Marianne Perry's Blog, page 6
April 22, 2015
Discovering Your Mother's Story.
Mother's Day will soon be here and if you would like to learn more about your maternal roots,there is a genealogical resource section in The Inheritance that might help you.
I've listed websites plus other resources available to get you started on your journey. My ancestry is Italian but the information is applicable to all.
I also blog about practical genealogical tips on my website. In addition I've written non-fiction articles for North American publications that are also available here.
Plus, feel free to contact me with your questions. I am not a professional genealogist but I have been researching my family for twenty years.
The Inheritance was inspired by my grandmother's life in Calabria, southern Italy from 1897 to 1913 prior to her North American emigration.
Discovering her past helped me understand family dynamics and more appreciate the incredible woman my grandmother was.
Thank you.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Http://www.marianneperry.ca
I've listed websites plus other resources available to get you started on your journey. My ancestry is Italian but the information is applicable to all.
I also blog about practical genealogical tips on my website. In addition I've written non-fiction articles for North American publications that are also available here.
Plus, feel free to contact me with your questions. I am not a professional genealogist but I have been researching my family for twenty years.
The Inheritance was inspired by my grandmother's life in Calabria, southern Italy from 1897 to 1913 prior to her North American emigration.
Discovering her past helped me understand family dynamics and more appreciate the incredible woman my grandmother was.
Thank you.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Http://www.marianneperry.ca
April 7, 2015
What's A Jackeroo?
The Waddi Tree by Kerry McGinnis
I purchased The Waddi Tree by Kerry McGinnis in the Alice Springs Airport while awaiting a flight to Sydney, Australia. Alice Springs is a town of about 25,000 in central Australia situated in the Northern Territory; the Simpson Desert is to the southeast. My husband and I had gone to Ayers Rock (Uluru) for a few days prior to view the mythological sandstone rock at sunrise and sunset. Ayers Rock is approximately 280 miles southwest of Alice Springs and we’d ridden a bus for seven hours on the Lasseter and Stuart Highways to get here.
Travelling awards us insight but there is insufficient time when one is visiting a place to fully appreciate its uniqueness and I always hunt for books that can teach me more. Kerry McGinnis is Australian born and she and her family owned a cattle station in central Australia. As such, I believed The Waddi Tree a worthwhile read.
The story commences in 1957. For the past decade, Sandy McAllister has run the struggling Arcadia Cattle Station; a homemade three-room house and shed on leasehold property in central Australia. His younger brother, Rob, manages Kharko Station; a prosperous operation with a homestead and complex of buildings likened to a town. Sandy, a fifty-year-old army vet, is hard-working, devoted to his vibrant wife, a former nurse, Jenny and adventuresome with their child, a ten-year-old named Jim. By comparison, Rob is regimented and taciturn. His wife, Mary, was once full of laughter; the drowning of their son, Todd, fifteen years ago, however, has rendered her pale and subdued. Their nine-year old daughter, Rosemary is rebellious whereas Oliver, her fourteen-year-old sibling, has resigned to the fact he must follow his father’s footsteps. Though only forty miles separates the stations, the brother’s conflicting personalities has limited and strained their contact; nevertheless, Sandy emphasizes to Jim, Rob is his only uncle.
McGinnis vividly depicts daily life on the isolated stations by referencing radio communications, Jim’s daily half-hour school lessons with an unseen teacher in Alice Springs through the School of the Air program and The Flying Doctor’s visit with a nurse to Kharko Station for monthly clinics. Jim works to help his parents sustain Arcadia. His chores include herding goats but he romps with his aboriginal buddy, Nipper. He and his mother enjoy Sandy’s accordion playing but after her accidental death, his father unravels, this chapter closes and he is sent to live with Rob’s family.
Sandy ultimately abandons Arcadia Station, becomes an itinerant worker, begins a slow descent into alcoholism and contravenes social mores by partnering with an Aboriginal woman and fathering a child named Eddy. He evolves into an object of derision and becomes estranged from Jim. In Chapter Five when Sandy is about to leave Jim with a promise to return in a year, he says, ‘You’ll understand when you’re older son.’ The quote underscores Jim’s odyssey that represents the thread of the book.
