Novels Inspired By Family History

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I find it fun to read books that have been inspired by family history or incidents in the author’s life.  As I’ve rearched my family, I’ve discovered stories about ancestors I never knew existed.  At first, I thought of only recording them for our family legacy.  Then I realized many would make interesting reading for more than my family, too.

I also encounter other authors who have been inspired by an ancestor and their story.  Finding old letters, diaries, deeds, and other memorabilia helps with the story as well.  But you don’t need these to write about your family history.

Janie Lancaster wrote about her ancestors in her book, Julie and the Lost Fairy Tale (see above).  I included this in an earlier post. Teachers and parents find Janie’s book of interest in discovering an earlier age in history.

Janet Elaine Smith discovered some letters written to her ancestor during the Civil War.  Thus her book, My Dear Phebe, evolved.  This has been a popular book for teachers to use in teaching about this era in history.

My Genealogy

As I researched my genealogy, I discovered that a number of my grandmother’s uncles enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War.  They wrote home about their experiences.  Also, as I searched further, I learned more about their families left at home and discovered they had interesting stories, too,

At first, I though, “I must write about this for my family and future generations so this heritage isn’t lost.”

When I’d mention it to others, they remarked, “You must tell these stories for others, too.”

So Papa Goes to War is evolving.  I’ve read chapters to youngsters when I give author presentations.  “What’s next?” they ask.  Janet Elaine keeps urging me, “Have you written any more, Mary?”

I thought it interesting to write about Papa Goes to War here at One Book Two Book.  Perhaps my readers would like to know how I’ve gone about researching and my writing process as I progress.

So…..stay tuned!

(Amazon image)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen