I Thirst, the first volume of the trilogy, is the most poetic in that it explores the happenings in Rebecca's life during one Lent, in which the words of the Adoro Te Devote are the theme of each chapter. I would say that it is almost a work of mysticism, in which the ordinary becomes extraordinary. It is a like a play within a poem within a story, and shows how simple incidents and encounters can change us forever. The second novel, The Rose and the Sword, is structured as a traditional novel, in which Rebecca comes face to face with evil during a college internship, as she strives to become a psychologist. The young man she meets in the first novel becomes closer to her as a friend. The story, about being on one's own in the world for the first time, is one to which just about everyone can relate. The third installment is Peter, named for Rebecca's friend, whom she goes to visit in Canada, where unforeseen adventures and misadventures await her. Years have passed and Rebecca is now a practicing psychologist, although she has the same gentle, romantic soul, easily heartbroken by the harshness of the world. She is called upon to make a serious moral choice in which she must live the Catholic faith she professes or betray it. There is so much with which young Catholics of today will be able to identify.
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| Gina Marinello-Sweeney |
I was intrigued after reading The Veritas Chronicles and so asked to interview Gina for Tea at Trianon. Here is the interview:
EMV: Welcome, Gina! I so enjoyed your books. Tell us, did you set out to write a trilogy?
Gina: Not at all, actually. I Thirst was a standalone novel that, unlike my fantasy book at the time, I never planned to share beyond a few close friends and family. Yet The Rose and the Sword slowly began to develop in my mind, and I realized that there were more stories to be told with this cast. Perhaps I was also not quite ready to say goodbye to my new literary friends. Writers do form a strong bond with their characters, after all.
EMV: Yes, they do! The Adoro Te Devote plays a huge part in your first novel. Can you explain what you were trying to convey to your readers
Gina: The lyrical quality and profound significance of Adoro Te Devote embody the sense of inner peace found in true joy. It is this peace and joy that ultimately provide for the characters’ greatest source of meaning in the novel. While Adoro Te Devote is, as you say, most dominant in I Thirst, it is referenced again at a pivotal moment in Peter as Rebecca gazes ahead at Lake Louise. In effect, the literary motif goes full circle. Likewise, the sounds and words of Adoro Te Devote have an unexpected counterpart in the visual imagery of a seemingly secular symbol also dominant in the series: that of the swings. One would rarely connect the two, and yet the childlike quality of the latter forms a closer parallel than we may realize.
EMV: Beautiful! And I read somewhere that the four seasons are symbolized in your trilogy. Could you elaborate on that a bit?
Gina: I Thirst, the first book, takes place during spring. It is a novel of reflection and growth, of quiet intermissions as the landscape slowly begins to change. The Rose and the Sword (Book 2) brings the budding flowers of spring into a cold and difficult world through the chill of winter, yet the light of Christmas and zesty leaves of fall preceding it do not allow darkness to fully encompass the piece. Peter (Book 3) is a summer novel, but not in the conventional sense. Through the illusion of a “summer vacation flick,” there is just as much at play during this long trip as the previous two novels. Indeed, as to be expected from a finale, it reaches its culmination in both overall meaning and climactic resolution of startling events. Yet the warmth of the season through the lens of childhood memories will remain. Nostalgia, after all, has always played a huge role in my novels. By the way, despite the analysis above, my trilogy naturally and somewhat accidentally happened to cover each season. Funny how it all works out in the end.
EMV: “Veritas” means “truth.” Is your work allegorical?
Gina: As far as allegory goes, I try to leave readers with a sense of mystery---that is, I would rather allow them to analyze on their own than give too much away from the start. But I will say this: the usage of the term embodies Rebecca’s thirst for Truth, her search for meaning in everyday life. It is my hope that her journey will help others through their own journeys.
EMV: Excellent! Young people suffer nowadays from broken homes, few boundaries, and a lack of family structure. To write poetry requires intense thought and discipline. Do you think some young people would be helped by more poetry in their lives?
Gina: I do indeed, but have a slightly different take on its role. For me, poems tend to come unbidden in a moment of inspiration rather than in a more organized, disciplined fashion. This often follows a deeply meaningful moment or encounter with beauty. When I was a teen, my peers were already caught up in the modern conveniences, the quick pace of a society that constantly rushes on and on and may one day encapture us as adults. If anything, that applies even more to the world in which teens of today find themselves. Fears rush through as chaotically as the world around them, fears that they will not be enough, that, if they do not change their authentic selves for a “cooler” image, they will be lost in the traffic of it all. In my view, an appreciation for poetry may develop as teens learn the value of silence: that is, that it is not “boring,” but filled with a delightful mystery that may enchant them as easily as the first storybook ever read to them or the first sunset envisioned. Whether they realize it or not, teens are ultimately searching for truth, for something real in their lives. Such truth found in the mystery of silence may be further developed and almost understood (if impossible to fully translate) in poetry.
