Virgin Islander Maia Aqui was just 16 when she began crafting “The Manor in the Forest,” a novel that weaves together themes of magic and environmental protection. Now 20, Aqui has released her debut work, a story that follows a spirited orphan whose search for her family’s past leads to a broader mission to protect the natural world.
Released March 13 and available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, and Apple Books, “The Manor in the Forest” introduces readers to Alex Banks, a bold and independent teenager attending boarding school in the 1960s. What begins as a personal quest to uncover the truth about her family soon expands into the discovery of a secret society committed to defending nature.
The inspiration for the novel stems from Aqui’s memories of the 2017 hurricane season. Seeing the environmental damage caused by the storms sparked a lasting interest in climate issues. While learning about the science behind extreme weather, she began imagining a world where magic lived within nature itself.
“What if there were people out there, woven into nature, protecting it?” she recalled.
That question sparked a creative process that would span several years. Aqui wrote her first draft at 15, but as she matured, revisiting the manuscript proved difficult. By 19, she was navigating the challenges of perfectionism, often feeling disconnected from the younger version of herself who had written the original story.
“It’ll never be perfect, especially if I keep growing and challenging myself,” she said. Accepting the novel as a reflection of her earlier self helped her move forward with publication.
Though “The Manor in the Forest” is a debut, it is not a standalone. Throughout the book, Aqui includes hints of a larger narrative, including a closing teaser that points toward a possible continuation. She has expressed interest in completing the story as a trilogy.
“I have so many ideas now, as a more mature writer,” she said. “The story feels young, and I’m not sure I can step back into that headspace. But I would love to complete it.”
The novel’s protagonist, Alex Banks, is described as mischievous, brave, and strong-willed. As the story unfolds, she begins to experience strange dreams, flashbacks, and unexpected interactions with animals — signs that her connection to the natural world runs deeper than she first realized.
Although the book is set more than half a century ago, Aqui said it draws a line between the environmental issues of the past and those of the present. She hopes readers reflect on their own relationship with nature and how human decisions have shaped the modern world.
“This is a story about family, but it’s also about how people relate to the environment and protect it,” she said. “By the end of the series, the goal is to help readers understand how we’ve arrived at the state of the world today.”
With her debut now available, Aqui’s journey as a writer appears to be following the same trajectory as her main character’s: one step into the unknown, and many more to come.
