As a proud native Virginian, I find it painful to read about the possibility that our early settlers may have practiced cannibalism when my state was but a mere colony. If you have been following the story, you have seen that much of the media presents conjecture as fact but at this point whether or not they resorted to cannibalism during the starving season is speculation. Speculation or not, the idea makes me shudder.
The Gallant Sir Walter Raleigh
My third grade Virginia History book opened with the story of how the gallant Sir Walter Raleigh placed his cloak on the mud for Queen Elizabeth I so that Her Majesty’s feet would not have to touch the ground. Then, as far as I can remember, we moved on to the House of Burgesses, the heroic Pocahantas (not the Disney version), and the founding of the College of William and Mary (not necessarily in that order). I’m sure they mentioned the colony’s hard times. An eternal optimist, I like to focus on success so those facts didn’t stick as well with me. Of course, we were told a few more brutal tidbits during high school, but still, according to my memory, the accounts were coated with frothy icing.
But Surely Everyone Was Rich!
As a teenager, I used to imagine myself as a heroine in an historical novel as being among the rich women who wore pretty dresses and drank tea all day. A more realistic scenario is that I would have been wearing simple clothing while toiling with my husband to eke out a living from the Virginia soil. Perhaps like my great-grandmother, I would have given birth to seven boys.
I especially liked reading about the 1920s because I could relate to the age of the motorcar and more conveniences than past eras. So when Grandpa Bagley told me, “The twenties were tight times,” I was shocked and disappointed. The people I was reading about were rich! Wasn’t everybody back there then?
Wine and Roses — NOT!
One of the most unromantic marriage stories I ever heard was told by a relative who came of age at the turn of the twentieth century. She said, “I could either work on the farm for my daddy or work on the farm for myself. So I decided to get married.”
Indeed, in fiction, we seldom read about the unromantic side of history. One element of city living that comes to my mind is the practice of throwing the contents of a chamber pot out the window, possibly hitting a passer-by. We read about war heroes, but not the mundane reasons some were sent home. For instance, my great-great grandfather was released from the Confederate Army not because of anything as dramatic as fire and bullets, but because of an intestinal inflammation known as dysentery. And even though some authors do mention the economic and social benefits of certain marriages, the hero and heroine nevertheless love each other dearly by story’s end. Unfortunately, the reality in many political and economic alliances was not so rosy.
No doubt I’m missing some gritty books out there, but I think most writers of historical fiction usually know far more about how life really was in their chosen era than they let on to their readers. We all want to read about conflicts far more interesting than bare economics, or the depressing reality of a political marriage where the couple goes their separate ways after producing an heir an a spare.
What We Really Want
When pursuing novels, few of us want to read in detail about the neverending battle against dirt, soot, and pests, the uncertain and possibly unsafe food supply, or the stench and crime of the city. We dress our characters in silk. We insist that our heroes be gallant like Sir Walter Raleigh. (Don’t believe those nasty rumors that the story is a myth. Of course it happened!) We demand that our hero and heroine find true love regardless of the circumstances. Because, in reality, isn’t happily ever after what we all really want?
Your Turn
If you write historical novels, what facts have your omitted?
Whether or not you write historical fiction, have you been glad to learn brutal facts, or wish you didn’t know them about our history?
As a girl, I was taken by the story of Sir Walter Raleigh and have been married almost 29 years to a man who is very gallant. What stories inspired you as a child?
What book would you recommend for writers of historical novels to use as a research tool?
Tamela, what an interesting post. I love how you show both sides of knowing or not knowing. 🙂 For me, I like knowing details but not focusing too much on them. For me historical details balance out the stories and help me to relate to the characters better. But I don’t like a lot of the harder aspects of history spelled out in gory detail. I’ve always been fascinated by history, which is why it’s hard to take two pre-teen boys to exhibits like “King Tut.” I want to read, they want to skip past all the interesting placards that fill in the “story” or details of the exhibit items.
Reading about Harriet Tubman fascinated me as a girl. Her bravery and courage to risk her life and body to help other slaves know freedom.
Family genealogies are also a great insight..esp if you can get ahold of letters. My family tree is traced back to Quakers coming at request of William Penn. The prayers and diary notes are incredible and something I would have not been able to find in a history book. I think the big key is when it comes to research..you have to be creative!
There’s one thing about omitting facts that drives me absolutely mad. And this is history’s fault, not readers. Interracial relationships in antebellum Louisiana. That’s the historical I have finished, the one that semi-finaled in the Genesis last year, and nobody was willing to take a chance on it. I had one agent tell me it was flat out historically impossible. She was not a Southerner. Sorry, but I have mountains of evidence saying otherwise. Google the Cane River Creoles, for crying out loud! And they’re just the tip of the iceberg.
Every historical story I want to tell runs into this same problem. With people not believing my facts are real, or not accepting that my characters can be true Christians and be Catholic or Russian Orthodox at the same time. Even Michael Phillips couldn’t get away with having true Russian Orthodox characters. He had to work around it and make up this elaborate backstory to explain it away. I accepted it at the time, but now I see it for what it is and it’s sad.
On the one hand it’s not a surprise that I’m writing science fiction now, and loving every word. Some facts are concrete, some aren’t true but accepted as part of the genre, and the ones I create are accepted by readers without question so long as I do my world-building right. I can create whatever I want, do whatever I want, and make my characters whatever I want. I accidentally created a hero who’s bi, and I have the freedom to explore how that made him the man he is.
On the other hand, it’s the last genre I ever thought I’d write. But I also never thought I’d be inhaling paranormal romance either and giving in to my long-buried desire to create werecats. There’s something about the thought of a purring man that I find incredibly sexy. (yes, I’m a cat lady)
And I do have a book to recommend to every historical author, particularly those writing in the Victorian period. Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management. It was the Bible for running the upper-class Victorian household. If you’re writing late Victorian especially this books is a must have. It’s a treasure trove. I also recommend anything from Dover with Tom Tierney’s name on it for clothing research.
I wonder if you Tamela and/or Steve Laube might comment on the Historical or Whimsy of Kathryn Stockett’s THE HELP? How well it succeeded or fell short and why?
What missed (Historically) or was missing (for my personal thoughts) were the faith components (or lack thereof) with the white exclusive women’s group and of both the Celia Foote and Skeeter Phelan characters. Faith (and the church) played a significant role in the black characters but MIA in the others. Historically, however, Stockett really seemed to hit it right.
Second question is if THE HELP could have been written in a CBA publication (as is or edited) or strictly fitting into the ABA world of publishing?
In school, I didn’t like studying history. Until I started writing historical romance from the WWII era, I thought history was learned facts, dates, and boring biographies. Was I ever wrong! History is fascinating.
Writers cannot include every interesting detail, but I haven’t deliberately omittted a fact because it didn’t line up with my philosophy.
I’ve run across a few facts that I wish I didn’t know. For instance, President Franklin D. Roosevelt slipped out the back door when 400 rabbis marched on DC to draw attention fo the plight of European Jews in 1943.
Stories that inspired me as a child include: Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish author) and The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Chandler Warner.
Now, for research tools in my own writing, I use books, the internet, live interviews, phone interviews, old letters, biographies, and a lot of prayer for guidance and wisdom.
My two historical novels are: Foxtrots and Foxholes (with an agent); and Empty Frames (work in progress). The first covers all of the war years and the latter focuses on Hitler’s stolen art…trophy art that is returned to owners and heirs. Both are Christian novels with a Jewish theme.
Thank you for the opportunity to post a response to your blog. I met Steve Laube at ACFW conference in Dallas.
All the best,
Effie-Alean Gross