Eventually, the discipline behind that Silence, behind Truth, may also be discovered.
EMV: Indeed, yes! Has having an informed faith given your novels shape and direction?
Gina: In more ways that I can adequately explain here. My faith is at the center of my life and guides my views and decisions. It is the foundation for everything of true meaning. As such, those transcendent moments in the novels are connected to its Beauty and Mystery. Its Love illuminates relationships in the series, whether that of a parent and child, siblings, or friends. Its sense of Goodness and Truth does not allow for cruelty and callousness, for lack of scruples. It exists in every moment of wonder found through the eyes of Rebecca as she navigates life and the world in which she finds herself.
On a different sort of note, my faith also guides content-related decisions. As one example, readers may be reassured that graphic content will never be found in my work. Even if I deviate from the YA brand in future novels, this will continue to be my policy.
EMV: Good for you. Same here. In the third novel Peter the chapters are named after precious stones. What is the meaning and symbolism?
Gina: Each chapter is in some way connected to the stone by which it receives its title. On a more basic level, the color of the stone may literally play a role in the scene(s) that follow. Yet, more often than not, it is a deeper meaning that defines it. The tone or mood of the chapter is often related to the metaphorical quality or feeling derived from the stone---a symbol that may be ascertained from texture, shape, color, or overall impressions that go beyond the surface. In at least one instance, there is also a bit of word play that further adds to its significance.
Ultimately, each chapter, each stone, is a branch of the title itself: Peter, which means “rock.” There are multiple significances to the title, but I’ll leave that one up to readers to determine.
EMV: I enjoyed your descriptions of the Canadian Rockies in Peter. Have you spent time there?
Gina: Thank you so much! I’m glad that the descriptions resonated with you. While it may be difficult to believe from an author who set about to write a book taking place primarily in Canada, I have spent very little time there. My only Canadian venture was as a young teen passing through on the way to Alaska with no actual exploration in the area. Ever since I knew Peter would take place in Banff, I planned to spend time there in order to better find my inspiration. Alas, that was not to be, and the book begged to be written before such an adventure could take place. As such, the level of research for this particular novel easily exceeded that of the previous two. Since the main character, Rebecca, is a poet at heart, I knew also that I could not simply rely upon “facts and figures” about the place, but fully immerse myself in that world as she would. While written texts were helpful, my research also brought me to virtual tours of museums and gondolas . . . and even driving down the road to Banff in a YouTube video! Since I could not be there in person, I wanted to be as close as I could be to that reality from afar. I owed it to my readers, and I owed it to my characters. I was very pleased to hear from a Canadian fan that the attempt came off well in her eyes!
Yet one day I must visit Banff. After writing the book and feeling as if I were there, the necessity of visiting this place has only increased.
EMV: Has your home state of California shaped your approach to literature? How?
Gina: Many associate California with the flashing lights of celebrity culture. Yet, as a native Californian, I have found unique characteristics that far transcend that. There is its natural beauty that has inspired me since I was a little girl. The poetry of the landscape therefore has influenced my own prose, especially its coastal regions filled with the lyricism of the sea. There is its rich historical heritage that both fascinates and gives it depth and meaning---that is, the moments when we feel the thrill that comes with walking the path that others walked long before. Such imagery and "time travel" adventuring can easily inspire the imagination.
EMV: If you could be remembered for one scene in your latest release, what would it be?
Gina: Swings serve as a key symbol in The Veritas Chronicles. They represent the "intermissions" in our lives, the simple moments of innocent joy that may often be dismissed as less important, but ultimately are the essence of it all. As such, they embody the purest form of freedom.
While swings may be associated the most with the first book, I Thirst, it is actually the final installment in the trilogy, Peter, that has a swing on the cover. That may seem puzzling at first, but a return to that image is significant thematically in the third book in spite of its limited "screen time."
Peter takes place about four years after the events of the first book. The characters are now older, and slowly we begin to learn what has transpired between the second and third books to forever change the life of one in particular.
And so, to answer the question posed:
There is an emotional scene in Peter that takes the symbol of the swings found in the first book to a new place. One that was in my mind and heart for a long time before I officially penned it. It is a scene of healing, of grappling with life and humanity, and it is one that I always hoped would stay with readers.
EMV: Fascinating! Thank you, Gina, for sharing so much about your work with us. You inspire me and no doubt others will be inspired, too.
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