Amma Treadeau

Photo &copy Kami Garcia

Photo © Kami Garcia 2009.

From Boy With Books Interview:

Amma is as smart as she is evasive. She knows everything and tells you nothing – or so it seems. She’s usually the smartest person in the room, and the most intimidating. But she loves Ethan more than anything in this world or the Other, and she’ll do whatever she has to do to protect him.

Margaret Stohl: For me it was my Grandma. The older she got, the more her body shrunk and her personality grew. I used to write her letters addressed to “Bubbles” because I knew the postman would read them. She would get so mad! We used to sing fake opera in the kitchen when I got home from school, as loud as we could.

BwB: Do either of you read tarot cards or similar things?
KG: No. But I’m really superstitious, like Amma. And I have lots of charms.
MS: And I’ve been known to paddle people across their heads with big words before!

BoyWithBooks: F.I.E.R.C.E., as in Amma is freaking awesome. How did her character develop? Perhaps one of you had an Amma when you were little?
Kami Garcia: Amma is a cross between the powerful women in both our lives. For me, it was my great-grandma. She was a force to be reckoned with – tiny like Amma, but the biggest person in the room. She was also the kind of woman who commanded and deserved respect, like Amma.

BwB: Where did the crossword idea come from? Are either of you crossword junkies?
KG: We wanted something tangible to represent how incredibly smart Amma is. We didn’t want the reader to think she spends all her time baking, although she excels at that too. I am terrible at crosswords, but Margie is a Scrabble champion.
MS: It’s true. Scrabble is my Great and Terrible Purpose.

Three Things You Would Find in Amma’s Room:

Advice from Amma: “Don’t go lookin’ for trouble, it’ll find you when it’s good and ready.”