Her most recent email casually mentioned that there’s a book called The Female Detective. Published in 1864. I know, I know! Bookfinder.com has come up with nothing, which is both shocking and a fantastic challenge. In the meantime, I’m going to borrow Joseph A. Kestner’s Sherlock’s Sisters: The British Female Detective, 1864-1913 for an overview.

This is the thing with research: it never ends. It’s infuriating and alarming (what did I miss, that I really should have known about?) but also a wonderful and constant reminder of how much there still is to learn. And I adore that.

Every time there’s a heavy rain, the sewers overflow into the river itself. The river’s full of refuse. The fish are dying. All they need now is an unusually hot May, and the Great Stink of 1858 could replay itself.. The program is called Costing the Earth.

And did you know that this coming week, May 5 – May 12, is Canadian Children’s Book Week? In celebration of children’s books, my friends at Young Kingston have organized a group signing at Novel Idea Books on Sunday, May 6. I’ll be there from 3 to 4 with the award-winning Ann-Maureen Owens. Hope to see you there!

To my ear, at least, each question can be flipped around and made more general:

Should everything I read as a woman of colour include characters of colour?

Should everything I read as a feminist be overtly progressive?

In sum, should we create a world of books that reflects our own world views and positions?

It’s certainly important to see ourselves – our own kind of people, whether we’re talking race or creed – reflected in our literature. It creates a sense of community, assists us in defining ourselves more clearly, helps us to look critically at our own strengths and shortcomings.

But at the same time, what a wilfully small world that would be. Can you imagine how limited our interests, imaginations, interests, and conversations would be, if that were the case? How unable we’d be to imagine another point of view, or follow an argument that didn’t relate directly to our own interests? How would we learn new things? How could we admire – and borrow – streaks of brilliance that we didn’t create?

We must read widely, read deeply, and read well outside our comfort zones if we’re to learn and grow. And if we enjoy what we read – if we absolutely adore what we discover – so much the better.

I’d also argue that when we make assumptions about the homogeneity or reactionary nature of Jane Austen’s (or anyone else’s) world, we’re limiting ourselves as much as we are them. People assume all the time that Victorian London was lily-white, with a clear-cut and never-changing social order. The reality is much more complex, as I try to show in the Agency novels.

Finally, isn’t it interesting that we don’t have to give our beloved Jane Austen a special get-out-of-jail-free card? Think about the lesson at the heart of her most-adapted novel, Pride and Prejudice. It is, at core, a novel about humility: 1) not presuming yourself superior to another group of people (in Darcy’s case, the Bennet family), and 2) being able to retract your hasty judgement of someone based on hearsay (in Elizabeth’s case, Darcy). That’s a fine message for any progressive book to carry – whoever the author.

Are you an Austenite? What have you learned from Jane Austen – or another favourite author?

Other bits from this past week:

On the same day I received my finished copies of Traitor, I heard on Twitter that They Are About – as in, already on sale in some places! One reader in Texas and another in Kentucky have already read the real deal. This is so exciting.

This review from Forever YA is the funniest review I’ve ever read about one of my own books.

And here’s a terrific podcast about the Plimsoll line, which has a small but important role in the plot of A Spy in the House. Thank you, MrsFridayNext, for sharing it with me!

You probably know what your animal sign is (calculator here, if you don’t), and wikipedia does a reasonable job of summarizing each animal’s characteristics. Although I have only a passing curiosity in astrology, I began to wonder what zodiac animal Mary Quinn is. Although her precise date of birth is unknown, she was born in 1841, making her an Ox. (Probably. If she was born before January 25, 1841, though, she’d be a Rat.)

So if you’re a believer in Chinese astrology, you’d say that Mary Quinn should be “dependable, ambitious, calm, methodical, born leader, patient, hardworking, conventional, steady, modest, logical, resolute, and tenacious. Can be stubborn, dogmatic, hot-tempered, narrow-minded, materialistic, rigid, and demanding” (description from wikipedia). Hm. I don’t see “impatient” in that list of traits…

As for James Easton, he was born in the summer of 1839, making him a Pig. (Mary could have told you that the first time they met, right?) Apparently, pigs are “honest, gallant, sturdy, sociable, peace-loving, patient, loyal, hard-working, trusting, sincere, calm, understanding, thoughtful, scrupulous, passionate, and intelligent. Can be naïve, over-reliant, self-indulgent, gullible, fatalistic, and materialistic.” Again, the description misses one of James’s main characteristics: arrogance. Tsk, tsk.

