An interview with Sara B. Shirley – January 2025

 

Is Forsyth a real town?

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No, but it’s based on one: Pike, New Hampshire, once the home of the largest sharpening stone manufacturer in the world! I came across the story of the Pike family by accident, wrote a paper about the company’s 100-year history before it was abruptly shut down, and wondered, “What if the company town didn’t just crumble to dust? What if someone swooped in and saved it?” And just like that, Forsyth was born.

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If you want to read more about Pike's history, click here. It’s an inspiring story about what you can accomplish with vision and a mountain of hard work.

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If you want to see old pictures on how Pike Manufacturing Company made their sharpening stones, click here.

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Why did you name the town Forsyth?

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The name Forsyth has a long history in Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name “Fearsithe” which means “man of peace.” However, another theory is that the name is derived from the Gaelic words “Fear,” meaning grass, and “Sith/Sidh,” meaning “fairy” and “hill.” Taken together, these meanings seem to describe my fictional town perfectly – peaceful people, hilly farmland, and a touch of magic.

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What do the three book titles in Forsyth mean?

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The titles of the three books are excerpted quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson, an influential nineteenth century philosopher who, among other things, championed self-reliance and the study of Nature as keys to living a good and meaningful life.

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Book 1 - A Zigzag Line

“The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from a sufficient distance, and it straightens itself …”

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Ralph Waldo Emerson's "zigzag line" quote means that a person's life path, when viewed closely, may appear erratic, like the zigzag line a ship makes when it tacks back and forth against the wind. But if you stand back and look, that life path shows steady progress towards a goal. In other words, life doesn’t have to be lived in a straight line. It’s the larger, meaningful trajectory that counts. 

 

Book 2 - That Iron String (expected publication mid-2026)

"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string."

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In writing on the virtues of individualism and self-reliance, Emerson explained his belief that the power residing in each person is something completely new in Nature. He urges us to trust ourselves because each of our hearts "vibrates" according to our own individual values and determination. Just as an instrument's string will sound differently depending on how loosely or tightly it is tuned and how hard it is struck, each person - guided by his or her own particular sense of self - has a unique impact upon the world.

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Book 3 - Drink the Wild Air (expected publication mid-2028)

        “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”

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This Emerson quote encourages us to live life to the fullest, to embrace every moment with joy. "Live in the sunshine" urges us to seek the brightness and positivity in life. "Swim the sea" symbolizes being open to new experiences. "Drink the wild air" asks us to welcome adventure and spontaneity. Overall, this quote reminds us to embrace whatever comes our way with excitement, wonder, and a sense of freedom.

 

What are your top three favorite books?

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An impossible question! But, if I choose the three books that I’ve reread the most in the last decade, they’d be Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Watership Down by Richard Adams, and The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.

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What is your favorite memory about reading as a child?

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Sitting on the floor among the stacks at the Rye (New Hampshire) Public Library. The children’s collection was small and geared toward younger kids, so I would wander the adult section and select random books to sample on my lap. That’s how I discovered a love of old adventure stories like Scaramouche, The Scarlett Pimpernel, and The Count of Monte Cristo. I read the whole shelf of Charles Dickens, one by one. I am so grateful for the experience of growing up in a time without computers, cell phones, and cable TV. It was a lot easier to love reading then.

 

Which middle-grade and YA books have you read and loved recently?

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For ages 9 to 12:

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (2021)

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When Zoe’s estranged and imprisoned father tells her he is innocent, and her grandmother agrees, Zoe secretly sets out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence.

 

An extraordinary story about family, friendship, and justice.

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For ages 12 and up:

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri (2020)

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An Oklahoman middle school student, Khosrou (known in America as Daniel) tells the tales of his Iranian family’s history, stretching back centuries, centering on how they became refugees and finally gained asylum in the U.S.

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 A tale of heartbreak, resilience, and a boy’s search for his own truth.

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For 14 and up:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (2012)

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In Lithuania, fifteen-year-old Lina has her life torn apart by Soviet officers, who send her, her younger brother, and her mother to a Siberian work camp where they are forced to fight for their lives. Risking everything, Lina embeds clues to her location in drawings that she hopes will make their way to her father's prison camp.

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A compelling story of strength, love, and hope.

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Who is your favorite author and how did they influence you?

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Charles Dickens, the master of creating unforgettable characters and vivid settings, two things any great story must have. His villains are particularly impressive, always presented as a fascinating mix of good and (mostly) evil. Who can forget Sykes and Fagin from Oliver Twist? Uriah Heep from David Copperfield? Miss Haversham and Magwitch from Great Expectations? Although I doubt that I will ever achieve such mastery, I intend to keep trying!

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How much time do you spend writing each week and what is your writing routine?

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It depends! Before the first draft, I make a Post-it note story board of the whole novel, a lengthy process of fiddling with the sequencing of scenes and the plot. I also interview all my characters in my head, as if they were real people I want to know. Once I start writing, I aim for at least six hours a day. That might sound like a lot, but I am a very slow writer. I try things, think about them, reject them nine times out of ten, then try again. (My outtakes file for A Zigzag Line is larger than the book!) Once the draft is finished, I do one more thing before I even think of editing: put it in a drawer and forget about it for a few months. Why? Because I have read the draft so many times, I can no longer tell whether the characters, settings, and story I have in my mind are actually there on the page. Reading with fresh eyes is essential when you edit and rewrite. Also, stepping away from the manuscript allows time for new ideas to percolate.

 

What is your favorite thing about writing?

That feeling you get when your imaginary characters and settings become real people and places.

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What is your least favorite thing?

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Watching the cursor blink on a blank page when you can’t think of one word to write.

 

Other than writing, what else do you like to do?

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I'm a passionate gardener, especially growing flowering trees, shrubs, and plants for our native pollinators.