Can you tell us how your collaboration first began and what initially drew you into working together on a project?

I remember this very clearly.

I had-- My first book was published with Henry Holt.

It was a book called "Milagros: Girl From Away," and when that book came out, I thought, "I have arrived." You know, my-- That everything, all the gates will open.

This is so great.

And, um, just a couple of years later, the book was out of print.

It came out very quietly and, um, you know, it, it had some decent reviews and then just no s- very few sales.

Yeah

Who is the ogress? Who are the orphans?

Okay.

So here it is.

The town is called Stone and Glen.

And the town used to be lovely, a beautiful town where everyone helped each other.

There was kindness on the street, joy.

And then there was a great fire.

It was Canterbury at the time.

Why did this story take that time to grow with you? Why did it need more time?

Yeah.

I, you know, I think this happens to a lot of writers.

Like you have the germ of an idea.

You have a piece of it that works a really good piece.

And in 2010, when I started writing this novel, I had the two girls, I had Amina and I had Graciela and I had their pearl teeth.

And I knew that each year these ghosts grow another layer of, of pearl so that when they're really old and wise, they have this, thick mouthful of pearls.

Yeah, yeah,