The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy: The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy Book Four (ePub)

Claire Youmans has traveled extensively in Japan since 1992, and likes it very much. "It's a very alien culture for me," she says. "Yet, it is the oldest consistent culture on earth I know of, and has survived and prospered, I think, because of that consistent culture. The more I research, the more I know, the better I speak the language, the more I think foreigners can learn from Japanese culture. We certainly need to understand it much better than we do to be able to gainfully interact with it. That sounds stuffy, but it's very interesting and the period and people I've chosen are so much fun to write. The books are full of action, adventure, growth, problems, and solutions, with normal life intersecting with the fantastical at every turn, and history getting in the way. I truly enjoy writing these books, and they are great, exciting, and fun to read."
A lifelong writer, Youmans found her writing niche in The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy series. Designed for MG/Tween readers through adults, the books grow as the children do, raising surprisingly modern issues in the context of the chaotic Meiji era, when Japan leapt headlong onto the world stage. By incorporating folklore, Youmans can overcome some of the limitations of a less instantaneous time and showcase the Japanese character through the ways people are affected by the constant change.
"Japanese folklore is fluid," Youmans says. "The basic stories are simple and often seem unfinished, but almost any complication or ending one can imagine, further research will show that somebody's grandmother somewhere told the story that way. It's so much fun! I wish my Japanese was better so I could access literary sources on site better than I can even with frequent trips and access to the Internet. Those reasons are why I'm moving to Japan to continue the series."
Folklore also allows the exploration of themes and issues modern children and adults face. The resolutions, though, are often peculiarly Japanese.
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