Official Interview: Julia Sullivan

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Official Interview: Julia Sullivan

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Today's Chat with Sarah features Julia Sullivan author of Bone Necklace.

Official Review

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1. When did you realize you wanted to write?

I can't remember not wanting to write. But as a young adult, I couldn't afford such a risky career path and opted for law instead. BONE NECKLACE took me over 20 years to write, with periods of tremendous creative energy interrupted by long periods when I was fully occupied with my law practice, my family, etc. I am only now at a point where I can devote significant blocks of time to writing. It's great!

2. What does your schedule look like when you're writing?

I am most productive in the morning when I've had a good night's sleep and it's quiet in the house. Some of my best creative work happens when I'm doing something else – running or riding a horse or working in the garden. Then I come back inside and try to get it down on paper.

3. Let's talk about Bone Necklace. Can you give us a synopsis for those that haven't heard of it?

BONE NECKLACE is inspired by the true story of a small band of Native American warriors who, in 1877, held off four converging armies while their families escaped to Canada. The U.S. Army Field Commander, General Oliver O ("Uh Oh") Howard, promised to make "short work" of the Nez Perce, only to be humiliated in the end. Chief Joseph became known as the "Red Napoleon" for his military genius, a fact that surprised nobody more than Joseph himself. He would have done anything to avoid the war that made him famous. In the end, Joseph sacrificed himself for the sake of 417 others – mostly women, children, and elders – who, after traveling over 1,100 miles, were too sick or too exhausted to travel the final 30 miles to the Canadian border and safety. Perhaps the most unexpected part of the story was that so many of the Nez Perce escaped to Saskatchewan, where they were given political asylum. Despite overwhelming odds, they never gave up and never gave in. I love that.

4. This book takes place over 100 years ago. How much research did you do for this book? What kind?

The research was a labor of love that I pursued for many years. I spent a lot of time at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and at historical societies throughout the pacific northwest. I also traveled the entire 1,100-mile Nez Perce trail except for the parts that can only be reached by horse. I also worked closely with a Nez Perce cultural advisor.

5. The reviewer mentions that you wove the history into the storyline effortlessly. How difficult was it to manage the two?

The historical research provided the basic framework of the plot: three major battles and a final dash to Canada. But much of the book is about three fictional characters and how their lives were swept up and forever changed by the war. That part required more imagination than research and, for me, was the most challenging work.

6. Which character was your favorite and why?

I love them all. But the one I can relate to most on a personal level is Nicole, a civilian who gets caught up in the violence.

Nicole and her husband, a geologist, are touring Yellowstone Park when the Nez Perce ride through, full of fury after a bloody battle on the Big Hole River. Nicole's husband, Witt, is killed, and she is taken hostage along with the couple's guide, Mr. Ford. Then she is fired upon by soldiers, who mistake her for a Nez Perce.

Parts of BONE NECKLACE were very difficult for me to write. But the chapters Nicole narrates flowed easily. She is an outsider, like me, and her thoughts and actions are what I imagine my own would be in her circumstances. She does not romanticize the Nez Perce – they killed her husband, after all. At the same time, she wants them to survive and prays for their escape.

7. Is there a central message you want to convey to your readers?

The history of the American West is too often portrayed as a tragedy – as if some fatal flaw in the character of the Native American race doomed them to destruction. It is a narrative that places the moral blame squarely on the victim. Bone Necklace confronts that lie.

In my view, there was no real reason why the Nez Perce and the emigrants could not have lived side by side in peace. The war was pointless. That is what I want to convey.

8. What's next for you?

I'm working on my next book! Hopefully, this one won't take me 20 years, but we'll see!

I like to end with fun questions.

9. What types of books are your favorites to read?


Historical fiction. I like a book that takes me to another place and time and teaches me something about different cultures.

10. Tell us about one interesting quirk you have.

I can't sleep with the closet door open. Monsters.

11. What three words describe you best?

Loyal. Loving. Often ridiculous. (Sorry, that's four).

12. What's the strangest thing in your refrigerator?

Elk. I don't eat elk, but people keep giving it to me. Want some?
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
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