Holocaust narratives are as abundant and individual as fingerprints—every experience of the cataclysm was unique. In Courage To Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust (Graphix/Scholastic, Oct. 31), by Neal Shusterman (illustrated by Andrés Vera Martínez), the author may be one of the first writers to approach the subject in a graphic novel format that incorporates elements of dark fantasy. The book appears on our list of the Best YA Books of 2023, and Shusterman recently took a few minutes to answer questions by email.
Courage To Dream departs from most books about the Holocaust by introducing elements of fantasy and folklore into its narratives. What inspired that decision?
The key point there is departure from what we’ve seen before. I’m always trying to show familiar things from new, unfamiliar perspectives. Dark fantasy narratives, in their most traditional forms—like fairy tales and cultural legends—are meant to be lessons and cautionary tales. I wanted to utilize the genre in a poignant, resonant way. I was also hoping to bring in readers who might not normally pick up a book about the Holocaust.
Did you worry about how the book would be received?
I always have concerns about how a book will be received. Most of the books I write push against boundaries in one way or another, like dealing with the multitude of sensitive issues in Game Changer or telling a story about drug addiction from the point of view of the personified drugs themselves in Roxy. Courage To Dream actually predates both of those books, because I’ve been working on it for 13 years. When I first thought of telling stories about the Holocaust through fantasy, I got scared because I didn’t know if it could be done with taste, respect, and sensitivity. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt called to do it. I must be a little bit of a literary masochist, because when I’m scared by something, that becomes the thing I want to write.
Can you say something about how you worked with illustrator Andrés Vera Martínez?
The first draft of the book was completed before Andrés was brought on board. But once I began to see his spectacular artwork, it really helped the revisions because there was so much that could be shown rather than told. I still get chills when I look at a lot of his artwork for this book. And the funny thing is, we’ve never actually met. We’ll be meeting for the first time while I’m on tour!
Who is the ideal reader for your book, and where would they be reading it?
The book is written with teenagers and preteens in mind, but my hope is that it will be read across the board by all ages. Antisemitism and all forms of hatred hide in dark corners and unexpected places. It’s my hope that Courage To Dream will shine light into those corners and find readers who might otherwise shy away from these kinds of stories—because we all need to be beacons of light in this world.
Tom Beer is the editor-in-chief.