Local Author and Professor Reimagines Pinocchio in Dark, Queer YA Retelling

By Caleb Adams ~ Guest Writer

Dr. Kelly Jacobson, a creative writing professor at the University of Lynchburg, is set to release her latest novel, Lies of a Toymaker, on April 8.

As a retelling of Pinocchio, the novel follows Paige, a teen slowly turning into wood, as she journeys through the Land of Toys.

“[Paige] goes to the land of toys and has to find herself and her voice as she’s finding her way across. So physically she’s struggling and emotionally she’s struggling with sort of ‘Who am I?’ ‘How can I voice what I want when someone else is so overwhelmingly like running my life based on what they want?’” Jacobson explains.

Dr. Kelly Jacobson. Photo via University of Lynchburg.

Lies of a Toymaker masterfully blends the eerie essence of classic fairy tales with a modern, thought-provoking twist.

Rie Lee, author of Vessel, described the book with great enthusiasm.

 “It’s such a cool, weird book,” said Lee. “Most of the time I was reading it, I felt like I was floating. Or being floated.”

Michael Chin, author of My Grandfather’s an Immigrant and So Is Yours, praised the novel for its originality.

“What I most appreciated about Lies of a Toymaker is the ways in which it so aggressively diverges from the traditional Pinocchio tale,” Chin said.

Readers can pre-order Lies of a Toymaker now and experience Jacobson’s haunting reimagining of a childhood classic.