Fulfilling a dream: Lakenheath author invites visitors to Cumburra

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Vanessa Young
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  In the Chinese tradition of celebrating first birthdays, a tray of various objects was placed before Kara Grace ManJian Siert by her foster parents in China to see which ones she would choose. The object she chose would signify her future. The only one Kara wanted was a pen. 

Today, with the help of Dreams Come True Charity, a non-profit organization and Arima Publishing, 10-year-old Kara, the daughter of Maj. Ward Siert, 48th Medical Operations Squadron, is a published author. Her first book, “Tales of Cunburra and Other Stories,” takes readers to a land of talking animals, a Great Buffalo King and an Evil Lady of the Sea. The compilation includes stories written by Kara at age 9. 

According to her mother, Linda Siert, Kara was dictating stories for her to write as early as age 3 and writing on her own by age 5. 

“The first story I remember writing, was when I was 4 years old,” Kara said. “I remember it was about a talking tiger and talking animals. Since then, I’ve had that theme in my stories.” 

Kara had so many ideas, she rarely finished a story before moving on to another until her mother suggested they would make nice Christmas or birthday presents. Then completed stories became more the norm. It’s not unusual for Kara to start several stories in one day, her mother said. She’s always been an avid writer but once she learned how to type she was able to produce even more, filling up her parent’s computer with stories. 

According to Major Siert, Kara has probably started 500 to 1,000 stories in her life.
“If you asked me how many stories I’ve started, I’d say a million, but sometimes I have a little bit of a problem finishing them,” Kara said. 

Kara attributes the abundance of ideas to books and her toys. 

“When I read a good book, I like to write stories that are similar, so that’s what gives me ideas and inspires me,” she said. “The Chronicles of Narnia gave me the idea for Cunburra.” 

Kara’s main character in “Tales of Cunburra” is named after her doll, Nancy. While Kara and her family were travelling to RAF Lakenheath, England, her doll was being shipped in her parent’s household goods. During this time, Kara wrote the Cunburra tales and made Nancy come to life in her stories. 

Shortly after moving to England and weeks before her 10th birthday, Kara was diagnosed with bone cancer in her right arm. Kara has endured nearly ten months of intensive chemotherapy treatments as well as a major surgery that removed the cancerous bone and replaced it with a metal rod. 

Through the treatments, Kara was usually too sick to write, but her ideas never ceased and neither did her dream to become a published author. 

Dreams Come True Charity, a U.K. charity that fulfils the dreams of terminally and seriously ill children, together with Arima Publishing, located in Bury St. Edmunds, helped Kara realize her dream. 

“When they told me I was at the top of the list to get my book published, I didn’t feel like it was real because it was almost too good to be true,” she said. “But then I got my first book in the mail, and it was really exciting.” 

According to Mrs. Siert, Kara’s stories will be enjoyed by people of all ages.
“When you read Kara’s stories, there are parts where someone might say ‘Ah, yes, this is a 9-year-old writing,’ but then, there are pages and pages of brilliance that will surprise them and they’ll think, ‘I can’t believe this was written by a child.’” 

Today, Kara is going through her last few treatments of chemotherapy and “Tales of Cunburra and Other Stories,” is available to readers worldwide through internet book sellers. She says she will continue writing and is thinking about publishing a book about her cancer experience. 

For other children who have a vivid imagination and are interested in writing, Kara gives this advice, “I think that reading helps a lot as it gives you ideas,” she said. “I read a lot, and that’s how I figured out where to put quotation marks and commas. And of course, that’s where I get my ideas. Just use your imagination!”