We chat with author Cynthia Leitich Smith about On a Wing and a Tear, which is a modern folklore story about friendship, embracing the unexpected, and all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation.
Hi, Cynthia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure, I’m an author of books for young readers, mama of Chihuahua pups, classic “Star Wars” fan, Midwesterner, naturalized Texan, and citizen of Muscogee Nation, one of the largest Indigenous tribal nations within the borders of the United States. I enjoy archery, art museums, and the music of Eartha Kitt and Dolly Parton.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve been writing since I told a short story about fishing for crawdads in creeks in the woods behind my childhood home. My prompt was a second-grade assignment to share what I’d done over my summer vacation, and the principal read it to the whole school one morning over the intercom.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: A nonfiction book about different kinds of seashells. I collected seashells for years, which took some doing because I lived—far from any ocean—in Kansas City.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. Until then, I thought all authors were long-dead white men from England or New England. I was very excited to find out that Judy was still alive and a girl. If she could write a book, I figured I could, too.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. In many ways, protagonist Kit Tyler is courageous, even aspirational. Some might even call her “progressive.” But her character is also shadowed and complicated by biases of her era that persist on.
Your latest novel, On a Wing and a Tear, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Journey, homeland, adventure, family, mysterious.
What can readers expect?
A mix of humor and heartfelt moments as Ray, his best friend Melanie, and his grampa travel with the legendary ballplayer Bat and spunky Gray Squirrel from Chicago to the Ocmulgee Mounds outside Macon, Georgia.
Where did the inspiration for On a Wing and a Tear come from?
Like most of my “inspirations,” it was a mixed bag of influences, including my own previous books and characters, the need to contextualize ancestral land, the desire to write about the Trail of Tears from a contemporary place of heroism, healing, and returning home.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I adored writing Gray Squirrel. She’s arguably a comic-relief character and a tag-along on the adventure, but she’s also skilled and resilient and all heart. I love her.
What do you hope readers take away from On a Wing and a Tear?
Native kids like Ray and Mel are just like other kids in the sense that they have their struggles and joys, full lives and a range of emotions. Their story underscores how we each are individuals but also part of larger communities and traditions. We have a past, a present, and a future, and our homelands—whether we’re physically there or not—are intrinsically tied to us throughout time.
What’s next for you?
Coming up, I look forward to the release of a picture book, Firefly Season, illustrated by Kate Gardiner and a young adult anthology, Legendary Fry Bread Drive-In, cover art by Paula TopSky Houtz (both Heartdrum, spring 2025).
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
As for Native books, I’m loving Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan; the Tana Cooks series by Stacy Wells, and I can hardly wait for The Art Thieves by Andrea L. Rogers. More broadly, I enjoyed The Minor Miracle by Meredith Davis, Life is Beautiful by Winsome Bingham and Molly Mendoza, The Strange Wonders of Roots by Evan Griffith, and Sally’s Lament by Mari Mancusi.
