teachy overtones of a lot of MG/YA historical fiction. It's dirty, messy, angry, violent, funny, dark, and real. Cecily and Gwenhwyfar are flawed and complicated, very much of their time, but very relatable for modern readers. I want to get it in kids' hands because I believe it can change the way they think about historical fiction. Readers who are into dystopias can certainly appreciate stories about real colonial oppression and rebellion, if they're told this well.
I knew all that about the story before I got my hands on the book today. But what I didn't expect is how the physical book would take my breath away, as a thing in and of itself. The photo above doesn't do it justice. The colors are real, the knotwork is gorgeous, and even the fonts--there are several on the cover and w/in the text--are wonderful, varied without looking cluttered. I'm not against e-readers, per se, but sometimes you need a physical book, and this one is well worth the cost, the space, and the paper. NGL, I teared up holding it in my hands, in part because I know how much work and thought and love went into the writing of it, but also because it looks and feels as though work and thought and love went into the publishing and printing of it, too.
(*I met her once. She patted me on the shoulder during a workshop. She signed my hardbacks with the Trina Schart Hyman covers. It's been almost three years and I haven't stopped being amazed about it yet.)
This entry was originally posted at http://akamarykate.dreamwidth.org/335099.html. You may comment either here or there.
The Wicked and the Just, by J. Anderson Coats
(Link goes to Indiebound, where you can read a synopsis and the amazing blurbs from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Horn Book, and KAREN CUSHMAN.*)
I read several early versions of the MS, and it's evolved and grown since then. This is historical fiction without the preachy, teachy overtones of a lot of MG/YA historical fiction. It's dirty, messy, angry, violent, funny, dark, and real. Cecily and Gwenhwyfar are flawed and complicated, very much of their time, but very relatable for modern readers. I want to get it in kids' hands because I believe it can change the way they think about historical fiction. Readers who are into dystopias can certainly appreciate stories about real colonial oppression and rebellion, if they're told this well.
I knew all that about the story before I got my hands on the book today. But what I didn't expect is how the physical book would take my breath away, as a thing in and of itself. The photo above doesn't do it justice. The colors are real, the knotwork is gorgeous, and even the fonts--there are several on the cover and w/in the text--are wonderful, varied without looking cluttered. I'm not against e-readers, per se, but sometimes you need a physical book, and this one is well worth the cost, the space, and the paper. NGL, I teared up holding it in my hands, in part because I know how much work and thought and love went into the writing of it, but also because it looks and feels as though work and thought and love went into the publishing and printing of it, too.
(*I met her once. She patted me on the shoulder during a workshop. She signed my hardbacks with the Trina Schart Hyman covers. It's been almost three years and I haven't stopped being amazed about it yet.)
This entry was originally posted at http://akamarykate.dreamwidth.org/335099.html. You may comment either here or there.