Mystery author Sharma Shields has written about a number of the Northwest”s mysteries, but her newest novel takes on the biggest one of all: Sasquatch.
Shields, a Washington native, said she was inspired to write “The Sasquatch Hunter”s Almanac” after she realized her fascination of mythical beings and monster legends while writing her short story collection, “Favorite Monster.”
“The inspiration for this book came from my short story collection,” Shields said. “I noticed that I was setting all of my stories in the Northwest, and I decided I wanted to do a more local monster.”
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Sharma Shields speaks about her latest book, “The Sasquatch Hunter’s Almanac” at the 1912 Center in downtown Moscow.
Shields said when it came to writing a novel about Sasquatch, she wanted to focus on individuals who are interested in the myth.
“I got really inspired by the idea of writing an entire book based on people who are really fascinated by Sasquatch,” Shields said.
Shields said her main character, Eli Roebuck, grapples with a vivid memory of the Sasquatch-like man that leaves with his more-than-willing mother into the forest.
Spanning many decades, Eli becomes obsessed with this haunting memory, vowing to find the beast, no matter the cost, eventually destroying every relationship he has.
In addition to exploring the world of individuals who are obsessed with Sasquatch, Shields said the novel portrays Sasquatch in a way that makes you wonder if he is more human than monster or vice versa, while doing the same with each of the human characters.
When it came to writing Sasquatch as a character, Shields said it was a challenge to bring the monster to life in a magical but realistic way.
“I feel like Sasquatch is a larger than life character,” Shields said. “I tried to make him as vibrant and big as possible.”
Shields said it is the human-sasquatch interaction that drives the dark and imaginative plot of the novel.
“He [the Sasquatch] gets really upset when he keeps accidentally killing humans,” Shields said. “Those sorts of reactions – the guilt, the shame, the trying to wrestle in and out of our own temperament – are something that we can all relate to.”
The history of the Sasquatch legend is so extensive that Shields said she conducted a lot of research in order to capture the character.
“There are legends about Sasquatch that go back hundreds of years … and I did all of my research at the local libraries,” Shields said.
Shields said the Native American presence in the Northwest helped shape her novel as well.
“I think Sasquatch exists in a lot of different forms in the Pacific Northwest,” Shields said. “I kind of concentrated on reading the stories of the Spokane and Colville tribes.”
Shields said one of her favorite parts about writing about local legend is the playfulness and darkness such tales can evoke.
Shields said that the monsters within “The Sasquatch Hunter”s Almanac” and her other literary works portray the feelings and emotions of humans on a more intimate level.
“I get really attracted to the ideas of monsters, and I think they just serve as such beautiful metaphors for things that we are afraid of,” Shields said. “Often the real fear is more literally terrifying than the monster itself.”
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected]