The Girl from Korn follows an eleven-year-old Mennonite girl leaving Russia for Oklahoma in 1903, who exsperances a harsh new land and strict community that tests her courage, faith, and understanding of what it truly means to find home. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

This story is inspired by my grandmother’s family memoir. She was born in Corn, Oklahoma, and often spoke about her grandparents’ move to Corn and what life was like during that time. One day, after visiting Corn and seeing my ancestors’ gravestones in the cemetery, the idea for this story began to take shape in my mind. I started researching what life was like back then and created a strong-willed, curious character named Tillie as part of the DeFehr family.

How does Tillie’s journey resonate with modern immigration stories?

There are so many heart breaking stories right now about immigrants and the way they negative ways they are treated. For this reason, I wanted to include Tillie’s arrival to New York City and her seeing the Statue of Liberty, as a simple reminder that most of us descended from immigrants and the U.S. has a history of welcoming others from across the globe. We need to keep finding ways to take care of each other and treat each other with respect and kindness.

Family bonds are a major theme. Which relationship was most meaningful for you to write?

I appreciate Tillie’s relationships with several characters in the story. I admire how she struggles to understand her mother but ultimately comes to terms with her. I also love her bond with Preacher; he is kind, humble, and genuinely listens to Tillie. However, the most significant relationship is with her sister, Teenie. Tragically, Teenie passes away at the end of the book, and Tillie and her family each navigate their grief in different ways. This resonates with me personally, as my own sister passed away last year after a long illness. Therefore, Tillie’s relationship with Teenie reflects my experiences with my sister in many ways.

The idea of “home” evolves throughout the story. What do you hope readers take away about belonging?

I think our ideas of what is home changes over our lifetime, especially if you grow up in more than one culture. Tillie’s home kept changing, but ultimately it was always where her family was. However, she had to learn a new language, live in different houses, experience a new way of life. She had to contiually adapt in order to belong. Many of us do that thoughout our lives as well.

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