Press Release for Froi of the Exiles

Candlewick Press posted the official press release for Froi of the Exiles.

“What I wanted to avoid in Froi of the Exiles was writing about a character who triumphs because the good guys give him a chance. There’s a blurry line at times in this novel about who is good and bad. The Lumaterans and themselves on the bad side of the debate as much as the enemy and themselves on the good.

Froi’s story centers on the nurture-versus-nature debate. The question most asked by those who have come to love Froi is, who would he have been if the most base of street thugs had not raised him? But I wanted Froi taking responsibility for his own actions rather than blaming others. What was important to me is that he struggles with his past actions every day of his life.

More importantly, I wanted to explore the strengths of spoken bonds. Froi has a bond to his beloved Queen’s guard and another to the Queen herself. He follows these rules every day of his life in Lumatere, and they become the guide on how to live his life. As someone who taught for ten years, I spoke often about the difference between discipline and self-discipline, so it wasn’t surprising that the story I wanted to tell about Froi centers around what happens to him when his guides are removed from his life. Can he be good without someone else’s rules to follow, and at what point in his life does he write his own bond?” -Melina Marchetta

Here is the direct link to the file: Froi of the Exiles Press Release