Interviewing Happy Camper Author Sarah Young

It was my pleasure recently to interview Sarah Young, author of the new novel Happy Camper, available right now on Amazon.

Here’s the book’s description: A captivating tale of love and identity, set against the backdrop of a Jewish summer camp in 2010. When Reina, an out lesbian, is sent to Camp Geshem for the summer, she anticipates an isolating eight weeks back in the closet – because the camp’s policy at the time is not to allow out LGBTQ+ campers. But when she meets Talia, a fellow camper with secrets of her own, everything changes. As they navigate the complexities of their identities and the shifting attitudes and expectations of their surroundings, Reina and Talia embark on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Amidst the backdrop of camp rituals and the natural beauty of Camp Geshem, they forge a deep connection that challenges their perceptions of themselves and what it means to truly find a place where they belong. Happy Camper is a heartwarming and lively exploration of first love, friendship, and the courage it takes to be true to oneself.

I knew Sarah in her younger days at Camp Ramah New England, the Jewish summer camp where I still work as the Co-Director.  I enjoyed reading her novel — I was of course interested in a story set at a Jewish summer camp! — and it was a pleasure to chat with her about the book and its development!

Pictured above: Sarah and her novel Happy Camper, and a photo Sarah shared with me of her as a camper at Camp Ramah New England — that’s her on the left — during her Magshimim summer (that’s our program for rising eighth graders)!

Sarah, I love the idea of a novel set at Jewish summer camp, something so close to my heart. What led you to choosing this as a setting for your novel?

Camp is obviously close to my heart, too — I spent nine formative summers there, and I wrote this book only a few months after getting back from my Nivonim summer (2014). I wanted to share my love for camp while also exploring the complexities of being “other” there. I was out at camp for three summers, and it changed how people interacted with me (in some good and some bad ways). It obviously took much longer for this book to come out than I had anticipated, but I wanted to share that story and the blessings and challenges of being queer at camp.

I’m always interested in origin stories: where did your desire to tell this specific story come from? Did you start with the character of Reina, or aspects of this young love story, or something else?

There’s something called “queer magnet theory,” where basically even before queer people come out, they somehow find each other. Many of my closest friends from camp over the years were queer, whether they knew it or not at the time. Several of my other close friends at camp were adopted, some of whom were people of color. As I wrote this book (and then edited it over the course of several years) I was inspired by things my friends told me about their experiences being queer, being closeted, being people of color, and being at camp as an adopted kid. I wanted to tell our stories, and I wanted it to have a happy ending.

For a lot of people (including my parents, who started dating at Ramah Palmer in 1985), camp can be a place where they experience love and dating for the first time. While I also got to experience this, most of the queer kids I know didn’t. I wanted to write the love story that they deserved.

I loved how you wove together the different aspects of Reina’s character and background — she’s Jewish, she’s Latina, she’s a lesbian, and of course there’s so much more to her beyond that. How did you approach creating this character and giving her depth while avoiding easy cliches?

I spoke to a lot of my friends who were campers at various Jewish camps, and their families, to learn about what it was like being a person of color at camp. I wanted to tell the story realistically and with compassion, and so as soon as I was done, I sent it to several of my friends to be sensitivity readers. I could rely on my own experiences writing a teenaged lesbian, but I wanted to be sure that, as a white person writing a Latina character, I was doing right by her.

I really believe that Jewish summer camp can be transformative for young people. What were some positive takeaways of your Ramah experiences as a kid?

I learned how to daven, how to read Torah, how to engage with Jewish life and community, and how to take part in that community. I would not be the Jew I am without Ramah, and I cherish the friends I made over the years.

I loved spotting specific details in the story that reminded me of Camp Ramah years ago (back when you were a camper). How did you approach balancing your actual experiences at camp with the fictional story with fictional characters that you’re telling? Did you find it hard to balance that?

I wanted to share some of the amazing conversations that were happening at camp while I was there, like the conversation the campers had about rules surrounding queer campers and being more accepting. That was an actual conversation I had with my edah-mates, and a memory that I cherish where I really felt loved and supported. Certain other things, like “proposing to the bunk” on tu b’av, were also real things that happened at camp. I put my characters in some of the same situations I was in as a camper and got to relive, and in some cases rewrite, joyful experiences I had as a camper.

Were there specific aspects of the Jewish summer camp experience that you were particularly interested or excited about including in this story?

So much of it — from finding your people to learning about and celebrating holidays together, to how unique and special it is to be in a Jewish space surrounded by other Jews and getting to learn from and grow with them.

What’s the best way for people to follow you and your work?

They can follow me on Facebook at Sarah L. Young Author!

What are you working on next?

I’m currently working on a few projects! One is a middle grade (aimed at ages 10-14) book about a Jewish girl dealing with her parents’ divorce, being one of the only Jews at school, and figuring out her identity all while preparing for her bat mitzvah. Another project is a New Adult (aimed at ages 17-25) book about a woman who uses her bubbe’s Jewish recipes on a tv baking show and falls in love with another contestant. I’m also always working on any number of picture books, including a series about a family who adopts a dog and teaches her about the Jewish holidays. Hopefully I’ll be able to share good news about some of those soon!

You can click here to read Happy Camper right now!

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