Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Oh, so many challenges with the writing of A RIVER OF DUST: THE LIVE-GIVING LINK BETWEEN NORTH AFRICA AND THE AMAZON. I’d never heard of the “river of dust” and was fascinated to learn about this amazing process of nature. In this post, author Jilanne Hoffmann takes us through the process of finding the heart of this story and making it sing. 

Jilanne is offering a giveaway! Winner’s choice of a “20-minute Ask Me Anything” or a copy of A RIVER OF DUST.  

Congratulations to Carol Baldwin, winner of Gretchen Woelfle’s HOW BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BECAME A REVOLUTIONARY IN SEVEN (NOT-SO-EASY) STEPS!

But “WOW” can sometimes take you only so far. I researched and wrote a first draft, and was told that it read like journalism. It wasn’t poorly written, just not for kids.

So what would grab at a kid’s heart? Ah, the voice of another kid! After reading books, articles, journals, and websites that centered the Imuhar culture, I wrote my second draft from the perspective of a young Imuhar boy living in the Sahel, and had the new version reviewed by an anthropologist who is an expert in the Imuhar culture. But while it was accurate and did convey a sense of the boy’s wonder, it still didn’t showcase dust’s importance with respect to global ecosystems. I was certain this was the missing key.

At a retreat with Miranda and Baptiste Paul in late 2018, Miranda stunned me by suggesting “Why don’t you write it from the perspective of the dust?” Dust!!?

Well, I took the story home and put it away, as I had no idea how to approach dust’s voice. But I continued to mull. A few months later, I tried a voice similar to Stacy McAnulty’s universe series. Quirky and funny. But that version lost all of the wonder. Frankly, it was horrible. So was my version of sassy dust. And silly dust.

And then one day, “I am dust, the dust of Africa,” showed up on the page. The sentence “I connect continents” soon followed. Both those statements contained the sense of importance and authority that this particular DUST requires.

After I found this voice, the story wrote itself. This was the version that went to auction, but it was a comment from one of the people at the acquisition meeting that lingered in my mind. They said, “It’s like a love letter from one continent to another.”

But there was still work to do. My editor asked me to make the ending feel a touch more expansive, and gave me brief suggestions on how I might do that. I read her notes, but none of them felt quite right. Instead, I kept returning to the idea of a love letter—until I had a breakthrough. It had to be about separation and connection.

The story started with the words, “I am dust…” but I knew I now had to start with the continents being pulled apart against their will. “Millions of years ago, no ocean lay between us. You and I were one. And then slowly, slowly, great forces tore us apart…”

Yes!!!! Everyone knows what it’s like to be separated from a loved one, for whatever reason, including being left with strangers on the first day of kindergarten. And then to imagine being separated for 250 million years, and what you might do to remain connected over that time—sending dust as a care package! Of course!

This new opening meant that I now needed to change the ending to make the story come full circle. “And as you flourish, know that I have not forgotten you, and I hope that you have not forgotten me, no matter how long we’ve been apart. When I reach you, we become one once again.”

Dust has asserted its vital importance, but the ending puts dust’s vulnerability (and hope) on display. This appeals to the universal: how we miss our loved ones and hope that they have not forgotten us. And how we maintain our connection by reaching out with telephone calls, Zoom calls, handwritten or hand drawn pictures and care packages that make us and others feel remembered and loved.

And there, my friends, is the true heart of this book. Yes, it’s about wonder, science, and how something seemingly tiny can make a huge difference in our world. But at its heart, it’s all about connection.

Don’t forget to leave a comment below to get into the drawing for a “20-minute Ask Me Anything” with Jilanne, or a copy of A RIVER OF DUST!  (Book choice US addresses only, please. Winner announced 11/3/23.)

BIO: Jilanne Hoffmann was an engineer for IBM before turning to writing. She now combines her love of our planet with her deep interest in science to write about Earth’s hidden stories. Jilanne believes that understanding and empathy arrive on the coattails of knowledge. The more we know about Earth, the more likely we are to preserve it and all of its inhabitants. Jilanne’s website offers a host of educator resources, including an educator’s guide, links to videos about dust’s journey and plate tectonics, and a satellite building activity. She is also the author of HAPPY CAMPER and THE HONEY BEAR HIVE, two nonfiction board books.

Linktree for socials, website, and more info: linktr.ee/JilanneHoffmann