The Cabin tells the story of two children who become attached to the mystique surrounding a cabin in the woods and the sense of loss and subsequent resilience upon its destruction. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

This story is inspired by a true event that took place on Hog’s Back Mountain in Upstate New York. Summers spent on my grandmother’s farm provided a real time experience of life, play, and death. Due to our wonderful experiences, we blossomed as human beings while there.

Is there anything from your own experience found in the characters of Keith and Cynthia?

Haha! Actually, yes! We are the characters and I could not be happier with what they discover through unexpected friendship, loss, and the continuance of their rhythm of farm life. 

The artwork in your book is wonderful. Can you tell us a little about your collaboration with illustrator Alex Bigatti?

Alex understood and loved the story from the start. I wanted the medium of watercolor to convey a sense of wistfulness and she agreed. Neither of us knew much about doing art for a children’s book, but she was persistent and did her research. Alex’s insight and passion for her art is clearly seen in the illustrations and she was so easy to work with. She captured the emotional world of the characters and the story! 

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The theme of resilience was the top theme for me. It emerged as I did the rewrites: Resilience in the face of loss. What also came out was the importance of rhythms in our life…rhythms that can carry us through difficult and wonderful times, but are always there. The gift of friendship also seemed important. The joy and surprise as well as the fragility of them is clearly seen and felt in The Cabin.

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