We talk to New York Times, indie and international bestselling author Sarah Undergrowth about her second novel, The gentlest of all wild things. Inspired by the myth of Eros and Psyche with a Sapphic twist, it features wonderful characterizations, aching longing, and plenty of female rage.
Hi Sarah, thank you for joining us today! Can you tell our readers a little about yourself and your latest book, Gentlest of Wild Things?
Hi! I’m Sarah and I’m a data scientist at the University of Oxford. I’m also the author of the New York Times bestseller Lies We Sing to the Sea (my first book) and the newly released Gentlest of Wild Things (my second!)
Gentlest of Wild Things is a Sapphic, vampiric take on the myth of Eros and Psyche. The film is set on the island of Zakynthos, where nothing is more powerful than desire, love itself, bottled by the powerful demigod Leandros and sold to the highest bidder. The story follows Eirene, an ambitious healer who makes a deal with Leandros to protect her beloved sister from marriage, and Lamia, Leandros’ daughter, who is imprisoned by Leandros and possesses her own mysterious power.
Second books are HARD, but once I got into the swing of things with Gentlest of Wild Things, it was so much fun to write. It’s a book about a lot of things, but I think first and foremost it’s ultimately about disability, about living as a disabled girl and having your own adventures and romances, regardless of what society expects of you. It also features a big sheep.
I loved the relationship between Eirene and Lamia – the Sapphic representation meant a lot to me too. What does representation mean to you and why do you focus on Sapphic love stories?
I think the Sapphic representation I put into my first book was more intentional: I wanted a clearly bisexual protagonist who fell in love with both a boy and a girl, because I didn’t see that happen a lot growing up. In Gentlest of Wild Things, the Sapphic romance was exactly what made sense for the story and for Lamia and Eirene as characters.
I think everything I write will always be lesbian, in the sense that there will be lesbian main characters, but they won’t always be in f/f relationships. There will definitely be bi-m/f stories, which are just as important to me as the f/f stories.
What excites you about writing these fantastic stories based on elements of Greek mythology?
I love fantasy, I love mythology, I love the idea of participating in the oral tradition – taking these stories and telling them in a way that feels new and interesting to me. Of course, my versions deviate quite a bit from the original myths, and I think that’s probably because I grew up reading a lot of fanfiction; in fanfiction spaces, people change things if they don’t like them, or even if they do like them, and make them into what they want. That’s always been so exciting to me.
Without giving too much away, there is a very interesting look at certain aspects of Greek mythology in this book, which speaks of a renaissance in current young adult literature. How did you decide which parts of mythology to use?
I think the story of Eros and Psyche has always interested me, and it was a natural choice: I love the structure and many of the individual parts, but I never felt like writing a straight retelling. I was much more interested in playing around with those set pieces and seeing how I could turn them into something new that had a very different central theme to the original.
Both of your books deal with abuse in different forms, often with a focus on the power imbalance inherent in patriarchy. What motivates you to write about this and what message do you want to convey to readers from your books?
The reason I’m writing and the message I want to convey are fundamentally the same: Patriarchy sucks for everyone, and it’s in all of our interests to abolish it.
Which songs would you choose as the soundtrack to “Gentlest of Wild Things”?
I listened to a lot of Hozier while writing Gentlest of Wild Things: Francesca; Abstract (Psychopomp); Eat Your Young; All Things End; Shrike; Would That I; From Eden. I love Hozier. The fact that his new album is built around a descent into hell felt like a nod to a book where the main characters (spoiler? That’s how it is in the original myth) go to hell.
What books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any you can’t wait to get your hands on?
God, so many. I’ve read a LOT and it’s been such a good year for me. I especially enjoyed Dark Rise by CS Pacat, Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel, The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez, The End Crowns All by Bea Fitzgerald, and Where the Dark Stands Still by AB Poranek.
See also
This year I’m most looking forward to The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri and The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi. Next year I’m really excited for the release of Hungerstone by Kat Dunn (I’ve already read it and really enjoyed it, but I want the hardcover for my collection).
If possible, can you tell us a little about your current work and upcoming projects?
I’m working on a lot of stuff! My next YA project is a trilogy that I’ll be able to share a bit more about towards the end of the year/beginning of 2025. I’m leaving the realm of Greek mythology for now and it’s so exciting to be moving more into traditional fantasy and making up absolutely everything instead of just most things.
In the adult space, I have been working on a book about Austen-era swamp demons for several years, and I feel like this year might be the year I Finally trying to sell it. I’m also writing a couple of romantic comedies with my best friend and I’m having the most fun in the world. I’d love to see them published one day.
If you could describe “Gentlest of Wild Things” in just five words, what would they be?
Romantic, hopeful, tender, slightly scary.
