Rook (51 page)

Polar shift really is an interesting way to end the world. The idea of what could happen if the magnetic poles of the earth reversed, as they have at least twice in geological history, is a chilling thought. Not only because of the wholesale death that would follow, but because it’s a completely natural process. Humans can do nothing to cause it, nothing to stop it. But since writing about uninhabited wastelands is
not
particularly appealing, I decided to play with the idea of wandering magnetic poles, a slight shift rather than a complete reversal. Instead of destroying our magnetosphere, this would turn it into something like Swiss cheese, exposing large swaths of humanity to deadly solar radiation while sparing others, and at the same time wiping clean the digital and electronic world on which we have become so dependent. Could a shift of the poles really happen? Maybe. Or at least, no one yet has proven that it can’t.

But even more interesting to me than the science of such an event is the sociology. As an amateur anthropologist and card-carrying Anglophile, I have long been fascinated by the massive cultural upheaval that the archaeological record shows took place in post-Roman Britain. Literacy, law, clean water, and heated floors gave way to the disease and anarchy of the so-called Dark Ages. This is an oversimplification of a complicated process, but the central question is: How could so much knowledge be forgotten so quickly? And would the survivors of a polar shift forget the former world? I think they would. We always have before. And if so, what would we make of the thirty-five thousand pieces of space junk that could theoretically rain from our skies for hundreds of years? How soon could we learn to survive without technology? How would we go about reforging our world? The same way we did in the Dark Ages, I concluded. And, being humans, probably by making most of the same mistakes we did the first time around.

Thinking of how far a society can regress naturally brings another personally fascinating time to my mind: the French Revolution. I find the writings of Robespierre, with their logical, well-reasoned justifications for the beheading of thousands, positively Hitler-esque. Not to mention the revolution’s attempt to replace all religions with the disturbing Goddess of Reason, a cult more interested in persecution, “wild and licentious” festivals, and defacing churches and synagogues than any brand of spirituality. Robespierre guillotined the leaders of this cult and replaced it with his own Cult of the Supreme Being, with himself as high priest. He held a grand, public mass for the worship of this new cult, setting fire to effigies representing the enemies of France. Six weeks later, Robespierre had been arrested and guillotined himself.

But no matter what odd and creepy facts tickle my imagination, for me, what writing a book really comes down to is story, like the Baroness Emma Orczy’s
The Scarlet Pimpernel
. I’ve always loved this book, the quintessential tale of love, spies, and derring-do while cheating the French guillotine of its victims. Being swept away by story can be powerful, sometimes life-changing, and I think the adventure and heroism of books like
The Scarlet Pimpernel
are the essence of what story is. But I’ve also always wanted to reimagine that story. To replace some of the Edwardian syrup with a savory dose of Georgian-era spice. So the novel that became
Rook
is not as much a retelling as it is an homage, conveniently coupled with all those strange and disparate ideas that I find so intriguing.
Rook
is a tribute to story, and especially to the classic drama and characters first created by the Baroness Orczy more than a century before me.

Which makes sense. History always does seem to be repeating.

Thanking everyone who needs to be thanked is always an impossible task, but since my life is full of impossibilities, I’m giving this one a go.

Undying love and gratitude to my critique group, who have read every word of every story I’ve ever put to paper. Amy Eytchison, Howard Shirley, Angelika Stegmann, and Ruta Sepetys. You taught me to write. You read my pages again. You told me I could be a writer and then I was.

Jessica Young, Courtney Stevens, Genetta Adair, Kristin Tubb, Rae Ann Parker, and Susan Eaddy. I don’t think a day in the past 365 has gone by when one of you has failed to encourage me.

SCBWI Midsouth. You know who you are. Need I say more?

Ruta, your cabin contains magic.

Love and thanks to my beautiful, patient, kind, and oh so wise editor, Lisa Sandell. You make everything I do so much better. This is also magic.

David Levithan and my team at Scholastic: Sheila Marie Everett, Elizabeth Starr Baer, Jennifer Ung, Sharismar Rodriguez, and all those beautiful faces from Marketing, School and Library, Book Clubs, Book Fairs, and Foreign Rights. Not sure what I did to deserve you.

My intrepid agent and friend, Kelly Sonnack. I would be lost without you. Therefore I forgive your shocking lack of affinity for gingers.

Hannah Courtney, intern/blogger/writer extraordinaire. Keep those big ideas coming. You know I’ll say yes.

And mostly, all of my love to Philip, Chris, Stephen, and Elizabeth. Everything is for you.

SHARON CAMERON was awarded the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Sue Alexander Award for Most Promising New Work for her debut novel,
The Dark Unwinding
, which was also awarded the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and named an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection. She is also the author of
A Spark Unseen
. Sharon lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee, and you can visit her online at sharoncameronbooks.com.

Copyright © 2015 by Sharon Cameron

All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.,
Publishers since 1920
.
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,
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, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cameron, Sharon, author.

Rook / Sharon Cameron.—First edition.

pages cm

Summary: In the Sunken City that was once Paris the guillotine rules again, while Sophia Bellamy from the Commonwealth across the Channel Sea tries to rescue as many of the revolution’s victims as she can smuggle out, and some prisoners disappear from their cells, with a red-tipped rook feather left in their place—but who is the mysterious Red Rook and where does Sophia’s wealthy fiance, Rene Hasard, fit in?

ISBN 978-0-545-67599-4 (jacketed hardcover) 1. Adventure stories. 2. Rescues—Juvenile fiction. 3. Secrecy—Juvenile fiction. 4. Paris (France)—Juvenile fiction. [1. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 2. Rescues—Fiction. 3. Secrets—Fiction. 4. Paris (France)—Fiction. 5. France—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.C1438Ro 2015

[Fic]—dc23

2014038853

First edition, May 2015

Cover art © 2015 by Michael Heath

Cover design by Sharismar Rodriguez

e-ISBN 978-0-545-67600-7

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