Behind the Book: Erin Entrada Kelly, Author of LALANI OF THE DISTANT SEA
by Erin Entrada Kelly
On shelves 9.3.19
Dear Reader,
There's a reason why folktales and fables can be so frightening. They tell us something about our world — its beasts and monsters, curses and evils. We live in a scary place and it doesn't always make sense to us. If you're like me, you wonder how we can sometimes be so cruel to one another. Folktales — including the Filipino stories that inspired this book — seek to answer those questions for us.
You don't have to look far to find malice. We're given new examples every day of people being spiteful, vicious, vindictive, and unkind. We turn to religion, activism, books, and art to make sense of all this, because we know that hope will survive as long as we believe in something.
Two years ago, I asked myself: What do you believe in?
I believe in the power of the quiet and mighty. I believe that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things. I believe that random acts of kindness make you stronger, not weaker. I believe that our young people need to know these things now more than ever.
In short, I answered my question the best way I know how — with a book. This book.
Join me, won't you?
Erin Entrada Kelly
Praise for
LALANI OF THE DISTANT SEA
"A lush and beautiful fable, full of beauty, full of wonder." — Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me
⋆ "Fast-paced and full of wonder, this is a powerful, gripping must-read." — Kirkus (STARRED REVIEW)
⋆ "Readers will be cheering for Lalani." — Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)
About the Author
New York Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly was awarded the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe. She grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and now lives Delaware. She is a professor of children’s literature in the graduate fiction and publishing programs at Rosemont College, where she earned her MFA. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Philippines Free Press Literary Award for Short Fiction and the Pushcart Prize. Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut novel, Blackbird Fly, was a Kirkus Best Book, a School Library Journal Best Book, an ALSC Notable Book, and an Asian/Pacific American Literature Honor Book. She is also the author of The Land of Forgotten Girls, winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and You Go First, a Spring 2018 Indie Next Pick. The author’s mother was the first in her family to immigrate to the United States from the Philippines, and she now lives in Cebu.
About the Book
Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut fantasy novel is a gorgeous, literary adventure about bravery, friendship, self-reliance, and the choice between accepting fate or forging your own path.
When Lalani Sarita’s mother falls ill with an incurable disease, Lalani embarks on a dangerous journey across the sea in the hope of safeguarding her own future. Inspired by Filipino folklore, this engrossing fantasy is for readers who loved Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Disney’s Moana.
Life is difficult on the island of Sanlagita. To the west looms a vengeful mountain, one that threatens to collapse and bury the village at any moment. To the north, a dangerous fog swallows sailors who dare to venture out, looking for a more hospitable land. The women live in fear of the deadly mender’s disease, spread by the sharp needles they use to repair the men’s fishing nets. And what does the future hold for young girls? Mending and more mending.
When Lalani Sarita’s mother pricks her finger and falls ill, she gives twelve-year-old Lalani an impossible task—leave Sanlagita and find the riches of the legendary Mount Isa, which towers on an island to the north. But generations of men and boys have died on the same quest—how can a timid young girl survive the epic tests of the archipelago? And how will she manage without Veyda, her best friend?
Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut fantasy novel is inspired by Filipino folklore and is an unforgettable coming-of-age story about friendship, courage, and identity.
Readers will love meeting Lalani, an ordinary girl on an extraordinary adventure; and Veyda, the best friend she leaves behind to ignite a revolution. Perfect for fans of Lauren Wolk’s Beyond the Bright Sea and Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon.