Uplift: A Novel: Received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Jessica Mann.
- What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Uplift: A Novel, published October 30, 2024
- What’s the book’s first line?
“In my dreams the air is filled with the sound of wings.”
- What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Uplift is about a rebellious and brilliant young bird named Columbina. Born high in a spruce tree, she and her brothers grow up listening to ancestral tales
through long winters and harvesting pine seeds in summer. But Columbina begins to question her clan’s traditions and forms bonds with creatures beyond her species. When her high mountain wilderness is threatened by humans, she must teach others how to work together to save their common home.
An inspiring, lyrical coming-of-age story told through avian eyes, Uplift explores the strength of community, the power of interconnection, and the impact of environmental change. It may just change the way you see birds forever.
- What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
A deep love of nature and animals has a guiding star and constant source of joy and inspiration my entire life. So I knew I wanted to try to incorporate that into my writing. But as I looked around, I noticed that most books about nature still had people as narrators and central characters. Why do all stories have to be told from a human point of view, I wondered — there are plenty of other intelligent, sentient beings in the world with stories to tell! My inspiration for the book was to give them a voice.
- What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Hope! I intentionally wrote Uplift to be a book of hope and the possibility of change, as an antidote to the ecological grief that so many of us have felt these past years. Because there is still so much here that is beautiful and worth saving! The book is a reminder of all that, a vivid love letter to nature that transports you deep into the wilderness. Readers use phrases like a new outlook, a sense of wonder, eyes opened, inspiring, enlightening, and uplifted to describe how they feel after reading it.
- What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
The most distinctive thing about Columbina is that she is a bird, born into a proud family of Clark’s Nutcrackers! But aside from that, she is not so different from any good hero: independent from birth, brilliant, curious about the world around her, and a friend to all. As she comes of age, she challenges the elders and the status quo, questioning why they put themselves above other birds, why females can’t do the same things as males, and so on. As a strong female character, Columbina and her family dynamics will feel familiar and relatable to many readers!
- What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’ve been a naturalist and outdoors-person since childhood, spending my time hiking and camping in the wild places of the West. In 2023, after retiring from a 35-year career in environmental health, I co-founded the Teton Valley chapter of Idaho Master Naturalists. We are an active and growing network of trained volunteers who work on things like environmental education, habitat protection, and citizen science. It’s rewarding work, and a lot of fun, too!
- Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Yes, because there is no question that traditional publishing provides greater exposure and media attention — and my goal for my writing is to spread a message of understanding and compassion for animals as widely as possible! Uplift is Book 1 of a planned series, The Habitat Trilogy, to ultimately cover all of life on Earth. Uplift was set in the air; Currents (Book 2, which I am at work on now) will be set in the ocean and be told through the eyes of a family of whales; and Terra (Book 3) will take place on land with a family of elephants. So stay tuned for all of that! Visit my website https://jessicamann.org to learn more.