Image compliments of Susan Snodgrass
River to Redemption is still a Kindle Monthly Special for a few more weeks. You can grab the book right now for $1.99 for your e-reader. With the book on special, I thought this would be a good time to share bits of two different interviews my characters did last summer. Adria was interviewed by Novelpastimes.com and Louis was interviewed by Karen Lange for her Write Now blog in September last year.
Adria, it had to be really hard to lose your parents at the young age of seven. This might be a hard question, but can you share how it was to live through a cholera epidemic?
The very word cholera strikes terror in my heart. In 1833 cholera was an epidemic all over the country. Thousands died, including those in our little town of Springfield, Kentucky. Before that awful time, I was too young to know anything about cholera, but I saw the fear on my mother’s face when my father came home that day and said someone in town had cholera. They say it’s caused by bad air, maybe from rotting vegetables in the summertime. So everybody tries to get away from the bad air. My mother started packing for us to go out in the country but my father was too sick to leave. Then my little brother became ill and so did Mama. They all died. I don’t know why I didn’t die too, but Louis said it must be because the Lord had more for me to do here on earth. Louis found me in my house and took me to the hotel where he and Aunt Tildy took care of me. They were both slaves, but I don’t know what would have become of me if not for them.
Tell us about Louis. I hear he became something of a hero in your town of Spriugfield during the cholera epidemic.
Louis is a wonderful man. Gentle and strong. Committed to the Lord. From the very moment he picked me up to take me away from my house where everybody had died, I knew he meant nothing but good for me. During the cholera epidemic, he did what no one else could or would do. Even though he was a slave who might have taken advantage of the cholera epidemic to escape to the north and find freedom, instead he stayed to help those who were sick and to bury those who died. Over fifty people died in 1833 in our little town of Springfield. He dug graves to give each of them a proper burial. He is just a genuinely good man. The safest I have ever felt was when I was a little girl with my hand in his.
He must be quite a man to have been able to do all that. Why do you think he did it?
That’s something you should ask him.
Good idea. Thank you for joining our conversation, Louis. So why did you stay in Springfield and care for the sick during the cholera epidemic?
Well, ma’am, I didn’t feel like I had much choice, being a slave and all. I never thought about running off. Well, maybe I did think about about it now and again. I’m only human, after all, but I didn’t have it so bad working for Master George. I was some worried about what might happen to me were I to run off and get caught. Most likely I’d a been sold downriver. I done heard how bad things is down there for men like me. Besides, once I knew that the old cholera wasn’t gonna carry me off to glory, I could feel the Lord tellin’ me to stay put and help them that was sufferin’. Some I couldn’t do nothing for ‘cept give them a proper burial. I reckon that’s the last service any man can do for another person. I did say words over every single grave and I never doubted the Lord was listenin’. It was my hope all them that died were on good relations with the Lord.
It must have been hard burying so many people. Fifty-five, wasn’t it? What was your greatest personal challenge during this time?
The soul weary sadness of it all did beat me down. Might not have been so sorrowful if’n all them that sickened and died had been old folks or even folks my own age that had had time to live a while, but that weren’t the way of it. Younguns who hadn’t hardly lived no time at all got the sickness and died. Color didn’t matter none either. That bad air was a wicked wind that blew in on our town and took off some folks fast like. Sick in the sun comin’ up time. Dead by sun goin’ down time. A sorrowful thing.
One thing that did cheer my heart some, ma’am, was findin’ the little missy, Adria, still breathin’ when I went to her house after the doctor’s wife told me some was sick there. All the rest of her family were took by the cholera. But Matilda and me, we pulled Missy Adria through. That child was a blessing to me then and has been ev’ry day since. I somehow felt the Lord give me that child to help so’s I could hang onto hope whilst burying all those other folks. We were near to being family somehow in spite of her being white and me black. Related by heart anyhow. I reckon I shouldn’t oughta say that where anybody could hear. Would get me in awful trouble for certain.
Well, it can be our secret. I do have one more question. What did you learn from this experience that might help others dealing with hardship?
That’s one hard question, ma’am. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve got too many answers. One thing I done told you and that’s how the cholera disease ain’t no respecter of person. It takes whoever it wants to take, rich or poor, young or old. Another thing I learned is that if a man keeps digging, he can get done what needs doing, but he does have to keep digging. And I know for sure I couldn’t a done any of it without the good Lord holding me up when the wearies were ready to overtake me.
I guess that’s what I’d share with folks having hardship. The Lord, you know he went through some hard times. Harder than any I ever knew. He knows about bad times. So think on them bad things he went through for you and me. Then pray believin’ the Lord can get you through whatever bad comes your way. Even if he can’t make the bad times disappear, he’ll be right there with you ev’ry livelong step of the way through ’em.
Yes, ma’am, that’s what I would share with them ready to listen.
Thank you, Adria and Louis, for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
(Read the entire interview with Adria on novelpastimes.com and you can find the rest of Louis’s interview on Write Now.)
