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AUTHOR Q & A: Sara Pennypacker
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An interview with Sara Pennypacker Author of Pax, Journey Home
Q. What made you want to return to the world of Pax and Peter? A. Well, I actually never left it. You see, usually, when I finish a book, I miss the characters, but it’s clear what happens to them after that final page so I don’t keep wondering. But I’d deliberately left the ending to Pax a bit open-ended, so I kept imagining different futures for them all. A year or so after the release, I shared my favorite with my agent – in so much depth that we both realized I had another book. I was so happy to return to Peter and Pax’s worlds, especially Pax’s. It’s a real privilege to write from a fox’s point of view.
Q. In Pax, Journey Home, you write from a perspective not usually in children’s books, that of a parent. How was that experience different from your normal writing, or different from Pax’s perspective in the first book? A. I’m so glad you noticed that – having a main character experience parenthood was one of the most interesting aspects of writing the sequel. I know that most of my readers won’t be in that place themselves, so what I hope they take from it is an insight to how their own parents might feel about them. That feeling of loving your children so much you realize you’d do anything for them, even if it meant a terrible loss for yourself. Also, I felt it rounded out Pax’s re-entry to the wild.
Q. As with Pax, a strong theme in Pax, Journey Home is spotlighting injustice. How did you want to frame this for your audience? A. In Pax, I tried hard to avoid an overt anti-war stand (it’s not an author’s place to proselytize) but instead to simply explore the question What are the costs of war? and ask readers to answer it for themselves. In the sequel, I explored some possible responses to having suffered injustice. Peter has lost his home, his pet, and now his father to a war he never had a chance to weigh in on. His first response is to close himself off, so he’ll never be vulnerable again. Other characters have had losses, too, but they’ve chosen different responses. After encountering them journeying home, Peter ultimately decides to try something braver. Another aspect is shown in the Water Warriors – I wanted to look at ways that an organization previously involved in destruction could be repurposed to healing.
Q. Jon Klassen has once again lent his stunning artwork to bring the world of Pax and Peter to life. What is your favorite part of Jon’s depictions of your characters? A. Where do I start? His drawings are gorgeous and evocative of course, but what I love most is the respect he shows for the foxes. Pax and his kit are drawn with a dignity that mirrors how I came to feel about them: the more I researched red foxes the more I admired them and wanted to be respectful in telling their stories. That final illustration is my favorite… just, wow.
Q. Do you feel like this is the end of Peter and Pax’s story, or at least what readers will get to discover? A. It is definitely the end! All the characters are now set firmly on their paths, and we can trust they are going to end up living their best lives.
