Interviewing a middle-grade author is always a pleasure, but it’s even more exciting when the author happens to be fellow Mixed-Up Files member Shifa Saltagi Safadi! Shifa, who won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2024 for her debut novel, Kareem Between, is here to tell us about her latest novel, Sisters Alone, a novel-in-verse about two sisters who survive a dramatic blizzard and live to tell the tale. The book releases from Penguin Young Readers on September 8th.
And now, without further ado, please join me in welcoming Shifa to the blog!
MR: So happy to have you here, Shifa. I read Sisters Alone in two sittings, and cried at the end. It was incredibly moving, and so beautifully written. Congratulations on this wonderful book!
SSS: Thank you so much, dear Melissa! It is my honor to be here and I am SO GRATEFUL you enjoyed the read. Thank you for loving Sisters Alone.
Sisters Alone
MR: Could you tell readers more about Sisters Alone? What was the inspiration behind it?
SSS: Sisters Alone is a story of two sisters who are grieving the sudden passing of their mother when they are somehow, due to a missed field-trip form, left home alone without their father during a blizzard. And when the blizzard gets intense, they have to figure out how to heal their fractured relationship to survive and find hope together again.
MR: On the surface, the two sisters in the book, Rama and Leena, couldn’t be more different. Rama, the eldest, is gifted academically and is perceived by her little sister as “perfect.” Leena, on the other hand, is forgetful and impulsive. What is it about the nature of sibling relationships that intrigues you? What inspired you to explore them?
SSS: I had a very complicated relationship with my younger sister growing up. As the eldest, I was often frustrated with her, and she viewed me as bossy and irritating. I am happy to report that we are in fact the best of friends now, but we do still bicker occasionally! I loved writing and infusing the complexities of sisterhood into this book, because it is fascinating to me, even in watching my own three daughters, how complicated love can be. And showing young readers that relationships, sisterhoods, and family bonds can be complicated, and yet also so special, is a beautiful symbol for hope in the world—that even in differences, there can be love and closeness.
Coping with Grief
MR: Grief is an overarching theme in the book as Leena blames herself for her mother’s death. She copes by making a scrapbook to preserves her mom’s memory, while Rama, who is struggling internally, tamps her feelings. Can you tell us more about the sisters’ respective coping mechanisms?
SSS: As you said, both girls find different ways to cope, with Rama being more focused on the future and moving on from her feelings, while Leena feels stuck in the past and unable to let go of the pain. Both girls represent different ways of grief because people have different ways of processing loss. For Leena and Rama, their coping mechanisms represent their characters, as Rama is someone who is very focused on control and achievement, while Leena is someone who likes creativity and daydreaming.
Through their emotional arcs, I hoped to show that each of them had to take a step toward each other to find that balance, whether Rama letting go of control a bit or Leena stepping up her helpfulness. In this middle ground of love, they are able to lean on each other and process their grief in a better way.
Understanding Anxiety
MR: Another important theme in the book is mental health, as Rama struggles with anxiety and intrusive thoughts. I know this is a deeply personal issue for you, and you’ve addressed it in the author’s note. Can you elaborate on this?
SSS: Intrusive thoughts and anxiety are important issues I wanted to highlight, because growing up, and especially in my teen years, I couldn’t understand the sad feelings I felt and the way my thoughts seemed to always be negative. It was only by realizing what this was and putting a name to it, as well as accepting myself as I am, that was I able to not feel alone or shamed by this experience. I hope young readers who experience anxiety feel seen and loved in this story too.
Syrian Roots and Muslim faith
MR: In addition to the themes mentioned above, the sisters take great pride and comfort in their Syrian roots and Muslim faith. Is this something that resonates deeply for you as well?
SSS: Absolutely. As a Syrian and Muslim American, I grew up never seeing my identity on the bookshelf, and so now, I really like to provide that rep for my young kids and others like them. There are so many harmful stereotypes that are Islamophobic that permeate the media, and so I hope my books offer a view into what the lives of Muslims and Arabs are really like, and how we are all so similar in humanity— all of us just wanting lives with love and peace in them.
Shifa’s Writing Process
MR: Switching gears, what does your writing process look like? Do you have a specific routine or rituals?
SSS: I usually like to write in the early mornings, right after coffee, as that is when my energy is most high and my mind is sharpest. However, that does not mean I write every day. Some days I am unable to focus too long on the screen, and so I give it a rest and just read (or
I usually do like to write in the early mornings right after coffee, as that is when my energy is most high and my mind is sharpest. However, that does not mean I write every day. Some days I am unable to focus too long on the screen, and so I give it a rest and just read (or honestly doom scroll!). Sometimes, all I can do is plot or outline a new story. Other times, I feel like my mind is in a revision mood, or in an essay mood. So I try to follow my instincts into what I want to do, and that usually leads me to the best creative productivity of that moment. I try not to push myself too hard if I am not ready to draft or revise, because that can lead to burnout, and burnout is the hardest creative rut to recover from!
The Magic of Novels in Verse
MR: Like Kareem Between, your latest novel is written in verse. What is it about this form that appeals to you? Also, what advice would you give to writers who might want to attempt a verse novel?
SSS: I absolutely adore verse! One of the reasons is the tightness of the storyline. Most verse novels come in at around 20,000 words, and I feel like today’s readers are clamoring for shorter books and tighter plots. But also, I just love poetry. Something about the magic of language, and how it can transform an image mentally to something with meaning and feeling, makes my heart happy. I love sitting with a poem and tinkering and tinkering with it until it feels like it has that “clicking” moment!
My advice for new verse novelists is to READ! Read ALL the verse novels you can get your hands on, because the best way to train your mind to write poetry is to read a lot of it.
Also, Cordelia Jensen gives a fantastic novel in verse course at Boyds Mills, so make sure to check that out if you like to take courses!
Up Next
MR: What are you working on now, Shifa? Can you give Mixed-Up Files readers a sneak peek?
SSS: I am happily looking forward to the publication of two more Amina Banana books coming out in 2027 and 2028, and a picture book titled The Kaabah Cat in 2027, as well as another picture book titled Summers in Syria, scheduled for 2028!
As for what I am writing, I do have more verse novels in the works, and the next one is a mystery! I am thrilled to get it out into the world, although the details are still a bit secret.
Lightning Round!
MR: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…
Preferred writing snack? Snickers!
Plotter or pantser? Plotter ALL the way!
Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? I would probably die first lol
Superpower? My ability to function with no sleep!
Favorite place on earth? Mecca for sure!
If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?
A cellphone so I can call for help! A book to pass the time. And maybe my glasses, so I can see clearly!
***For more about Shifa, check out THIS INTERVIEW from the Mixed-Up Files archives!***
SHIFA SALTAGI SAFADI is the author of Kareem Between and several picture books, including The Gift of Eid. She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature, teaches ELA at a local middle school, and reviews Muslim books on her blog, Muslim Mommy Blog. Shifa was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents as a young girl. She lives near Chicago with her husband and four children. Learn more about Shifa on her website and follow her on Instagram.
MELISSA ROSKE is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest, and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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