Kao Kalia Yang's The Diamond Explorer (Dutton, Sept. 17) is one of her most ambitious books yet. The novel assumes multiple perspectives as it follows Malcolm, a Hmong American boy who takes part in a spiritual journey. Yang, a Hmong American author who was born in Thailand’s Ban Vinai Refugee Camp, is known for her compelling refugee stories. This latest, her first foray into middle-grade literature, is a resounding success; a starred Kirkus review calls it a “profoundly moving musing on grief, connection (and lack thereof), and identity.” Yang responded to our questions by email; her answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What inspired you in writing the book?

My biggest source of inspiration and frustration was to accept that love cannot protect the beloved from the realities of our world, or the reaches of worlds beyond our own. I researched Hmong shamanism in texts, on YouTube, and via conversations with family and community members. I visited Minnesota’s historical sites and the contemporary ones, places of both genocide and genesis. I remembered what it was like to be young and uncertain; I know what it’s like to be older and to love young people and see how they’re hurt by the injustices and inequities of our world, our individual experiences, our communal narratives, and the unknown possibilities.

This is your first time writing for middle graders. Did you approach this work differently?

I approached The Diamond Explorer cautiously. I knew the source of my inspiration, but I did not know where it would take me in the landscape of fiction. The middle graders I’ve met over the years have been clear in their request: Make this book scary. To accomplish that task, I knew the stakes had to be high and the book had to scare me first. I had to be brave in the writing process, to let the forces at play work themselves through me and onto the page.

You write from many perspectives in the book. What was most challenging?

The most challenging part about a book with many perspectives is to keep each one honest. I embraced the fact that we live in a complicated world, where perspectives contradict and counter each other, and I believe that the heart of the story is still beating within each [character]. Mrs. Bird lives in a world where her husband sees her goodness, even though she struggles to see the goodness of Malcolm [her student]; Malcolm lives in a world where Mrs. Bird is still his teacher even if, under the violence of her gaze, he shrinks and shrinks, and these things happen even though there are people present who see these dynamics and their dangers.

Where and when did you write the book?

I wrote this book at my desk, in my office with its broken lock and white walls, my children flowing in and out. I wrote this book mostly in the evenings, in wintertime. During the writing, I felt cold, unable to retain enough heat for comfort, and yet I wrote earnestly in search of warmth. After each session, I felt a little dizzy from the experience, as if I’d traveled far from home, as if I had not fully returned.

Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.