Sharlie Questions & Answers
Email Lynda)if you have questions about the "Sharlie" story or music.
Lynda Johnson: Q & A
Where is Eianna?
The residents of Alluvionne have an older language than our own. Eianna is the ancient name for the lake in which Sharlie lives. In our language, we call her home Payette Lake. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, nestled within the Salmon River Mountains in the Pacific Northwest near McCall, Idaho. For more information about Payette Lake, you can visit www.mccallchamber.org
Can you tell me about the "old language" in the book?
The ancient language of Alluvionne is meant to sound beautiful when it is sung, minimizing the use of hard consonants and sounds like "s". It sounds a bit like the Hawaiian language.
Is Evergreen Island a real place?
Yes. Saturna Island is located north of the San Juan Islands. There is a kelp forest located on the northwest edge of the Island, as well as a section of stone bluffs along the southern shore. There are also underwater meadows in that area. If a mermaid were to travel east from there, she would end up on the shoreline of the Pacific Northwest - the mainland of Alluvionne, where many rocks can be found that are covered in green anemones, orange sea stars, and black mussel shells (if you've read "Sharlie", then you already know). You can learn more about Saturna Island at this webside: http://www.saturnatourism.com/
What does "Alluvionne" mean?
Alluvionne means "where the water meets the shore" or "where the mist touches the mountain."
What is a snow dwarf?
Snow dwarves arrived on Alluvionne with the very first snow. They hibernate in the summer, awakening when winter comes. They are hard to see in the snow because their hair and clothing are completely white.
Having lived so long in Alluvionne, they know a lot about its history and its residents. They're also very gifted in the healing arts. They carry silverberries in their knapsacks, a magical fruit that grows deep within frozen caves near the tops of the tallest mountains, and looks like liquid silver when it is mashed with the snow dwarf's crystal mortar and pestle.
Snow dwarves also know a lot about the dried berries and herbs they find when they emerge from their summer sleep, before snow has completely covered the grass and bushes in the meadows and on the hillsides.
Snow dwarves are solitary - they prefer to live and travel alone. They may seem to be gruff and unfriendly to one who has just met them, but that is only because they have little contact with others in the magical realm. In truth, you will never find a friend who is more kind, loyal, and courageous.
What is a kelp forest?
A kelp forest is one of the most amazing things on our planet. I got my first glimpse of one when I visited the Monterey Aquariums in Monterey, California. You can take a look at their website, and even see a live camera of the forest, at this website: http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/kelp.asp After I spent some time there with my husband and our son, who loves everything to do with the ocean, I did some more research. Here are some basic facts about kelp forests:
1. A kelp forest is a forest made of seaweed called giant kelp.
2. The kelp grows in cool coastal waters, where sunlight can reach the ocean floor.
3. Giant kelp can grow up to 300 feet in a single year. When it reaches the surface, its blades (shiny leaves) spread out over the surface like the tops of giant trees.
4. Kelp forests provide shelter and protection for many animals, including whales, sea otters, seals, sea lions, crabs, sea stars, sea urchins, sharks, octopus, eels, sea cucumbers, and more.
How long did it take to write "Sharlie"?
It took about two years to write the book. I am still working to complete the songs that accompany the story.
"Sharlie" is the first in a series of stories about the magical realm of Alluvionne.
What (and where) is Alluvionne?
Alluvionne a magical realm, a sort of "parallel universe" that is located in the Pacific Northwest. It is very much like the land of Faerie in Europe. Only those who are guileless and childlike can see the magical realm. That is why there are few people who have ever seen Sharlie.
Why does Meri become more and more white in the story?
Like you and me, she becomes more and more who she really is through the adversity she encounters.
What part of the Pacific Northwest inspired Chaladai?
Chaladai was inspired by Crater Lake, which is located in southern Oregon. Here is a website that shows some amazing pictures of the lake.
http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_america/crater_lake.html
The lake is a water-filled caldera, created when Mount Mazama erupted nearly 7,000 years ago. Mount Mazama was between 11,000 and 12,000 feet high before the eruption.
Crater Lake is 1,932 feet (589 m) deep, making it the deepest lake in the United States. It is the most pristine, brilliant blue color - the color of the magical light in the story.
A friend of mine, who is from Oregon, told me that the top of the mountain survived the eruption. I remember thinking how amazing that was, and I imagined the peak of the mountain toppling into the crater of the lake. Later, after doing some research, I learned that the entire mountain was destroyed and the island within the lake is actually the volcano starting to grow again. But the image of the top of the mountain surviving the cataclysmic explosion has always remained in my mind.
I saw Mount St. Helens erupt when I was 18 years old. I was in Portland, Oregon at the time with my high school choir from Mountain Home, Idaho. Half of the sky to the east, the direction in which the wind usually blows in the Northwest, was black. The sun was completely blocked out. The immense cloud deposited tons of ash on Washington, Idaho, and Montana. It fell like snow, covering everything. It looked as though the world was ending. That experience influenced the story of Sharlie and the magical realm of Alluvionne in many ways.
About Sharlie and "sea monsters"...
As I've been talking to people about Sharlie, I'm surprised when they think of her as a sea-monster. I've never thought of her that way. When I was a little girl, I imagined making friends with her. Whenever my parents took us on one of our frequent weekend drives to the mountains, I walked along the beach looking for her, hoping she would read my heart and know that I was trustworthy enough to keep her secret.
I have heard from others who live either full or part-time in McCall who are also fascinated by Sharlie. I'm certain there are more of you out there, and I look forward to meeting you.
As the years go by, and my husband and I travel more and more to other places, my appreciation for the beautiful Northwest in which I have always lived has continued to grow. I remember taking a walk along Lake Cascade in the fall, across from what we call "the Tamarack forest". There was a flock of swans on the lake that day, and while all the other water birds flew away when they saw me, the swans stayed. There was not another soul around, and after I watched them for a while, took an hour-long walk, and came back, they were still there. They looked as though they were floating on a mirror of glass that reflected the sky. It was like wandering into another world - a magical place. I am certain I'm not the only one who has experienced that feeling.
Have you ever seen Sharlie?
This question was asked of me by Tom Grote of the Star News in McCall. No, I have never seen Sharlie. And if anyone asked me if I believe in Sharlie, I would say that I hope she is real. (Maybe one day she will trust me enough to show herself.) In my heart and mind, she is as real as you are.
Madeleine L'Engel has said that fairy stories tell the truth more deeply and completely than any other kind of story. If you really think about that statement, perhaps you will agree with her, as I do.
Do Eivies live in our world, or only in Alluvionne?
Now that's a question I'd love to answer. An Eivie in Alluvionne is the same as a Mountain Blue Bird in Idaho. When they fly against the blue sky, they are nearly impossible to see. They are the most beautiful blue color. An Eivie's heart is made of sapphire. Though immortal, they can be killed by a muudwroth's arrow or a careless human.
When an Eivie's heart is planted in the magical soil of Alluvionne, a Feather Tree grows in that place. The tree is covered with leaves instead of feathers, and when the feather-blossoms open, each has a tiny Eivie inside. The birds retain all the knowledge of the bird from whose heart the tree has grown, and all the trees that came before. That is why it is always good to have an Eivie with you when you take a treacherous journey.
Who created the image of Sharlie on the cover?
Award-winning fantasy artist Bleu Turrell created the oil painting that is featured on the cover of the book. He used descriptions I found of Sharlie sightings in the McCall Public Library. You can see some of his other amazing artwork on his website: http://www.azulart.com
The book cover design was created by Michael Anthony Lynch, http://www.bookcoverdesign.com