Jackson Pearce's SISTERS RED (in stores this week!) may be a modern retelling of the classic "Little Red Riding Hood" story, but at its root, delves into much deeper territory than fairy tales and big bad wolves. Below, Jackson describes what she really had in mind when she set out to write her second novel, and shares some of the questions she asked herself while trying to explore the complex relationship between her two main characters.
SISTERS RED is a story about, well… sisters. Obviously.
In SISTERS RED, Scarlett and Rosie March hunt Fenris --- werewolves drawn to the charms of young girls. Scarlett lives for the hunt, and sees it as a part of who she is, whereas Rosie dreams of a more normal life, but feels she can’t abandon her sister.
It’s a story about werewolves and romance and finding yourself, but it started as a story about sisters. For ages I’d wanted to write a book about what it is to be an older sister and what it is to be a younger sister. I’m the older sister --- there are three years between me and my younger sister, Katie. There’s something about sisterhood that, to me, is totally unique from any other relationship --- I had to write about it.
Sisterhood is about the person you can’t walk away from. No matter what happens, no matter who fights, no matter who dates whom, you can’t live your life without her because it simply wouldn’t work. There are plenty of friends who are makeshift sisters, and plenty of sisters who could live without one another, so I don’t think sisterhood is something you’re necessarily born into.
And it’s a wonderful thing, having a sister. A person who there’s no divorcing, no falling out of touch with, and no forgetting to call. Having someone there for you during your greatest triumphs and your greatest heartaches, ready to cheer for you, sit with you, or help you move on to the next phase of your life.
But like any close relationship, sisterhood comes with its challenges, challenges Scarlett and Rosie encounter in SISTERS RED: How do you deal when you have radically different dreams? When you want different --- or even opposing --- things? When you’re alone in the world, you can do whatever you want, but when you love someone you lose some of that right.
So I suppose the real question is: do you think it’s worth it? Is it better to brave the wolves of the world alone, or to have someone by your side --- even if it means you no longer get to run the show solo?
-- Jackson Pearce
