Caroline Rose: My name is Caroline Starr Rose and I'm the author of Miraculous, a middle grade novel about a traveling medicine show. Years ago, while visiting a museum in St. Louis I heard a talk on quacks and charlatans, people who deceive others by pretending to have medical knowledge for their personal gain. It sparked a number of questions in me, why do we believe the things that we do? What might we be willing to try to change our circumstances?

Exploring these ideas was the starting point for my book Miraculous and the mysterious Dr. Kingsbury. I spent a lot of time reading about charlatans. Believe it or not, there are a number of books available on subjects like this. And I read some books on psychology too, why we think certain ways, why we believe certain things, why we're more prone to latch onto one idea than another. It was really interesting research.

I wrote it in five voices, and this is something I've never tried before. So that was a bit of a challenge, trying to find each character's manner of speaking. But I really knew that I wanted this story to be told from the main character's perspective, Jack, who's the boy who works for Dr. Kingsbury. But the other four voices, I wanted to also have an opportunity to be heard. And they are characters in the town of Oakdale. And I wanted people to be able to see when the doctor comes to this new town, how people in this community responded to him.

I would just say to readers, I hope you just get involved in the story, you feel like you're a part of the community in Oakdale.

And I also challenge readers too, to think about the things that we experience in the here and now. I think sometimes we think we're more sophisticated than people of the past. That if somebody were to come to town and start making these outrageous claims with a pill or a product, that this might solve every problem we've ever experienced, I think we believe, "Oh, I'd never fall for that," but I encourage you to stop and think and look and listen to the people, especially the advertisements around you. Because still to this day, there are a lot of techniques that are used to draw people in, to speak to their insecurities. Maybe about things like their appearance or their intelligence. And sometimes we encounter very charismatic leaders that we are willing to follow no matter what.

And so, I encourage readers to really stop and think and listen in their everyday lives. And see, "I'm not sure I want to believe exactly what I've been hearing here."

This is a portion of chapter two:

Meet at the grove, the doctor had said. It didn't take Jack long to find the willows near the riverbank. From the road, he spied the wagon tucked beneath a curtain of branches and the chestnut mare grazing nearby. A clearing opened under the trees, the dry grass dappled in shadow.

Jack rounded the path to the grove, empty bucket in hand. Closer he came. Something rippled the branches. A shout rang out that sounded like Isaac. He was already back?

Jack made out the form of a tall blonde man. "Dr. Kingsbury?" he called. "Are you there?"

A hand brushed the branches aside, revealing the doctor and his long black coat. He wore the dress coat for every occasion, no matter the season or weather. Behind him was Isaac, his head bowed.

"You're back." The doctor's dark eyes met his own. "I take it you finished the notices." "Yes," Jack said. "Did you hear that, Isaac? He's already done."

Deep in his pockets, Isaac's hands curled to fists. "Don't do this. Not in front of Jack." Dr. Kingsbury tucked his black hair behind one ear. "Why should that make a difference? He did what I told him, while you--" "He doesn't need to--" "Hear what you said? What you accused me of? Believe me, I won't repeat that."

Isaac's cheek burned red. The doctor had hit him. "Please go." Isaac stared at Jack, his blue eyes pleading, "Down to the river. I'll come find you later, all right?"

Jack dropped the bucket, the paste brush clattering inside. He ran down the path to the riverbank. This wasn't the first time they'd argued, the doctor and Isaac. It wasn't the first time the doctor had hit him. Isaac often spoke his mind. In the last weeks, he'd grown even bolder. The doctor blamed Isaac turning 16 and the two days he'd spent in Greenville visiting his cousin.