A "Stronghold" of words

“It’s hard to see your own story.”

These are the words of Tucker Malarkey, author of the critically acclaimed book “Stronghold.” Originally hired at the Washington Post, Malarkey now lives with her family in Berkeley California. The Exponent had the honor ofspeeking with Malarkey about her new book and the challenges and rewards she discovered in the writing process. “Stronghold” is a story about salmon told through the life of one of their foremost protectors: Guido Rahr. Rahr is Malarkey’s cousin, and their lives have been intertwined from the very beginning.

As a child and through his teen years, Rahr struggled in school and spent the majority of his waking hours chasing, capturing and examining whatever reptiles he could find. Now, Rahr is the president and CEO of Wild Salmon Center, a nonprofit organization at the forefront of  Pacific salmon conservation. “From a remove, I could see his story... as someone who was denied a diploma in high school because he was too busy catching reptiles to go to class, and then somehow transformed into this international, geopolitical dealmaker,” Malarkey said.

Malarkey initially had the idea to put Rahr’s life on paper when he began dealing with  important members of Russia’s elite, all in the name of saving the salmon. “He knew that he  had entered a different realm of power players,” she said.

Once the writing process began, she realized that “Stronghold”had the potential to deeply inspire readers. “When you can move someone’s heart, basically you can change the world,” Malarkey explained.

Malarkey knew that telling Rahr’s story while simultaneously providing an education on Pacific salmon would be challenging, but she wanted the multiple strands of the story to weave and build on one another. “I wanted it all to braid together like one of those natural rivers, and that you wouldn’t feel me shifting gears,” she said. “But I didn’t know how to do that, and I hadn’t read a book that had done that. I had to really dig deep and have faith in myself, and trust that my vision would come to fruition.”

“Stronghold”is a powerful story made human by Malarkey’s writing. The intricate detail with which Malarkey introduces her subjects – both Rahr and the salmon – leaves the reader feeling that they have known the story all along and that it is partly their own. In Malarkey’s words, “To be involved in such a profoundly creative act with such real issues and people, and  have it come together and feel like, ‘Oh yeah, I kind of nailed it!’ that was amazing.”

Ladies and gentlemen, she certainly nailed it.

“Stronghold” is available both online and in bookstores, in both hardcover and paperback versions.