Weekend Read #011 - SALT MAGIC by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock
If ‘Ghibli’ is on your comp list, this is a must read.
Hello again!
Welcome back to the Weekend Read! If you’re new here, this is where we highlight available IP that has been overlooked by Hollywood buyers, or talk about books that Hollywood producers should be reading because they’re relevant to the current zeitgeist.
If you’ve been reading these posts for awhile, you already know I’m a big fan of cartoons and graphic novels. Not only are they wonderful works of art, they can rise pretty quickly up the Hollywood chains of command thanks to their visual nature. The art of SALT MAGIC is especially beautiful, and it caught my eye because I think it perfectly balances the classic four-quadrant story with unique, and original themes and ideas.
Here is the official synopsis:
When Vonceil's older brother, Elber, comes home to their family's Oklahoma farm after serving on the front lines of World War I, things aren't what she expects. His experiences have changed him into a serious and responsible man who doesn't have time for Vonceil anymore. He even marries the girl he had left behind.
Then a mysterious and captivating woman shows up at the farm and confronts Elber for leaving her in France. When he refuses to leave his wife, she puts a curse on the family well, turning the entire town's water supply into saltwater. Who is this lady dressed all in white, what has she done to the farm, and what does Vonceil's old uncle Dell know about her?
To find out, Vonceil will have to strike out on her own and delve deep into the world of witchcraft, confronting dangerous relatives, shapeshifting animals, a capricious Sugar Witch, and the Lady in White herself--the foreboding Salt Witch. The journey will change Vonceil, but along the way she'll learn a lot about love and what it means to grow up.
SALT MAGIC was published by Margaret Ferguson books in October 2021. It is available, and the rights are handled by Chelsea Eberly and Greenhouse Literary.
Hope Larson is a Eisner award winning author, and her past work includes the Kirkus Best Book of 2018 ALL SUMMER LONG and sequel ALL TOGETHER NOW. She’s also published the graphic novel version of A WRINKLE IN TIME, a notoriously difficult to adapt story (imho) and a great example of her immense talent. Rebecca Mock is an animator, illustrator and writer, and their previous work includes the adventure series COMPASS SOUTH and KNIFE’S EDGE.
SALT MAGIC caught my eye because like many of us who work in the wider entertainment industry, projects with ~cosy magic~ and elements remotely comparable to Studio Ghibli are everyone’s white whale. If you’ll let me rant for a little bit - obviously I love Studio Ghibli to death, but I think this race to capture its essence is killing the magic and erasing the meaning of the films in its library. It’s a classic example on what’s happening on booktok and other social media platforms, where tropes are becoming the selling points, often at the expense of meaning and message.
SALT MAGIC is fighting this. It’s giving us a dreamy, enchanting aesthetic, but one made organically through a commitment to telling a story with a mission. It has real, substantial things to say about war, recovery, personal growth, family, and the American Dream.
Also, if I may continue, we need more weird books for kids! I admire all the children’s literature about overcoming mental blocks achieving personal growth through healthy coping mechanisms, but now we have around 6-10 years of kids’ movies where the main villain is just generational trauma. I think we need a little variety. Children should go on perilous adventures by themselves and face interesting kinds of danger - isn’t that what we liked to read about when we were kids? Being empowered? Please don’t take this paragraph out of context.
“Children should be in danger.” - TIP
I think this story would do well in today’s film market - and be good medicine for today’s film market - because it’s a classic hero’s journey set inside a a world with a playful and fun interpretation of classic Americana. It would be the best kind of four-quadrant film (or TV show!), one with elements engaging to both children and adults. And of course that’s the perfect recipe for creating a piece of art that people come back to again and again.
Also I just like stories that have pretty dresses in them.
Have a great weekend!
TIP
See you next time!