Marie McKoy

Painful real-life experiences and a living legend that shaped my newest young adult novel

One month after my 13th birthday, my family moved from Phoenix, Arizona to a small town on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas. Our new house was in a half-finished subdivision on what used to be a farm. Because the builder went bankrupt during the construction phase, there were the beginnings of suburbia like paved roads, alleys, empty lots, and a smattering of beautiful new homes in a country setting. Rusty wire fences, old barns, unplowed pastures, a wild watermelon patch, and shady woods where a cool, limestone creek carved out gulleys and pools was practically our backyard. Barefoot and grinning, my brother and I , along with a few new friends, ran around like heathens, waded through those slippery spots, and feasted on melons we plucked from the field before returning to our safe, predictable homes. It was the last golden hour of my childhood before the teenage years swept over me like a thunderstorm, washing away my foundations and changing the landscape of my life forever.

The summer of 1993 and the friendships I made inspired my newest contemporary young adult novel When We Were Wildflowers. Although this book is set in the present, I wanted to capture the carefree innocence of a childhood without technology at our fingertips and social media turning us all into deranged dopamine seekers. The embodiment of that nostalgic spirit is wild child Poppy Cooper, a thirteen year old girl without a cell phone who wanders free through the woods and the town content with little to no supervision. This is something you just don’t see much of these days, but was the norm in the 90s. When she bumps into the main character Violet Wilson, who is as basic and well-behaved as they come (with a smart phone in her pocket), there is a clash of worlds which transforms them both. Their friendship blossoms like an unruly wildflower seed despite Violet’s mother’s attempts to squash it.

After a string of misadventures land the girls in big trouble, Violet’s bond with her mother begins to unravel. Mrs. Wilson, who once tended to Violet’s safe, predictable world, becomes the fence caging her in. It’s a relationship dynamic I can totally relate to, as I began writing this story when my own child was on the cusp of her thirteenth birthday, so I think it adds some authenticity to the characters and conflicts. Witnessing my daughter transition out of childhood and into her teenage years has been more challenging than I imagined, full of bittersweet memories and often emotionally painful moments as she slowly pulls away.

This fun but tender story of two best friends blossoming from girls into young women explores some unpleasant family dynamics I unfortunately experienced as a kid. Not only is Violet’s rocky relationship with her mother sending quakes through her world, but her parents marriage begins to crumble right before her eyes leaving devastating aftershocks for Violet and her older brother Teddy. When their mom plans to move with the kids back to her hometown, a thousand miles away, the wildflower girls plan to squeeze their teenage years into a few short weeks before they have to say goodbye. It’s all fun and games until Poppy betrays Violet’s trust, risking losing their friendship forever.

Losing a friend is something I know all too well. After that idealic summer of 1993 and the school year that followed, I had to leave best friends behind as my family moved yet again several states away. Ripping up the thriving roots you just planted is a heart-wrenching experience for a young person. Anytime you have to start life over again is a difficult and painful experience, but one that also helps us learn and grow… but like the lyrics of Dolly Parton song “Wildflowers” a collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris:

“When a flower grows wild
It can always survive
Wildflowers don’t care where they grow.”

That brings me to my next source of inspiration, the great songwriting, country music queen Dolly Parton!! Her music inspires many scenes in the novel, and because it is currently published on Wattpad, I can share the actual tunes with readers which is so fun. The main characters of my book Poppy and Violet discover early on that they love the old country western songs by Dolly Parton. In fact, Violet’s best childhood memories are cruising down the highway with her dad with the windows down blasting Dolly’s greatest hits. If they’re lucky, the wildflower girls might even catch a glimpse of the iconic singer before the story is through.

Check it out When We Were Wildflowers on Wattpad and let me know what you think.

Thanks for the support!

Marie