If you’re a fan of epic fantasy adventure books, especially those with a Christian sensibility like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, get ready for the best news.
A new fantasy adventure series takes up the mantle of these beloved authors and delivers a fresh story that fans of these books will love.
Tales from Wakken Wood is the debut novel of E.P. Cowley, a retired homeschooling mother living in southern British Columbia. Holding a master’s degree in English literature from Portland State University, Cowley is an expert wordsmith whose story grips you from the start while gently conveying unforgettable Christian themes.
It’s a Catholic fantasy reader’s dream come true.
The best endorsement? My 12-year-old son, who’s read most fantasy series out there, ranks Tales from Wakken Wood as one of his favorite books, right up there with Narnia and Lord of the Rings.
So if you’re the kind of person who loves an epic adventure story, don’t miss this recent release from Ignatius Press. It would make a perfect summer read-aloud or kids' book club pick, too!
Aleteia had the chance to catch up with E.P. Cowley about her story inspiration, the book’s Christian themes, and how she found time to write it.
What inspired you to write Wakken Wood?
Cowley: I wanted to write a fairy tale for my children. For entertainment, of course, but I also knew that fairy tales, in general, address the adversities of life in a figurative way. A hero or heroine must set out on a long journey to seek their fortune or right some wrong done in their community. To overcome the obstacles in their path, they need — and accept ― assistance from a wise man or woman. This assistance usually comes in the form of seemingly strange instructions and taboos that must be carefully and humbly obeyed.
I hoped to forge something that reflected the particular struggles of our family, as well as 21st century challenges. So I started writing, and scrapping what I’d written, and starting over until, about 10 years later, I had the first draft of Tales From Wakken Wood.
By then, of course, my children were grown, but they had heard various versions of the story over many years; they had written about the characters and drawn pictures. In the end, my daughter, Jackie Richard, contributed 11 illustrations, so I view the book as one of the fruits of our homeschool life together.
What was your writing process like?
Cowley: I stole time to write in the predawn hour before my children woke up and our homeschool studies began. My first and best job was being a mom, so I considered any fragment of a writing life as moonlighting. Some days, I wrote one sentence, maybe a paragraph. I worked at it scene by scene.
Three-quarters of “writing time” took place in my head as the story brewed. Ideas came while washing dishes, folding laundry, driving to the store … though I can’t recommend combining this kind of thinking with grocery shopping — now and then I accidentally brought home something odd that no one would eat.
I wrote the old fashioned way: pen and paper. At the end of 10 years, I typed it out and was surprised to find that the story was 1,000 pages long! It underwent about three years of revisions, and was eventually tamed down to 500 pages.
Will there be more books about this world [an eager question from my children]?
Cowley: At the moment, I’m exploring a completely different place, but scraps of news from Wakken Wood have found their way to me, as well as further details about the histories of certain characters. Besides that, the illustrator has gone back to the woods. She keeps sending me sketches of interesting encounters with the Poinkers and other island folk. So yes, it’s possible there will be another book about Wakken Wood. One of these days, I’ll get on a boat and go back for a full investigation, see what Peter and Pixel are up to.
What role did your faith play in your writing of this book?
Cowley: Without faith and trust in Christ, I would quickly have lost any purpose for finishing this book. Why write a figurative conflict between sort-of-good people and their stronger evil enemies? What would be the point? I see and hear from the world — and often from fellow Christians ― a confusion about the difference between good and evil. A “good” person's life is often talked about as a shallow, moralistic sort of atrophy.
In this climate of cynicism, I find it imperative to hang on to Christ, his words, his Church and sacraments: a branch grafted onto the Vine. He is the foundation of thought, reason, and imagination, and with His help, I remain on the side of Light in the long and seemingly endless conflict with evil. With great power and strength, Christ wields the sharp edge of real goodness and truth.
As his small foot soldier, he's called me to do my bit in the struggle, though I wield only cheap disposable pens, which I buy in a box by the dozen. Even so, I believe that fiction, written under his guidance, can open windows in a reader's mind, letting in fresh air and the scent of another world. I hope Wakken Wood will do that.
What is the most important thing you want people to know about your book and your work?
Cowley: Writing fiction is, in a sense, transmuting the interior life into plot, character, events, and atmosphere. Tales From Wakken Wood is the fruit of prayer and silence. The writing of it became a way of talking with God. In other tales I’m currently working at, there is this same sense of listening for God’s voice, following his nudges, and expecting the unexpected.
