A few years ago when I was trying to think up a new story, I came across a story about Louis Sansbury in a book about little known Kentucky heroes. Reading about Louis and what he’d done for the town of Springfield and then what the town of Springfield later did for him fired up my imagination. What kind of man was this who could do what he did? Who in the town led the campaign to free him for what he’d done?
I couldn’t find much information about Louis other than what I read in that first article. So my story surrounding that true bit of history is completely what I imagined could have happened and perhaps not at all like what might have actually happened. But that’s the pleasure and freedom and challenge of writing fiction.
I’ve written often about true historical events, but I always dropped my fictional characters down into those times and let them live out their stories. But writing this was different since I needed to bring Louis back to life to play an important role in my story. I did change his last name to make it clear that my Louis was a mixture of truth and imagination. Even so, I think there is enough truth that readers have been touched and inspired by his character in my story, River to Redemption, just as I was when I first read that piece about him.
One of the things I have enjoyed doing to promote my books is to let my characters go out for interviews online. Louis did an interview on Karen Lange’s blog, “Write Now,” in 2018. I thought you might like to read it these years later. River to Redemption is still available for purchase at your favorite online bookseller or perhaps you can find it at your local library. So here we go with Louis’s interview.
Louis, 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 ain’t never thought about runnin’ off. Well, maybe I have thought about it, but I didn’t have it so bad workin’ for Master George and who knows what might happen to me if I were to run off and get caught. Most likely I’d get dragged back down here to be sold downriver. Things is worse than bad down there in the south. Besides, once I knew that the old cholera wasn’t gonna carry me off to glory, I could feel the Lord tellin’ me I should stay put and help them that was laid low by the cholera. Plenty there was I couldn’t help except by givin’ 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 don’t have no doubts about the Lord listenin’ in. I did hope all of them that died were folks that knowed the Lord.
You did the community a wonderful service. I admire that. What was your greatest personal challenge during this time?
The soul weary sadness of it all was heavy on my heart. 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, it might not have been so sorrowful. But there was younguns who hadn’t hardly lived no time at all that got the sickness and died. And color didn’t matter none either. It was like a wicked wind swept that bad air through our town and some breathed it in worse than the others. Those worse ones passed on to glory. Some fast like. Sick in the sun comin’ up time. Dead by the time the sun went down. I’m prayin’ the good Lord finds a way to stop the cholera from killing folks.
I do tell you one thing for sure, ma’am, I was glad as I could be to find the little missy, that Adria child, still breathin’ when I went to her house after the doctor’s wife told me there was some sick ones there. Course all the rest of her family had done been took by the cholera. But Matilda and me, we pulled that child through. I don’t reckon I’ve ever been blessed more by any single human being than I was by that little missy. It was like as how the Lord give me that child to help me hang onto hope whilst buryin’ all those folks. I know she’s white and I’m black, but back when she was a little thing there was times I felt like I was her uncle or something. Related by heart anyhow. I best not be sayin’ that where any white folks can hear. True or not, that wouldn’t be acceptable talk at all. Get me in awful trouble for certain.
I think we can make sure it doesn’t cause you trouble. So, Louis, we know this had to be a hard time for you. Can you share with us your ideas about how to deal with hardship?
That’s not no easy question, ma’am. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve got too many answers. First off, as I done told you, I found out the cholera disease wasn’t no respecter of person. It took whoever it wanted to take, rich or poor, young or old. Fifty-five of them in that first epidemic in 1833. Another epidemic in 1849 carried off thirty-three more. I learned that a man keeps digging, he can get a bunch of graves dug, but he does have to keep diggin’. I know I couldn’t a done any of it without the good Lord’s hands holdin’ me up when the wearies were wantin’ to overtake me.
I guess that’s what I’d share with you folks about hardship. The Lord, he went through some hard times. He knows about them kind of bad times and if’n you pray believin’ I know he’ll step right up beside you to somehow get you through yours. When things get hard, think on that. Depend on the Lord and when you pray, like I said, pray believin’. The Lord can get you through them bad times. Even if he can’t make them go away, he be right there with you every livelong step of the way.
Yes, ma’am, that’s what I would share with them ready to listen.
Thank you, Louis, for talking with us and giving us that good advice.
I hope you enjoyed hearing from Louis, a character from River to Redemption, a book I wrote a few years ago.
Do you have another character from one of my books that you would like to see do an interview? If so. who?
Leave a comment on this post and I’ll pick a winner to receive a copy of River to Redemption. This will be a fast ten day giveaway chance with a deadline to enter of 12 midnight EST February 15, 2025. As always, you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be notified by email. If you already have the book, remember that autographed books do make good gifts.
Oh, and I did hear from Lisa H. who won the Rewrite the Proverbs game giveaway. She is from Arkansas and picked my book, Along a Storied Trail.
