Young Author Publishes First Novel

By NEIL FARRELL for Morro Bay Life

When you were 10, you may have daydreamed about being Harry Potter or going to Mars in a spaceship, but a Morro Bay girl has her imagination rooted in the past and relishes stories of the pioneers in America’s history.

Sophia Wilke, 12, is celebrating the publication of her first novel, titled “Rose’s Faith-Testing Adventure,” which her mom, Hillary Wilke (father is Andrew Wilke), described as “a beautifully written historical fiction novel, taking place in the 1870s on the prairie. It is historically accurate with beautiful family values and sweet characters.”

Morro Bay Life met with Sophia at the family’s home with a sweeping view of Morro Rock. She explains that the story, which she started at age 9 and finished when she was 10, is about a young girl, Rose Parker of Astoria Oregon, whose father, a doctor, is hired to become the town doc in Pembina, North Dakota. It’s about the amazing trek the family makes west-to-east at a time when such travel was not easy and the Dakotas were still the wilderness.

“It’s about her struggles along the way,” Sophia explains, adding that the family in the story travels by coach and then train.

Is this a tragic story, filled with hardships, loss and sacrifice, as a lot of western novels tend to be?

“It’s not a tragedy,” she says. “They make it OK. But there are struggles and she meets a friend on the way, who is also moving to Pembina.”

Sophia explains that the two young girls (the new friend is Julia) are both 15 and strike up a fast friendship, sharing the trip’s adventures.

The story just doesn’t seem like something a 10-year-old would be interested in these days. For Sophia, it was a chance to explore two of her favorite things — history and writing, and the search for an outlet to what could be a calling.

Sophia, who is homeschooled and has three older brothers, said she always liked writing and reading history.

“It made me really want to start writing about history and things that are interesting,” she said.

She has drawn inspiration from the “Millie Keith” series of books, written by Martha Finley and first published from 1876-1894.

“I really liked that time period,” Sophia said, “and I wanted to write in that timeframe.”

And she also wanted to introduce readers to someplace new.

“I write about a place that hadn’t been written about yet,” she said, adding that Rose’s dad, “felt called to go where there were no doctors yet and help build the town.”

Sophia spent six months on the novel’s first draft, she explains, handwriting it all out in longhand as opposed to a computer.

Sophia said when the book was done, she looked for a publisher, and since the story has faith as a basis, was accepted by Christian Faith Publishing. They loved the book and agreed to publish it and even hired an illustrator to work on it. But Sophia, who is clearly an old soul and wise beyond her years, didn’t think the initial drawings fit the story she was telling. She found another illustrator, Diana Lynn in Arroyo Grande, who came out of retirement to work with Sophia, who was delighted with the new illustrations.

The finished hardcover book was delivered about six months ago. It’s 142 pages (and an amazing 36,000 words), so it’s not too long for the younger audience it’s written for.

She is pleased with how quickly the book came together and the job the publishers did putting it all together.

“I’m really happy with what they did,” she says. Her target audience is 8 to 14-years old, but mom Hillary says, “Adults that have read it have really enjoyed the characters and family relationships.”

So having one book published at 12, of course, calls for another. Sophia says she’s already finished a rough draft of a book that will also have Rose Parker as the lead.

“It’s about her meeting her future husband,” Sophia says, not giving too much away. She plans to work with illustrator Lynn again, too. Sophia shares a bit of her philosophy. “It’s very important to remember the past,” she says. “It’s important to write about it so we don’t forget.”

And like any writer you’ll ever meet, she places great importance on the written word. “Writing is important and a way to express yourself,” she says.

If readers would like to get a copy of Sophia Wilke’s book, “Rose’s Faith-Testing Adventure,” go to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or Google. Or see her website at sophiawilkiebooks.com.

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