Inukshuks in Raven’s Mountain
My parents gave me this little jade Inukshuk to celebrate Raven’s Mountain – isn’t it a gorgeous gift!
The ones that Raven builds in the book aren’t quite so neat and regular. I went out to build one by our pond while I was writing – I had a lovely mental image of how it would look there, quirky but still organic to our very different bushland – but soon realised that I couldn’t lift the rocks I wanted. That’s why it’s a good idea to try things physically when your characters do them!
But after opening this gift, I went back to the photo albums for the Inukshuks that inspired Raven’s efforts, seen while my sister and I were walking on a Vancouver beach a few years ago. Quite beautiful – and a bit more achievable. Maybe I’ll try again…
Wendy Orr is a Canadian-born Australian writer. Her books for children and adults have been published in 27 countries and won awards around the world. Nim’s Island and Nim at Sea have also become feature films, starring Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin (Nim’s Island) and Bindi Irwin (Return to Nim’s Island.) Her latest book is Cuckoo’s Flight, a companion to the highly acclaimed Bronze Age novels Dragonfly Song and Swallow’s Dance. Read full bio
