We chat with author Olivia A. Cole about Where the Lockwood Grows, which is a lyrical and environmentally-focused story about sisterhood, adventure, and activism—perfect for fans of The Last Cuentista and The City of Ember .
Hi, Olivia! Welcome back! Your latest novel, Where the Lockwood Grows, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
“Finding hope in much uncertainty.”
What can readers expect?
Humor and a quest for justice. A little bit of a mystery? Family drama – and so much nature: plants and very cool bugs. Also, what they can expect from all my books – environmentalism and close friendships.
Where did the inspiration for Where the Lockwood Grows come from?
A few years ago I had a student in my classroom who taught me some Kentucky history: Bloody Harlan, a conflict (a war, really) that happened in Harlan County, Kentucky between coal companies and workers. It stayed on my mind as I’ve watched the growing labor movement in the United States – and the resurgence of child labor. Then of course, climate change. At the time I started writing this book, wildfires in California were raging. In Where the Lockwood Grows, wildfires forever changed the protagonist’s family. She’s fighting against a lot. Mainly the right to be a child.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
The relationship between Erie and her sister Hurona was beautiful for me to explore. I have two older sisters, but we’ve never lived under the same roof. Erie shares a wall with Hurona, and they have an intimacy that felt so foreign to me as I set out writing them. As I went, I got closer to them, and they to each other.
This is your first published middle grade novel. Was there anything in particular that sparked you to delve into a younger genre?
The story came to me, and I had to write it as it came. To be eleven and twelve years old is to be full of a simultaneous bravery and fear, and that is Erie. Terrified that her world will change, and also terrified that it won’t. Children Erie’s age are coming of age in a burning world. I wanted to write something for them.
What do you hope readers will take away from reading Where The Lockwood Grows?
Hope. The dedication reads “For everyone who believes we still have time.” We do. Changes and choices can be made that set us on a path toward healing our planet.
You also released Dear Medusa earlier this year. What were the publishing timelines like and was there any crossover at all for you when it came to writing?
Not much crossover, thank goodness! Both of these books I wrote in quick bursts, one then the other. Not so with 2024’s books. <facepalm>
What’s next for you?
I’m currently revising the as yet untitled middle grade that will be released next year, and we’ve just finished copyedits on Ariel Crashes a Train, a YA novel-in-verse out next year that tackles OCD and gender. After that, hoping to finish my adult novel!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I just finished Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson and I loved it so much. <3