What’s your astrological sign, and how accurate do you think it is?

One thing I loved (still do) about yoga is that it’s a form of meditation in action. These days, however, I get my meditation-in-action in different ways. Cooking is pretty frenzied, with one child “helping” and another yodelling in the background. Ditto baking. But look what landed in our back garden today!

Two cords of seasoned firewood. And it all needs to go into the shed (that blue building on the right). Stacking firewood is only very distantly related to yoga: both require a gentle warm-up and no special clothing (regardless of what lululemon would have you believe). Both leave you feeling sore and smug the next day. And until things calm down around here, I’ll take my meditation in action wherever I can get it.

What’s your form of meditation in action?

P.S. I recently recorded two audio clips for the nice people at teachingbooks.net. Want to hear them? The first is a short reading from A Spy in the House and the second is a silly one about the pronunciation of my name. Hope you enjoy!

We were in Toronto for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s annual awards gala, and I came away with the best news possible: A Spy in the House won the inaugural John Spray Mystery Award! Here’s what the judges had to say: ““In A Spy in the House Lee has got Victorian London right; this is what Dickens’ world really smelled like, literally and morally… Interesting and unique, Mary Quinn is a strong character who can think on her feet… I loved this book from the first line to the very last… A great read for a young adult of any age…”

I’m astounded, and thrilled, and humbled, and so grateful to a long list of people:

- John Spray of the Mantis Investigation Agency, who created and funds the award;

- My husband, Nicholas Woolley, who is my first and best and most ruthless reader;

- My agent, Rowan Lawton of PFD, who first envisioned the book as a YA novel;

- My editors, Mara Bergman of Walker Books UK and Deborah Noyes Wayshak of Candlewick Press, for honing my manuscript to its present form;

- All the booksellers, librarians, and teachers who are its passionate advocates;

- And finally, I am so very grateful to you, my readers, who are fervent about Mary Quinn and her circle. It’s a joy and a privilege to write these books. Thank you for your support.

Warmest congratulations to my fellow finalists Jan Markley, Allan Stratton, Marty Chan, and Norah McClintock. Long may mystery novels for young people continue to flourish!

First, A Spy in the House has been nominated for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s brand-new John Spray Mystery Award! Can I possibly hold my breath from now until the winners are announced in October?

Second, I’ll be reading, signing, and talking about the Victorians at the Mississauga Public Library on August 27, as their Teen Summer Reading program concludes. I’ll post more details here closer to the event.

And finally, I’m absolutely overjoyed to announce that there will be a fourth and final Agency novel. Its working title is Rivals in the City. There’s no publication date yet (I have to finish the book first!), but I’m so thrilled to be immersed in Mary Quinn’s world, one last time. I hope you’ll agree.

Happy long weekend, Canadian and American readers!

I’m so glad that the organizers gave me a chance to say a very quick hello to the audience. A student will read the following greeting to the audience but I thought I’d post it here, too, so it reaches those who weren’t lucky enough to score tickets to the gala.

Several years ago, my mother asked me whether I’d rather have a baby or publish a novel. I didn’t even have to think about it: “novel” was my unhesitating answer, and The Agency: A Spy in the House, became both my book and my baby.

I’m a doubly lucky person, though. The reason I can’t be here today, celebrating with you in person, is because I’m in Kingston, Ontario, awaiting the birth of another baby – and I don’t mean the fictional type, this time. I’m so sorry to miss this party, and I hope it’s a shining day for everyone. Thank you for being such passionate readers.

Congratulations to all my fellow finalists, and especially to the students who read their way through the shortlists with such verve and enthusiasm! It’s been such a pleasure hearing from you.

I can still do local events, though, and on Friday, May 13, I’ll be reading at Indigo Books & Music as part of the United Way’s Success by 6 Week. I’ll be reading from two of my favourite picture books, starting at 11.20. See you there?

All next week, I’ll be chatting with members of Bookurious, where the Book Club is reading A Spy in the House. The discussion thread opens today, so if you have burning questions about Mary Quinn (oh okay, James Easton – everyone always asks about James!), do join in.

And finally, are you a Kingston-area high school student? There’s a writing contest designed just for you by Kingston WritersFest 2011. (Ahem: cash prizes.) Details are here. Good luck!