Blog Three. Why are Stories From the 19th Century so Fulfilling to Read and Write?

It is no mystery that historical fiction readers often immerse themselves in a particular time period, such as the Victorian era, the early settlers of the Americas, Lewis and Clark and similar explorers, the gold rush, Drake's Well, the first oil well in the world, and westerns. Readers often read to satisfy questions they may have about stories handed down in their families from the mid-19th century to the present. I know I researched and read many books about the early pioneers of the then far-western states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio to answer my questions about my forebears. My great-grandparents and grandparents were hoarders of papers, books, and the ephemera of their lives, much of which now lives on my shelves and in sorted boxes in the attic. I wanted to compare my life to theirs.

Does that ring any bells with you? To write historical novels is to live within their time period for sometimes as long as a year while you write the story of made-up characters or one modeled on a relative you remember or have family stories about. I don’t know about you, but I am shocked after writing for a morning (in 1880), and the phone rings or the washer alarm goes off. A break is sometimes a good thing, but oh, how I want to go back and find out what happens next.

Authors I’ve read, who gave me stories to write or the details of one I’m writing, are key to my success. Here is a list of those who have helped me write. Please share those who have helped you fill your pages.

Nathaniel Philbrick - Mayflower - A Story of Courage, Community, and War

Stanford Hadley Cobb - The Story of the Palatines: An Episode of Colonist History

F.B. Carpenter - The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln

Cokie Roberts - Founding Mothers

Tom Lewis - The Hudson: A History

Carl Carmer - The Hudson

William R Lightner - Lewis and Clark

Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan - Lewis and Clark

Bruce Cotton - Glory Road: The Army of the Potomac

Dee Brown - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

David McCullough

History Matters

The Greater Journey

The Wright Brothers

Brave Companions

Portraits in History

The Path Between the Seas

The Pioneers

1776

John Adams

( I was playing favorites!)

UPDATE: I am working closely with Shumbie Harris at Books Butterfly and cannot say enough good things about our collaboration. Check out booksbutterfly.com