A whirlwind. That is the only way I can think to describe adequately the presence of the fascinating, energetic, gifted and highly eccentric Lucinda Hare, author of children's fantasy novel The Dragon Whisperer - a book which has recently been taking the already saturated and hard-to-break fantasy novel genre by storm.
Having heard that The Dragon Whisperer was something of an allegory about human relationships with animals, I decided recently to have a read of it. Then I found out that the author is a fan of ours, and, much to my surprise and delight, I had even had conversations with her on Facebook without realising it. It turns out she's passionate about the idea of OneKind, and feels that OneKind world is the kind of world her stories stand for. So, next thing I know, we're emailing, and she's coming in to meet us.
And what a force this woman is. Having grown up among the hunting set in rural Scotland, she, like myself in fact, has been battling the contradictions of the wildlife-loving and wildlife-decimating rural cliques since childhood. She rejected the values she was expected to grow up with, and embraced the animal kingdom with an unconditional compassion I don't think I've ever quite seen before. This lady takes in the rejects and strays that no-one else wants, and her house is overrun with numerous beautifully cared for and deeply loved dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, ex-battery hens... You name it, one probably lives in Lucinda's house. Her every last penny goes on vet’s bills.
She recounts story after story to me of each of her companions, and I get a true sense not only of these animals' hilarious individual quirks and personalities, but also of her deep love and respect for them all. And it is these creatures, these personalities and friends, who inspired her to write the book, as a tribute to the incredible relationship between human and animal, and as a plea to us all to respect the animals with whom we share this world. So, what of the book?
Well, don't get me wrong, I loved Harry Potter, but fantasy novels aren't usually my thing. My preference is to recline with a glass of red and some Virginia Woolf and unwittingly lull myself into a mild depression of an evening. However, this book really caught my attention. Just like the author (I should have known) the story is a whirlwind; it swept me into an entrancing world which was, yes, fantastical, but also strangely recognisable. I recognised myself in the leading character, a young girl who is the eponymous 'Dragon Whisperer', and I recognised our world, the real world, in the fantasy land I found on those pages.
The fact that the leading character is a girl appealed to the aforementioned Virginia Woolf in me. Not in a clichéd, 'gutsy girl goes out and kicks ass against all expectations' way, but in a genuine way: this girl, Quenelda is her name, is living the day-to-day challenges of being a little bit different, challenging the norms, and having to exceed all expectations to prove her worth.
But not only must she prove herself, she must also convince the doubting others around her of the worth of the beloved creatures all around them: the dragons. The dragons represent all the Earth's animals in so many ways; Lucinda herself even told me that each dragon is based on one of her own numerous animal companions. These dragons, seen merely as dangerous yet useful tools by many of the book's characters, are individuals, each with their quirks, feelings, desires.
The story, in much the same way that it doesn't over-romanticise the everyday trials of the female protagonist, doesn't over-romanticise the realities of sharing the world with dragons either. Like all animals, these dragons have distinct personalities and would prefer to live their own way. They can be grumpy, dangerous, unpredictable – just like humans, in fact. But all that is needed to overcome the volatile dragons is simple respect, patience and compassion. All that we need to do to live and work and share this world with animals is to build a relationship with them, like we would with any human.
Quenelda has the gift of being able to talk to the dragons, and I spent much of my time reading this book fantasising about what the world would be like if animals could only speak to us. But Lucinda believes very strongly that they do. Anyone who's ever had a relationship with any kind of animal knows that they communicate. Maybe we're just not listening hard enough.
Lucinda has already finished her next book, and I'm genuinely excited. What I'm also excited about is the multitude of ideas that Lucinda has for ways in which we can work together to spread the message to kids that animals have feelings and personalities. Lets show these kids a world where respect for animals is no fantasy.
Keep a lookout for a very special Dragon Whisperer competition coming very soon, plus an interview with the author.
All images © Lucinda Hare 2010.