Marianne Perry's Blog - Posts Tagged "inheritance"
For Genealogy Enthusiasts: Book Review: Sycamore Row by John Grisham
A holograph will was key to this legal drama and, given my interest in genealogical research, I decided to read it. Land deeds, ancestral stories, family trees, lives of long-lost relatives, inheritances, sibling squabbles, riveting descriptions of another time and place in history, etc., made Grisham's book particularly entertaining for those involved in solving family mysteries.
I was a bit disappointed in Simeon Lang's response to his wife's request for a divorce; necessary to tie-up this plotline but rather unbelievable, I thought. Jake Brigance's character, however, was well-developed with insecurities laced throughout his strengths.
The jury selection process in a courtroom trial was interesting and certainly caused me to speculate how true this might be. After all, Grisham was a former lawyer. The rationale underlying Seth Hubbard's decision to bequeath almost his entire estate to his black housekeeper, Lettie Lang, was rather easy to decipher as facts were revealed. The ending, however, was an unexpected twist. Quite satisfying and certainly logical.
As a writer, titles always intrigue me and during my travels, I have often seen rows of Sycamore trees. They are referred to as Plano in Europe, I have learned along the way. The significance of this title was spot on. Though most will decipher it beforehand, the manner of the reveal and Ancil Hubbard's last action on the final page of the book represented a fitting conclusion to a book well-worth reading.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
I was a bit disappointed in Simeon Lang's response to his wife's request for a divorce; necessary to tie-up this plotline but rather unbelievable, I thought. Jake Brigance's character, however, was well-developed with insecurities laced throughout his strengths.
The jury selection process in a courtroom trial was interesting and certainly caused me to speculate how true this might be. After all, Grisham was a former lawyer. The rationale underlying Seth Hubbard's decision to bequeath almost his entire estate to his black housekeeper, Lettie Lang, was rather easy to decipher as facts were revealed. The ending, however, was an unexpected twist. Quite satisfying and certainly logical.
As a writer, titles always intrigue me and during my travels, I have often seen rows of Sycamore trees. They are referred to as Plano in Europe, I have learned along the way. The significance of this title was spot on. Though most will decipher it beforehand, the manner of the reveal and Ancil Hubbard's last action on the final page of the book represented a fitting conclusion to a book well-worth reading.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
Where Do An Author's Ideas Come From?
The answer to this question is as varied as the author to whom it is posed. My writing is inspired by genealogical research and my historical fiction, The Inheritance, emerged from studying my grandmother's life in Calabria, southern Italy during the early 1900s. I also consult genealogical reference texts, journals, etc for idea development and recently received a magazine that serves as a good example.
A special supplement of Family Chronicle Genealogy Magazine, it is entitled "Tracing Your Italian Ancestors" and includes articles on passenger manifests, church records and children born to unwed parents in Italy. Reviewing the pages sparked storylines and examining the pictures and documents helped bring examples to life. Family mysteries intrigue me and the information here certainly stirred some that would make interesting tales.
If you're interested, check out this website: www.internet-genealogy.com.
Best of luck.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
A special supplement of Family Chronicle Genealogy Magazine, it is entitled "Tracing Your Italian Ancestors" and includes articles on passenger manifests, church records and children born to unwed parents in Italy. Reviewing the pages sparked storylines and examining the pictures and documents helped bring examples to life. Family mysteries intrigue me and the information here certainly stirred some that would make interesting tales.
If you're interested, check out this website: www.internet-genealogy.com.
Best of luck.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
WHAT ARE YOUR MOURNING TRADITIONS?
WHAT ARE YOUR MOURNING TRADITIONS?
Are the following Italian mourning traditions TRUE or FALSE?
1). Friends gave food to the family of the deceased.
2). Women wore black for a long time.
3). Mourners brought flowers to the church.
4). People spoke about the deceased during the funeral service.
5). Mourners laid a rose on the casket after it was lowered into the grave.
Does your family observe any of these traditions? Regardless of ancestry, I imagine at least one would be applicable.
An answer key is at the end of the blog.
Death is a timeless connection we share and a universal theme explored in The Inheritance. The novel is set in Calabria, southern Italy from 1897 to 1913. It is threaded with historical facts and mourning traditions help illustrate family dynamics, belief systems and the different social classes.
A WANDERING SOUL
In The Inheritance, Clorinda, a peasant girl from Cetraro, dies tragically. Her family cannot find her body and give her a proper burial. As a result, they believe her soul is doomed to wander the earth and never enter Heaven. Padre Valentine attempts to convince them otherwise prove futile. Superstition battled against religion in Calabrian society; a conflict this situation demonstrates.
