Magic, History, and Mermaids: An Interview with Author Tracey Baptiste on Rise of the Jumbies

Just Right Reads is a series hosted by Kamilla Benko, children’s book editor and author of the forthcoming The Unicorn Quest, featuring newly released middle grade books and Q&As with your favorite authors!

In Tracey Baptiste’s newest novel, Rise of the Jumbies (a sequel to The Jumbies) Corinne Le Mer once again faces the jumbies that share her Caribbean island, but this time, she must take to the ocean’s depths if she wants to save her friends and family.

Having grown up on jumbie and fairy tales, Tracey chats with author Kamilla Benko about the relationship between fairy tales and different cultures, the use of myth in history, as well as a wardrobe plan for what will happen if both authors turn into a jumbie.

First of all, thanks for having me! I’m really thrilled to be chatting with you. The Jumbies and “The Magic Orange Tree” both follow a pretty traditional Cinderella arc with a girl, a wicked stepmother (or stepmother wanna-be), and the need for some kind of rescue at the end. But for Rise of the Jumbies I relied on all the fairy and folk tales I grew up with, rather than picking one. I wanted to maintain that fairy tale feeling, but create something entirely new.

In Book 1, you touched on the history of Corinne’s island and how it came to be populated—the original humans were slaves in the hull of a slaving ship and were magically rescued when it sank. In Book 2, slave trade is again discussed. What do you feel is the benefit of mixing myths and fairy tales with real history?

The magic of mythology is never knowing if it’s real or not. Any part of it could be real. And that makes the whole thing entirely more frightening because maybe there really are jumbies! It’s fun (and a little wicked) to play with the reader in this maybe it is, maybe it isn’t way. Sorry readers!

Memory and how it travels/is preserved is an important theme in The Rise of the Jumbies. Why do you feel it is important to write about the flow of information/stories and the connections between seemingly far-off places?

The mermaids were a literal and metaphorical bridge in this story between past and present and between memory and forgetfulness. I think it works in this story only because of the mermaids and because of Mama D’Leau. I’m not sure I could work that idea into another story. But I find it fascinating how stories travel around the world. Every culture has some kind of Cinderella story. These connected stories remind us that we are more alike than different.

With the first book I was a little more cautious, but with Rise of the Jumbies I pushed things as far as I could, and then my editors (Elise Howard and Sarah Alpert) told me when I’d gone over the edge. It was so much fun to push things really far, that I’m sure I’ll do it again.

Will there be any more stories about Corinne and her friends and family? (My fingers are crossed for a yes and if I had fins, they’d be crossed too!)  

Well, keep crossing those fingers and fins! People have been asking about a book three. I just spent a month in Trinidad, refilling my mind with ideas, so it’s a definite possibility.

If you were a jumbie, which one would you be? I’m a wearer of many large hats, so I’m intrigued by the La Diablesse! (Though I would miss my shoes!)

 Finally, what was your favorite book at Corinne’s age?

I loved The Naughtiest Girl in the School series by Enid Blyton when I was younger. It’s about a girl in England who goes to boarding school and gets into trouble all the time. It’s like Harry Potter with a girl and no magic. OK, that didn’t sound great. But it was. It really was.

Rise of the Jumbies is on B&N bookshelves now!