Sitka-based author took a detour into young adults fiction and was awarded a national award.
Brendan Jones will be presented with the Green Earth Book Award via a virtual ceremony from Delaware on December 7. For the past 18 years, the award has been presented by Nature Generation to recognize exceptional work in eco-lit (literature that explores ecological issues).
Penguin/Random House published Jones’ novel Whispering Alaska last year. Jones claims that the story of twin girls moving to Alaska from their home in California was not his idea. It was suggested by Random House’s editor.
The novel was not completed until Jones was on Fulbright in the Russian Far East.
My agent called me up and said, “Hey, Beverly Horowitz is a great editor.” Jones replied, “Would you like to write a story about twins traveling from Pennsylvania to Alaska?” Julian, my agent, pointed out that you will have three of them, and three girls specifically, since you have three girls who have just turned 18.
Jones said that the initial work was not easy.
Beverly said that I had sent her a manuscript. You can try again. I did so and sent one to her. She said, “This is still not right.” Retry. Restart. I was able to spend some alone time. I was just feeling really creative and sent her a copy. She said, “We can work together with this.”
Jones claims that the plot was inspired by Jones’s experience writing during the pandemic. Jones claims that his publisher believes this is the first young adult fiction to examine the effects of the pandemic upon youth. The story centers on twin girls who lost their mother, an emergency doctor. They are twins but have a rare genetic twist that gives them each a different experience of grief.
They are grieving the loss of their mother and becoming mirror twins. He says that twins can actually be mirrors of one another. “They have very different ways of dealing when their mother passes away.
Jones stated that Whispering Alaska is for readers aged 12 and over. This is what is called “middle grade” in the publishing industry.
After returning from a trip in Port Alexander, he recently returned to Sitka. He said that Whispering Alaska has been a great way for him to reach Alaskan children .
Jones received high marks for previous work. His debut novel Alaskan Laundry won the 2017 Alaskana Prize. Oprah’s Book Club recognized Jones.