Some Italians believed that burying a cherished possession with a loved one comforted them on their journey to Heaven. Did your family have any superstitious beliefs?
DO YOU VISIT YOUR FAMILY’S GRAVESITE?
Caterina is born into an inheritance of loss. Her mother dies at birth and she is raised by her father in a single-parent family. Chapter Sixteen of The Inheritance opens at the peasant cemetery in Cetraro where graves are marked with wooden crosses. Sixteen-year-old Caterina and a little girl are placing roses on the graves of family and friends who’d died long ago. As they do this, they recite their names out loud and express how everyone still mourns their deaths. Caterina puts the last rose on the grave of the mother she never knew and contemplates her wish to have a child someday.
This scene shows the profound grief felt despite the passing of years and though it occurs in 1913, the emotions revealed are timeless.
Do you place flowers on the grave of someone who died long ago?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A FUNERAL PROCESSION?
In Chapter Twenty-Four of The Inheritance, a horse-drawn wagon carries Anna Marino’s casket to her gravesite; a procession led by her husband, Santo and Padre Valentine follows. Their sons, Benito, Caesare and Lorenzo along with Anna’s goddaughter, Francesca walk behind them.
Francesca’s inclusion speaks to the importance of a goddaughter in family dynamics and the inclusion of this mourning tradition helps build authenticity in The Inheritance. Walking processions were typical in the past and served as a precursor to the modern tradition of following the hearse in vehicles.
Do cars in your city stop and let a funeral procession pass as a sign of respect and compassion? They do in my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
ANSWER KEY: THE STATEMENTS ARE TRUE.
How does your family mourn the loss of loved ones?
I’d welcome your comments.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
http://www.marianneperry.ca
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Are the following Italian mourning traditions TRUE or FALSE?
1). Friends gave food to the family of the deceased.
2). Women wore black for a long time.
3). Mourners brought flowers to the church.
4). People spoke about the deceased during the funeral service.
5). Mourners laid a rose on the casket after it was lowered into the grave.
Does your family observe any of these traditions? Regardless of ancestry, I imagine at least one would be applicable.
An answer key is at the end of the blog.
Death is a timeless connection we share and a universal theme explored in The Inheritance. The novel is set in Calabria, southern Italy from 1897 to 1913. It is threaded with historical facts and mourning traditions help illustrate family dynamics, belief systems and the different social classes.
A WANDERING SOUL
In The Inheritance, Clorinda, a peasant girl from Cetraro, dies tragically. Her family cannot find her body and give her a proper burial. As a result, they believe her soul is doomed to wander the earth and never enter Heaven. Padre Valentine attempts to convince them otherwise prove futile. Superstition battled against religion in Calabrian society; a conflict this situation demonstrates.
Some Italians believed that burying a cherished possession with a loved one comforted them on their journey to Heaven. Did your family have any superstitious beliefs?
DO YOU VISIT YOUR FAMILY’S GRAVESITE?
Caterina is born into an inheritance of loss. Her mother dies at birth and she is raised by her father in a single-parent family. Chapter Sixteen of The Inheritance opens at the peasant cemetery in Cetraro where graves are marked with wooden crosses. Sixteen-year-old Caterina and a little girl are placing roses on the graves of family and friends who’d died long ago. As they do this, they recite their names out loud and express how everyone still mourns their deaths. Caterina puts the last rose on the grave of the mother she never knew and contemplates her wish to have a child someday.
This scene shows the profound grief felt despite the passing of years and though it occurs in 1913, the emotions revealed are timeless.
Do you place flowers on the grave of someone who died long ago?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A FUNERAL PROCESSION?
In Chapter Twenty-Four of The Inheritance, a horse-drawn wagon carries Anna Marino’s casket to her gravesite; a procession led by her husband, Santo and Padre Valentine follows. Their sons, Benito, Caesare and Lorenzo along with Anna’s goddaughter, Francesca walk behind them.
Francesca’s inclusion speaks to the importance of a goddaughter in family dynamics and the inclusion of this mourning tradition helps build authenticity in The Inheritance. Walking processions were typical in the past and served as a precursor to the modern tradition of following the hearse in vehicles.
Do cars in your city stop and let a funeral procession pass as a sign of respect and compassion? They do in my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
ANSWER KEY: THE STATEMENTS ARE TRUE.
How does your family mourn the loss of loved ones?
I’d welcome your comments.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
http://www.marianneperry.ca
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
