[Blog Tour] Q&A with Mariko Tamaki, author of SAVING MONTGOMERY SOLE

Hi everyone! I’m so happy to continue to celebrate Pride Month and to feature SAVING MONTGOMERY SOLE. The main character, Montgomery Sole, has two mothers and struggles to make sense of her world as a religious leader threatens her sense of family. Without further ado, I’m happy to present the book & the interview!

About the Book

Saving Montgomery Sole by Mariko Tamaki
Roaring Brook Press
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A beautiful and offbeat novel from Mariko Tamaki, co-creator of the bestselling Printz Honor and Caldecott Honor Book This One Summer.

Montgomery Sole is a square peg in a small town, forced to go to a school full of jocks and girls who don’t even know what irony is. It would all be impossible if it weren’t for her best friends, Thomas and Naoki. The three are also the only members of Jefferson High’s Mystery Club, dedicated to exploring the weird and unexplained, from ESP and astrology to super powers and mysterious objects.

Then there’s the Eye of Know, the possibly powerful crystal amulet Monty bought online. Will it help her predict the future or fight back against the ignorant jerks who make fun of Thomas for being gay or Monty for having lesbian moms? Maybe the Eye is here just in time, because the newest resident of their small town is scarier than mothmen, poltergeists, or, you know, gym.

Thoughtful, funny, and painfully honest, Montgomery Sole is someone you’ll want to laugh and cry with over a big cup of frozen yogurt with extra toppings.

About the Author

Mariko Tamaki has garnered much acclaim for both her written and performance-based work. The graphic novel Skim (with Jillian Tamaki) was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award and received numerous other accolades, including the Doug Wright Award for Best Graphic Novel, the Ignatz Award, and the Joe Schuster Award. Tamaki was also awarded the Writers’ Trust Honour of Distinction for her body of work. You can follow her on her blog at www.marikotamaki.com and on Twitter at @marikotamaki.

The Q&A!

Q: Please describe your novel using any 5 words.

A: Unexplained in a frustrating world.

Q: Montgomery Sole loves exploring the unknown, is there anything that inspired you to create a Mystery Club for the characters?

A:I have always been a fan of the unexplained, of the weird.  As a kid I wanted to badly to believe in magical type things.  When I was in high school I was super big on the X-Files, Wicca, ESP.  All that stuff.  And it basically never went away.  Today I pretty much surround myself with people who have at least a mild interest in the weird and fantastical.

Q: You’ve written graphic novels in the past and this is your second novel. Besides the illustrations, what is the biggest difference between writing novels and graphic novels?

It’s a very different process.  You’re in the well of it the whole time, as the author of a prose novel.  You’re creating a whole world all by yourself.  It’s hard and also an amazing challenge.   I’m lucky to be able to work in comics and prose, to be able to collaborate and also work alone (with the help of my awesome editors – mind you).

Q: In your novel, Monty struggles to make sense of her place in a religious context because of her parents and the preacher she sees. What advice would you give to teens struggling with similar issues?

A: It’s okay not to know where you stand.  You’ll figure it out.  Also, you don’t have to figure this stuff alone.  Find someone who can hear what you have to say, who can answer your questions, because that person is out there.

Q: Can you give us a hint about what you’re working on now?

A: I have a new comic book coming out with the amazing Rosemary Valero-O’Connell called Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, which is in progress.  I am currently on a new book, which is in such a young stage I can’t really say if I’m sure what it’s about.