If you read my spotlight on Odin’s Promise last week, you’ll have noticed that I’ve fallen in love with this book. Â The reason–aside from its obvious stellar qualities–is that it always feels wonderful to be able to identify and champion something great before it’s well known and everyone else has learned of it already. Â Since I have no doubt that Odin’s Promise will become one of those books, I’m thrilled to be a part of its ‘before’ story, and share this chance for you to win your own copy. 😀
But first, let’s give  a little love to Sandy Brehl, authoress of Odin’s Promise.  You’ll find my interview questions in boring black, while her answers are green.
 SW: First let’s chat about the thing we all find most pressing–food.  You discuss in the back of the book your visit to Norway.  Did you ever eat Lutefisk while visiting?  What’s it like?  What would American kids think of it?
Sandy: I didn’t eat lutefisk while there, although fish and seafood in general were finely prepared and served often, especially salmon. I’ve attended lutefisk dinners here in Wisconsin, though. They are major events with those of Norwegian heritage, and I’ve gone with friends.Â
Here’s the truth. I’m not a good judge of lutefisk since I’m not much of a fish fan in general. Those who love lutefisk really rave, even though they admit it can be an acquired taste. As far as my limited fish palette could tell- it’s okay. Plain, white, dripping in a butter sauce. Sounds a lot like lobster, but I’m not a fan of that either.Â
It’s the “lye” part that made me doubt I could choke it down, which might be the same for some kids, while others might see it as an adventure. Actually, the lye is only a preservative and is removed before final preparation. Considering that, it must be good because it was pretty edible.
Everything else about the traditional meal was fantastic, and I have no doubt kids from any culture would agree with that. Here’s an interesting link to a Scandinavian food blog with a great picture of a traditional Lutefisk meal.Â
SW: Something about the familial warmth, and the strength to endure with cheer in Odin’s Promise reminded me of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie books. Â Did you ever read those books? Â Do you think they might have influenced you on some level? Â And if not, what books would you say were a direct influence?
Sandy: Thank you for that high praise, indeed! I’m blushing! Of course I read the “Little House” books, but here again I’ll make a confession. (You seem to bring out a guilty streak in me.) I liked them very much as a kid, but I devoured books at such a rate that very few stayed on my (conscious) mind or made the cut as “favorites”, since the one I was currently reading tended to absorb my full and complete attention. It was as a teacher  that I reread the Wilder books and so many others. Having an adult perspective, and hearing what young readers had to say about them, enriched and elevated them in my opinion and in their value as models of writing.
Books that could well have influenced me (although not consciously) would be Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, and The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank. Snow Treasure is still in print and used often in schools more than 70 years after its initial publication.
SW: Wonderful books! Â I’ll have to look up Snow Treasures–I don’t think I’ve read it. Â One of the things I absolutely loved in Odin’s Promise was Mari’s courage, and the way she learned to master her nerves around people in order to help her family and friends. Â Tell us, what is the scariest thing you ever did as a child?
Hmmm… you really are after confessionals, aren’t you? I’m a big believer in the idea that we are shaped by the things we tell ourselves. Mari interested me in how comfortable and accepting she was of being the baby of the family. She sometimes surprised herself and other times consciously worked at rewriting her own script as the realities of the occupation forced themselves into her life. Â
I was the opposite of Mari in that I often told myself things weren’t  scary. I was always trying to prove how grown up I was (middle child that I am). Then I’d find myself in situations that scared the socks off me, but generally denied that I was scared, even to myself.Â
At one family outing I wanted to explore beyond the picnic area into a nearby woods. That got a firm and immediate “NO” from my parents, but I somehow managed to slip away. I was so worried about being “caught” that I ended up completely unaware of where I had been or how to get back. I have a vivid memory of spinning slowly in every direction and seeing nothing but trees and more trees, of silence replacing the noisy voices I’d left behind. It felt like forever, but it was probably only minutes until I heard my name called and ran toward it. Here’s the confession part: I couldn’t have been more than fifty feet into the woods. My relief at getting out of there was as huge as the woods had felt, though. That time I couldn’t lie to myself- I was terrified!
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SW: Haha I can imagine! Â Another food question…because I just tend to go there. Â And this book can really make you hungry! Â How did Mari and her family feed Odin, with rations so tight? Â Did he catch his own food in the mountains?
Well, I was sort of hoping no one would go there…
In general, this was a different time, in Norway and in this country, too. Odin was a country dog, even if not a farm dog. In those days dogs often roamed about, without collars, and would scrounge scraps, small animals, etc. There is also abundant fishing along the fjord edge where pets and wild animals could catch their own prey or scavenge bits left behind by fishermen. Even when food is least available there are parts  that humans are reluctant to eat- organ meats, brains, etc.- that animals eat willingly. This includes fish guts. These are often very nutritious parts.Â
That’s one of the many things I left out of the book, or wrote and cut as unessential. Another was that Mari had a conversation with her brother at a certain point in the story and they discussed how difficult it was becoming to provide enough food for a grown dog. I won’t say more about that here to avoid spoiling  any of the plot. Since you read the book you may be able to picture when that might have happened.
