Merlin Lives! — A Letter to Devon

by T. A. Barron
Dear Author: Letters of Hope
Edited by Joan F. Kaywell
Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers) – 2007
About the Book | PDF

Some letters stay with us long after they are written.

In 2007, I received a letter from a young reader named Devon, who shared how The Lost Years of Merlin (Book 1 of the Merlin Saga) had given him comfort while he was undergoing treatment for cancer. His words moved me deeply, and I wrote back with a simple reminder that the courage and magic we admire in Merlin are qualities we can discover within ourselves.

Those two letters were later published in Dear Author: Letters of Hope, a collection celebrating the powerful connection between authors and readers.

I hope this exchange reminds you, as it has reminded me, that stories have a remarkable way of connecting us, especially when we need them most.

From Dear Author: Letters of Hope 

(edited by Joan F. Kaywell, 2007, Philomel Books)
* The letters in this compilation have been edited to protect the identity of their composers

Dear Mr. T. A. Barron,

I have been reading your novels since I was in the fifth grade, and it was funny how it all started. I truly believe that I was meant to read The Lost Years of Merlin when I nearly pulled down an entire shelf of books and was only able to catch one—this one. Since that time, I have read everything you have written, and have reread them many times, too. Now that I am a teenager, I am amazed at the numerous new messages I get with each reading. Perhaps it is because I am different now. The thing is, I have cancer.

I believe that it is nice to be able to relate to your past and not keep focused on the future because fate plays its own role to a certain extent. As for fate, I guess once again it has played its role in my life. It just so happens that my class has been assigned to write to our favorite author for a specific reason, which I will further explain later in this letter. You would be surprised at how many kids like to relate to people they look up to, and a lot of kids look up to authors. Because you happen to be my favorite author, I have chosen to write to you, and now you will see why.

While I was getting chemotherapy and was sick in bed, your novels were constant companions to me. In particular, The Lost Years of Merlin and The Merlin Effect both held so much more symbolism for me while I was sick. Kate Gory’s description of being mortal was extremely powerful and it got me to my soul. You see, I, too, was facing (and still am though I am now in remission) the ultimate mortal challenge—death! I guess I’m taking a long time to say that when I was really down and needed something to hold on to and believe in, your books were there for me when everyone else was asleep. I wanted you to know that, through your work, you have given me comfort.

Thank you for everything you have done for me.

Merlin lives,
Devon

Dear Devon,

Thanks for your wonderful letter! You are clearly an extraordinary young man.

Your letter ends with the line “Merlin lives.” Yes, he does, Devon. In you. I really mean that. For whatever great things that Merlin accomplishes in those books, he does them because of the wondrous power he has down inside himself. And his power—his magic—is really not so different from yours.

Think about it. On the very first page of The Lost Years of Merlin, a half-drowned boy washes ashore. He has no home, no hope, and no memory at all. He doesn’t even know his own name! But he does have that special something down inside—and that will enable him to become, one day, the mage of Camelot and the greatest wizard of all time.

Now, washing ashore isn’t just a tough physical experience. It’s also a metaphor, an image of what it feels like to be lost and alone and confused in life. Believe me, I have felt that way many times. Have you? I’m sure you have. So you understand exactly what Merlin felt like on that terrible day.

And yet, because of the inner hero inside yourself, you have found the strength to go on. You have stood up on that shore, brushed the sand off your arms and legs, taken a deep breath—and started all over again.

Just like Merlin.

You, too, have shown all the qualities of a hero. You, too, have amazing gifts down inside. And you, too, have a truly wonderful future ahead for yourself.

So, just as you said: Merlin lives!

Thanks so much for touching me with your magic.

My very best wishes to you,