Today we talk about Call of the boodier, a book by Molly Fernandes published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Molly Fernandes, to get to know her better, what prompted her to the writing of her book Call of the boodier, as well how she decided the title of her book.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- What was the moment that led you to the writing of your book?
As a primary school teacher, we are hunters of stories, art and phenomena. All learning is best done with content that is relevant and connected to the student. So, in my planning I was trying to build my history program and just finding it difficult to find content that was really local. Australia is such a young country with an ancient history and things are constantly being created, explored and built. I always wanted my students to start their learning at a place that had a connection to their own experience. Western Australia is a place that battles with low rainfall, for example, so I wrote a lesson plan about the worlds driest town and tried to get the students to imagine what it was like, having no rainfall and living with that before they started learning about the seasons. This idea of connection is very important to me, and I always feel that the learning is much deeper and lasting if there is a connection early on. So, I wanted the history program to be really connected to local knowledge. At the same time, I was building my classroom management tools, and I came up with this idea about the tiger in the way that the Chinese zodiac depicts the tiger. I think that most people think of the tiger as a beautiful, loveable creature that is a sign of great strength. Most children completely adore Tigers and most adults too. I began to use the Tiger as a mascot for my classroom to encourage students to adopt these characteristics to be attentive, self-motivated students. Tigers are playful, inquisitive and energetic. Also, they are hunters. I wanted my students to be really active in their hunt for understanding. So, I found this animal to be a perfect mascot for my classroom reward program. At the same time, we had been learning about Australian animals, and in particular, the numbat. I started thinking about the similarities between these two animals. This tiny numbat with stripes that was carnivorous and diurnal, just like the tiger. These two threatened species, really need our help and really need our attention. The statistics for threatened species disappearing are horrific, and we just need to give this problem as much attention as we can. I created a poster with the facts about the numbat and the tiger, and it just provided a really nice way to introduce all this valuable learning to my students. From there, this story just evolved and it’s been an incredible experience of learning for me, and also just reminded me of how important it is to pay attention to what’s happening around us.
- What would you like to hear from your readers?
I am hoping that my readers really enjoy the twists and turns in the book. The process of writing, the book was quite an interesting one and involved lots of problem-solving. There are a few subplots in the book and it takes the reader on quite a convoluted journey. So, I am really hoping that people enjoy the links between the stories of the characters. The aim of the book was really to shine a light on many things that exist in our environment, and in our history that has a very close proximity to us. There are many stories that just haven’t been told, and I have discovered that even though I have lived most of my life in this part of the world, there is still so much that I just don’t know. Through talking to students, I found a lot of gaps in their awareness about some of our native animals and some of our plants. I’m just hoping that this book starts a bigger process of inquiry for readers. I have enjoyed my experience of learning about Wadandi Boodja and of course it’s really just a scratch of the surface. I hope this book helps to reveal some of the stories that haven’t been told, and leads readers to keep learning about the environment and the incredible history that is ours. Most of all I would love to hear readers stories about their own discoveries of Indigenous culture and the environment.
- What was the first book you read and what did it teach you?
The first book that I was really captivated by, or possibly book series was those written by Enid Blyton. I loved her way of storytelling. She had this ability to lead you down a path away from your reality into a magical world. The Magic Far Away Tree books were so whimsical and creative. I just loved the magic lands at the top of the tree, and all the extraordinary characters that she created in her books. I suppose the biggest link to the way that I write now, and to the books that I went onto loving was the Famous Five series. The Famous Five books were first published in 1942, and they have just captivated thousands of readers for over 80 years! I was just absolutely transported by her adventures. The mysteries that the five children got themselves implicated in we’re just so beautifully written, and I loved the descriptions of the wild coastlines, and the caves that the smugglers would hide in. These stories really reflected some of the places that I hung out in as a child on the coast of south-west of Western Australia. During beach holidays, I would look out at the horizon and explore the limestone caves and literally feel like I was in one of these books. I also loved that beautiful, whimsical tone that she kept throughout all her books describing their picnics with lemonade and sandwiches. These books just really took me to another place. And that’s one of the wonderful things about reading.
- How did you decide the title of your book?
So, the word Boodier, means, spiritual elder in Noongar which is the first language of this land, and it’s a language that more and more children are learning in school. I am absolutely fascinated by this language that comes from the first occupants of this country. I always feel that language is so layered in code and meaning and often the words really give you so much understanding of the history of something. Anyway, I had this idea of this tiger being in a completely foreign place and not understanding anything about the forest that she found herself in, even though she had been in other forests. So, I wanted her to be really dependent on the wisdom of the of an elder of the Wadandi people. Obviously, I am not a descendent of Noongar but I feel it’s important for everyone to embrace history, and learn more about the origins of the place they live in. So, the title is central to this idea of listening to the guidance of ancient knowledge.
- Are you working on a new project you can tell us about?
The book I’m writing at the moment is a little bit closer to home for me. It evolved out of my fascination about this wedding dress that I have in my house, designed and stitched by my great grandmother. She made the dress in 1913, on her journey from Scotland to Western Australia. She was married in Albany in 1913, when she arrived, and this is an incredible story of life change and emigration. She was an incredibly courageous woman who just faced challenge after challenge. So, she actually had eight operations between the age of 14 and 28 for her illness- tuberculosis of the neck. After her operations, she was told by the doctor that the thing that would help the most was swimming in the sea. So even though she couldn’t swim, she went into the ocean every day of her life, and discovered that she was a very good diver. So, she would do a beautiful synchronise dive, and then they would pull her in to the shore again. Say this story is really about this incredible woman who faced amazing odds, but it’s also about emigration and the incredible journey that people make to make a new life in a new country. Once again, this is a Youth Adventure novel for children, but I think it will appeal to old readers as well. I am working with an illustrator to capture the beauty of the landscapes of Scotland, Australia and the journey across the sea, that she made.
Europe Books thanks the author, Molly Fernandes, once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book Call of the boodier. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my readers, I hope this book will capture you and allow you to appreciate the connections between the stories of the characters. I hope, as the author also suggests, that this book initiates a larger process of inquiry for all of you in relation to the stories here told. Finally, may this book intrigue you to the point of looking forward to re-opening it and continuing to explore it with great passion and willing to know what’s coming next!
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!