As always, thank you for reading. Remember you can read their whole story by grabbing the e-book of River to Redemption for $1.99.
Also, remember, you can throw your name into my drawing hat for a book giveaway this week to celebrate my first Sunday Hiker Devotional post. I’ll draw for the winner Sunday April 14. It you leave a comment on the Sunday Hiker Devotional post or on this post, you get an entry. And as always a comment on both of these posts gets you that extra entry.
Comments 26
I loved River To Redemption and didn’t want it to end! I think you could do a sequel of what happened to Adria and her family next. Loved this book! 🙂
Author
It’s great when readers want to know what happens next with characters in your books after “the end.” You’re right. Adria had many more life experiences to come her way. So maybe someday I’ll get to write that next story. So glad you like reading about Adria and all the others in River to Redemption.
Great interviews! I loved this story. Such memorable characters.
Author
Thanks, Ola. You had to love Louis and then knowing he was a real person made the story stronger, I think.
I really enjoyed reading these interviews. River to Redemption is my favorite book.
Author
Thanks, April. I’m glad you liked the interviews and the book, River to Redemption.
I still have River to Redemption on my wish list.
Author
Well, if you like to e-read, this is a great time to grab the e-version of River to Redemption. If you don’t e-read then maybe you’ll be my winner this time, Lucy. Or next time I have a giveaway.
Loved the book River to Redemption. Beside your Shaker book most of the books I read are set during the Civil War. That time period is my favorite. I used to look forward to when Eugenia Price novels would come out, now I am anticipating when your new books come out.
Author
I’ve written a few books with Civil War settings, Janice. Two Shaker books, The Seeker and Christmas at Harmony Hill. You should be able to find plenty of Civil War era fiction. I have an Eugenia Price book someone gave to me that I have in my to read pile. I do appreciate you looking forward to reading my new stories.
I enjoyed reading your book River to Redemption very much. I’m looking forward to your next one coming out, love your writing!
Author
Thanks, Connie Lee. I so appreciate you reading my stories and hope you’ll enjoy my upcoming release, The Refuge too.
One of my favorite books! My mother is reading my copy now, and my daughter wants it as soon as she’s finished. Along with my granddaughter, who adored Angel Sister, you’ve got a 4-generation fan club.
Author
You can have a multi-generational book club, Lavon, and talk books. I have a lot of fun talking books with my sisters and my kids when we happen to read the same books. I appreciate you sharing my books with others in your family, especially your granddaughter. Sometimes the younger readers won’t give my books a try, although one of my granddaughters has read most of them.
I’ve just got to get that book!
Author
I think you should, Evelyn. 🙂 I’ll be having a couple of signings here in Lawrenceburg in the next couple of months. First a signing at Tastefully Delicious, the store there in the middle of Main Street that are so nice to carry my books for readers here in my hometown on Sunday afternoone, April 28. Then I’ll have my Hometown Book Party at the library on May 19.
I love your books!
I have a 45 minute drive every morning and every evening and absolutely enjoy listening to a new novel every week. I always look forward to your new releases. Thank you for giving me something to fill that 1 hour and 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.
Author
I enjoy listening to audio books too, Bobbie. Fun to know that you’ve listened to some of my stories on your commutes. I’m actually in the process of having my Hollyhill books recorded for audio. So maybe sometime this year I can tell you about one of those for your commute.
I do have some books on CD that I need to give away, but most people use streaming audio these days.
I recently read about the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918; in fact, my maternal grandmother died around the tail end of that epidemic (about 1919 or 1920). The comments by Adria and Louis about the cholera epidemic of 1833 would also be sad but interesting. While I never liked studying history in school, I love reading historical fiction.
Author
I’ve done a little research on the flu epidemic too, Suzanne, for my book, Angel Sister. And my father who was seven at that time said his mother made him wear some kind of garlic onion asphidity bag to ward off the flu.
And I’m like you that I didn’t enjoy history in school, but do enjoy reading and writing historical fiction now.
I really liked Louis’ character. He was such a gentleman. So humble and helpful. He must have been highly trusted and respected to be given the responsibility of overseeing the town when the people left.
Author
That was a rather unusual situation, Paula, but it also did show some lack of caring on his owners’ part since they couldn’t know he would be immune to cholera when they left him in town while they fled the epidemic. But you’re right that Louis must have been trusted by those in the town.
Great interview from Adria and Lious’ shared perspective,Ann! Psalm 97
Author
Glad you enjoyed the interview, Emily. I always have fun doing character interview posts.
Haven’t read River to Redemption yet so hope I win the drawing!
Author
That could happen, Dana. I have book giveaways here fairly often and with my newsletters too. I’m getting ready to send out a newsletter with book prizes, of course, but also a special Shaker related prize that I think will make some winning reader happy. If you aren’t getting my newsletters, you can sign up on the form in the margin of my website pages.