SW: I think I know when you mean–and thanks for satisfying my curiosity! Â Odin’s Promise works beautifully as a stand alone, but I can’t help wanting to read more of Mari and her family. Â Do you have any plans to write a sequel?
It wasn’t sold as a series.  I’ll admit that as soon as I wrapped this story in its final edits (well, truthfully, even before that), I was thinking ahead to the remaining years of occupation, wanting to follow  Mari through them and figure out what happens to her and her family. The extensive research I did covered the full scope of those years, and there are many factual and fictional aspects of the those years that I’d love to pursue. It has pleased me enormously to have readers ask what’s going to happen next to… ?
I’ve decided I’ll absolutely write more to figure those things out, even if they never become another book or series. It seemed to take me forever to find the right characters to carry this story, and now Mari and her family  found me and aren’t finished with me yet. I’d love to hear from others who are interested in finding out more, even ideas of what they think might happen next.
SW: Hooray for more of Mari and her family! Â I think it goes without saying that I’ll be waiting, and would love to be one of your first readers. Â Last question from me: I enjoyed the descriptions of Bunad, and the importance the Norway national costume plays in the book. Â Have you ever worn Bunad? Â Do you have your own Bunad?
Holy lutefisk, no! While visiting I considered it a privilege to even see and handle bunad up close. I traveled with a second generation Norwegian to visit her family and we were shown their bunad. The time, fabrics, detail work, and experience needed to make even a part of one full bunad is incredible. Most also contain heirloom silver elements- buttons, brads, fasteners, buckles, neckpieces, etc. That’s why most are created by or handed down by family members, and only if the family can afford it. When shopping in Bergen we saw a store specializing in authentic regional bunad. A single full costume costs many thousands of dollars. The needlework is more impressive than the most elaborate quilting or cross-stitching I’ve ever seen.
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Things I love to make: To make a Bunad The Norwegian national holiday is on the 17th May. On that day, many (in particular) females wear a national costume called a bunad.
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And now a couple questions from The Ravencroft animals, because why would they not get in on a book like this?
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From Apricot (the cat): Some of those summer days seem to have endless sunshine–which is just how I like it when taking a nap, but would make night-hunting a problem. Â How long are the summer days, in Norway?
Apricot, I visited there twice, and once was over the June 21 Midsummer celebration date, the longest day of sunlight for the year. Even in the south of Norway, where I was, the sun never really “set” on those days. As we visited and chatted on a mountainside patio, I thought it was getting to be nine o’clock or so. When I looked at my watch it was nearly one in the morning! It does become fairly shadowy and dusky for a couple of hours about then.Â
Cats I’ve known seem to do pretty well in those conditions, and I hear you’re quite a talented huntress. Just don’t travel to the  far north of Norway, deep into the Arctic Circle. There, the nights of summer are like evenings in our area. Maybe their cats travel south for the summers!
A question from our silkie rooster Puff Daddy: We chickens always have to keep a watch out for predators, whether coyote, fox, raccoon, possum, or anything else that wants all their food to taste like chicken! Â Other than the possibility of a bear at the beginning, we don’t see a lot of animals that aren’t dogs or rabbits in this book. Â What kind of wild animals does Norway have? Â What predators would a chicken have to watch out for?
Puff Daddy, if you were in Norway I’d advise you to stay close to home. There are plenty of wild animals, large and small, but some wouldn’t bother you at all. There are deer throughout the country, and reindeer, moose, and elk further north. There are goats- plenty of them- but they wouldn’t bother you either, except to compete for food. What you’d need to watch for would be foxes, wolves, even lynx, weasels and predatory birds. Let’s not forget cats. A cat-loving friend suggested I should work in a special breed of cat, the Norwegian Forest cat, into the story. That would be a family cat, despite its name. How do you get along with Apricot? Maybe you’ve learned their language and can deal with those. Â
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There are plenty of animals you might recognize, like squirrels, beaver, and mice. I settled on rabbits as their target food because they can be easily caught without a weapon, are heavily populated, and offer a fair amount of meat on their bones. Apologies, Puff Daddy, for such a crude reference. I don’t eat chicken or rabbit, but I’ve heard people say rabbit tastes like chicken, so maybe that’s a good thing for you.
And a last question from Zeke, our dog: Did Odin have a girlfriend, and maybe some young pups? Â I’d enjoy playing tug of war with some of his many times great grandchildren!
Well, Zeke, maybe so. (If you’re a young dog, cover your ears for this next sentence, Zeke.) In those times dogs and cats were rarely “fixed”. Since Odin likely roamed about the village and surrounding areas he surely met and wooed some girl dogs and could well have fathered pups. You  might or might not recognize his many-times-grandpups, though, since his black coat variety of elkhound was quite rare and might not have carried through to those little furballs, especially in a chance romance.
That’s it for the interview, and many thanks to Sandy for obliging me and answering all my questions! Â Now for the giveaway, which I know you’re all waiting for. Â We are giving away 2 (TWO!) copies of Odin’s Promise, so be sure to enter and spread the word! Â Winners will be announced here next Monday, May 5th. Â US Residents only, please. Â And good luck!!!
PS Drop by Shannon’s blog for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday spotlights, interveiws and giveaways!
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