Four decades into his career, Austin author Louis Sachar releases first adult novel

In the mid-1980s, Louis Sachar was a published author who couldn’t make a living as a writer.

“I had a lot of angst about it,” he said. “I’d think, ‘I really got to buckle down and get a job. I can’t just keep on writing.'”

At that point in his career, Sachar had authored a few books that were on shelves but weren’t commercially successful enough to pay his bills, the most noteworthy of which being the children’s book “Sideways Stories from Wayside School.”

“But it was published by a small publisher,” he explained, “and the book went out of print.”

That all changed in 1987 when Sachar released “There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom,” a middle-grade novel about a fifth-grade bully who, over the course of the story, learns to open up and talk about his feelings with a school counselor.

“This is the book that really launched my career,” Sachar said.

After it published, “There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom” won dozens of accolades all across the country, including the prestigious Texas Bluebonnet Award in 1990.

“Sideways Stories from Wayside School” came back into print, and his work as a writer finally became financially viable.

Then, about a decade later, Sachar published the book that made him a superstar.

Influenced by his move to Austin in the late ’90s, “Holes” is a story that centers around a juvenile correctional camp in rural Texas where troubled teenage boys dig holes instead of spending time behind bars.

“I suppose the initial inspiration for writing about the camp came from the heat of summers in Texas,” Sachar wrote on his website. “At the time I began the book, we had just returned from the relative coolness of a vacation in Maine to the Texas summer.”

Since it was released, “Holes” has sold millions of copies, won a National Book Award and was adapted into a Disney movie starring Shia LaBeouf, Tim Blake Nelson and Sigourney Weaver.

In the past four decades, Sachar has written dozens of books and become a prolific children’s and young adult author. In his latest book, Sachar challenges that reputation.

“At 71, I’m getting a little too old to write for kids,” he explained.

» GET MORE NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE: Sign up for Texas Standard’s weekly newsletters

Set in the 16th century, “The Magician of Tiger Castle” is an adult fantasy novel that takes place in the fictional kingdom of Esquaveta, where its 16 year-old princess Tullia is preparing to marry Prince Dalrympl, heir to the kingdom of Oxatania.

When the story begins, Esquaveta is struggling financially. Oxatania, on the other hand, has a strong military and a stable economy.

By marrying Prince Dalrympl, Princess Tullia can ensure the survival of her own kingdom.

“Only peasants can afford to marry for love,” Tullia says early in the story. “For merchants and traders, it is just another business contract. And for royalty, it is an alliance.”

But a month before the wedding, Princess Tullia falls for an apprentice scribe named Pito.

“And everything’s in jeopardy,” Sachar said.

The story is told from the perspective of Anatole, the court magician of Esquaveta.

At the start of the book, Anatole has fallen out of favor with key members of the royal court, and he’s tasked with crafting a potion that makes Princess Tullia and Pito forget about each other.

“The king calls upon Anatole to try to save the marriage, save the kingdom, and most important for Anatole, save his career,” Sachar said.

Sachar started on “The Magician of Tiger Castle” during the coronavirus pandemic, and he first got the idea to write a story that takes place during the Renaissance while listening to a series of lectures about the Middle Ages.

“I gave it my whole heart and soul for three years,” Sachar said. “I feel like there’s a piece of me in Anatole and there’s a piece of Anatole in me.”

Louis Sachar made his career telling stories for kids and young adults. His latest book represents a departure from the norm.

“I’m writing for the same people who grew up reading my books,” he said. “And I hope that they’ll get the same feelings they got from the ‘Wayside School’ books, or ‘Boy in The Girl’s Bathroom’ or ‘Holes.'”

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.