“Baking Hope: A Mother-Daughter Collaboration on Tackling Tough Topics in ‘Gut Reaction'”

Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt

Kirby Larson, a critically acclaimed author has earned innumerable awards throughout her writing career, including the coveted Newbery Honor Book in 2007 which recognizes an author’s contributions to American literature for children. Her work explores the genres of historical and contemporary, and narrative nonfiction picture books, with titles such as Hattie Big Sky, Hattie Ever After, and Bobbies and Nubs.

When asked how she became a writer, she told us, “Ever since I learned to read, books have been magic carpets and maps. Magic carpets because books have transported me to other times and places, broadening my understanding of this glorious, messy world; maps because they have shown me ways to navigate perplexing situations, like how to be a good friend or own up to my mistakes. Books inspired me to write all through school, but I never dreamed of being a writer because I didn’t see it as an option for an ordinary kid like me. Rediscovering children’s books with my children provided the impetus to learn how to be a writer myself; I am fortunate and blessed to have been able to pursue this career for the past thirty years.” 

Over those 30 years, Kirby has collaborated with other writers but most recently, she’s teamed up with someone very special; her daughter, Quinn Wyatt. The result of their efforts, Gut Reaction, released in March 2024. This title tells the story of Tess, a middle schooler who is dealing with the loss of her father and starting at a new school. She copes with her loss by baking, something that helps her feel connected to her father. It also becomes a catalyst for making new friends. It’s through her baking, taste-testing, and insurmountable bouts of physical pain that she comes to find she has Crohn’s disease.

This is Quinn’s first endeavor into authorship. When asked about her path to writing, she commented, “I am a mother, baker, crafter, volunteer, and now a writer! I also have Crohn’s Disease. I have felt for a long time that there are conditions that live in the shadows because they are hard to talk about. I love that books today tackle these hard topics, and I was inspired to share my story. I wanted other kids to not feel as alone as I felt growing up going through embarrassing and painful symptoms.”

With two authors in the family, one can’t help but wonder where each finds their biggest influences. Kirby says, “Immediate influences include my parents who modeled a powerful love and respect for reading and story, my husband who believed in me when I most certainly did not believe in myself, and my children who have kept me on my toes from the get-go. Karen Cushman’s incredible Catherine, Called Birdy, helped me see historical fiction in a new light; her friendship emboldened me to pursue my own passion for that genre. I continue to be inspired and challenged by the many gifted writers I am blessed to call friends.” Quinn explains, “I was, of course, influenced by my mother and her ability to reach so many with her gift of storytelling. As my daughters have grown, I have been moved by the way books make such a difference in how kids see the world and those around them. The stories we read can truly make a difference in our lives.”  

Quinn’s experience with Crohn’s Disease served as the genesis for this book idea although Kirby explained, “If not for Quinn’s quiet persistence, this book would not have happened due to my reluctance to visit a very tough time in her childhood. Once I understood how important it was to her to tell this story, I was on board fully.” Never having written together before, we wondered what their creative process looked like. Quinn told us that, “This book was a journey that spanned almost a decade. My mom and I went through several revisions of Tess. Who she is and what she is going through changed multiple times! We created timelines and character studies and bios for our main characters to really dive into who they are.” Kirby adds, “We started with a retreat weekend discussing character and plot, sketching out a road map. This book is guided by Quinn’s lived experiences, so she wrote the scenes from the main character’s POV and I wove those into a narrative based on the road map we created.” Quinn added that they “traded manuscripts back and forth adding scenes and working through the storyline. It was truly a collaborative process from start to finish.” Kirby reinforces the notion of collaboration by concluding, “Our insightful agent, Jill Grinberg, and her chief of operations, Denise Page, helped us revise and hone the story pushing us to add more emotion and lots more baking.”

What message does the writing duo hope to convey with this book? “We are so happy to see so many books normalizing the conversation around both mental and physical health. By writing a hopeful, honest, and sometimes humorous story of living with Crohn’s disease, it is our hope to add to that conversation. We also want to support the Quinns and Tesses of the world dealing with various hard-to-talk-about conditions – from alopecia to vitiligo – by saying it’s okay to talk, even about the embarrassing stuff.  And for those blessedly unaffected by physical or mental health challenges, we hope this story offers insights that may foster greater understanding, empathy, and kindness.

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