Comments 18
That was a great character interview!
Author
Thanks, Megan. Glad you enjoyed hearing from Louis.
Maybe Mira Dean from The Song of Sourwood Mountain.
Author
That sounds like a good idea, Diana. Maybe we’ll hear from Mira soon
I would love an interview with Michael Keane from Murder at the Courthouse.
Author
That would be fun, Deborah. I loved Michael’s character and would love to write another mystery about him. But meantime, I could see how he’s doing in an interview. Betty Jean would make a good interview too.
Any of the characters from The Shadow of the River. It was soo good!
Author
I just listened to the audio of that story, Trudy. I don’t always listen to the audio versions of my stories, but lately I’ve been seeing how the narrators sound sharing my people. The narrator on In the Shadow of the River did a wonderful job with my characters and the story. Had me invested in the story even though I knew what was going to happen next. 🙂 She did pronounce Jacci name different than I did, but after a while I got used to that. I think of her name as Jacci with soft c’s to got with Jacenth. But she said Jacci with k sounds. Jackie. Sometimes a narrator or the audio recording company will ask how you intended the names to be pronounced, but not always.
I’d love to read an interview with Jocie from Orchard of Hope. I wrote you a month ago or so and told you how I enjoy Appalachian fiction, and you recommended the series with Jocie. I want to tell you that I LOVE it. Ann, I plan to read most everything you have written. I’m not so sure about the Quaker series, though, since their beliefs seem so different from mine. I adore your writing. Oh, and if I win the book, please give to someone else as I have read and enjoyed it! 🙂
Author
I’m so glad you are wanting to read my other stories, Janet. An interview with Jocie would be fun. I do have a blog that Jocie writes now and again on my website, The Heart of Hollyhill blog. Jocie has been off the writing routine for a while. I need to let her come up with something new soon.
Also, if you liked the Hollyhill books, you might also like my Rosey Corner books, Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, and Love Comes Home. They are family stories through the years with the Merritt sisters.
The books you are calling Quaker are actually about the Shakers who did have very unusual ideas and beliefs, but the stories have other history as well. My characters usually have doubts about the Shaker beliefs too. But tell you what. If you happen to turn out to be my winner, I’ll give you one of those to give a try. 🙂
I’ve read the Rosy Corner series a few times now. We learn all about the sisters and the family, but we never hear much from Kate’s dad. Might be interesting to hear from him from his point of few.
Author
Victor was an interesting character and had a larger role in the first of the Rosey Corner stories, Angel Sister. I’ll think about that character interview. It might be nice to go back into the Rosey Corner world and think about that Merritt family again.
This book will always be one of my top recommendations for people looking for a good historical fiction story. I fell in love with little Adria and with Louis and his absolute and confident faith. Adria is a character that I’d enjoy seeing pop up in another story. 😉
As far as an interview of one of your other characters… it would be fun to hear from Ada June and/or Joseph from Song of Sourwood Mountain. They’re such lovable little characters!
Author
Ada June did go out on the internet and do an interview. I could repost that one or maybe it would be fun to have Ada June and Joseph together in an interview. Maybe Ada June doing the interviewing. I’ll think on that one.
I liked bringing Louis to life in that story. I never saw any written down proof of his character other than what he did but I had to believe he was a man of strong faith. Of course I enjoyed bringing Matilda or Adria’s Aunt Tildy to life too. She had the faith too but wasn’t as easy going as Louis and did so want to be a free woman.
In July 2018, I decided to create a blog for book reviews. River of Redemption was the third book featured. I loved this story, and I especially loved Louis. In my review, I mentioned, “Kind, caring, and faithful, Louis is based on a real person and reminds me of some older black gentlemen I knew in my childhood.” I also mentioned “This book has tragedy and loss but it is also filled with love, faith, hope, and the reminder that families are not always created by birth. I appreciate the many references to Bible scripture throughout the book and I especially love that “pray believing” is the central thought woven throughout this story.” And yes, I gave River of Redemption 5 Stars!
Louis’s words, “Pray believin'” have remained with me. I’ve heard many people say that there’s no use going to a doctor if you don’t have faith in them. Louis knew the value of faith and believin’ when he talked to the Great Physician!
I do believe it’s time to read Louis’s story again!!
Author
I appreciate your review, Connie, and all the reviews you do for my books and for the books of other Christian writers. It means so much in this internet age.
Whenever I autograph River to Redemption, that’s what I put in it. Pray believing. And reference the Bible verse Mark 11:24. “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (NKJ)
That is one of my very favorite books! I loved it. Reading this makes me want to reread this book. It’s not something that I commonly do.
Author
You are probably like me, Lisa, in that you have so many books you want to read that you don’t have time to reread any of them. Yet, I’ve heard that many people will reread a book several times. Always surprises me, but when it is one of my books, I consider it a very nice compliment.