The story explores Jim’s struggle to comprehend all that has happened as he transitions from boy to man. He fights to escape the shadow of his father, cope with the grief of his mother’s loss and earn worth based on his own merits rather than accepting anything subscribed to him for being Rob’s nephew. As he tries to find his place at Kharko Station, a microcosm for the world, he assumes more responsibility and his interactions with characters and responses to events illustrate his attempts to reconcile issues of loss, anger, hurt and shame. Through his experiences, he comes to understand “family” has more than a single definition and love, many dynamics. In particular, Jim’s interaction with the spirited Rosemary and observation of Oliver’s defeatist attitude lead him to contemplate his own options.
Of note are his relationships with secondary characters, especially the cook, Pommy John and racehorse jockey, Barney O’Dowd. Through conversations and incidents, the reader is informed of the immensity of cattle stations in central Australia. There are numerous hands and property allocated covers vast tracts of land. Branding cattle is an onerous chore and ensuring herds have steady access to water demands a relentless cycle of moving the animals. In addition, these characters serve as vehicles to reveal attitudes towards black workers, white-black coupling and half-caste children. They also represent forums within which Jim debates matters of conscience, tests new skills and exhibits growing competence on the station.
The blistering-hot and furnace-dry desert environment of central Australia is a metaphor for the bleakness Jim confronts as he passes through adolescence. McGinnis’ descriptive passages of the ochre mountains, red sand dunes, spiky spinifex ridges and pale trunked gum trees are superb and message us of the beauty that exists within this stark land. Her references to drought and the construction of bores to tap groundwater from shallow aquifers for the cattle mirror the barrenness of Jim’s relationship with his father plus hint at the hope of salvation. The inclusion of wildlife such as emus, euros, brumby feral horses and the second largest lizard in the world, a perenti, highlight Australia’s uniqueness. Animals also interject humour and frame valuable lessons: Jake, Jim’s quirky bay pony; Peddler, a brown Arcadia Station packhorse; and Pearlshell, the red bay present from Rob for his sixteenth birthday.
The novel was poignant but McGinniss’ exploration of so many emotional issues caused some to be left thin and, as a result, I felt residual incompletion at the end. Jim’s visiting his father’s grave and his grasp of the anguish he’d suffered over his mother’s death, however, was gratifying. His learning he’d hung on to Arcadia Station, willed it to him and realization he’d never truly been abandoned was also gratifying.
McGinnis is deft with words as exemplified by her phrasing of this coming-of-age moment in Chapter Sixteen. ‘When she (his mother, Jenny) died it was as if a fire had gone out in Sandy. Jim could still recall the light in his father’s eyes as they rested on Jenny, and suddenly he understood what a burden life must have become for him once she was gone.’ Jim’s commitment to restore Arcadia Station and make it home brought full circle to the novel. I did regard his decision to assume care of his half-brother, Eddy and assumption a teacher, Ruth Petlow, with whom he’d developed a minimal relationship rather simplistic and, perhaps, a rushed attempt by McGinniss to conclude the book.
Titles bear symbolism and a waddi tree is mentioned in Chapter One. It is a desert acacia tree Sandy insisted never be cut that shaded the eastern side of the veranda fronting their home. When Jim returns to Arcadia Station in the final chapter, its condition is dilapidated but the tree has survived and, hence, harbingers a positive future.
In conclusion, I’d like to tribute McGinnis’ skilful use of vocabulary in authenticating Australia and cite examples: swag, a term for pack; strapper, someone who cares for horses and tuckerbox, a lunch pail. On a final note, The Waddi Tree was definitely a worthwhile read. It enhanced my understanding of the Northern Territory and will hold a valuable place in my travel library.
As to a jackeroo, it is a cattle station employee being trained for management; a position for which Jim is qualified when he decides to assume ownership of Arcadia Station.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
I purchased The Waddi Tree by Kerry McGinnis in the Alice Springs Airport while awaiting a flight to Sydney, Australia. Alice Springs is a town of about 25,000 in central Australia situated in the Northern Territory; the Simpson Desert is to the southeast. My husband and I had gone to Ayers Rock (Uluru) for a few days prior to view the mythological sandstone rock at sunrise and sunset. Ayers Rock is approximately 280 miles southwest of Alice Springs and we’d ridden a bus for seven hours on the Lasseter and Stuart Highways to get here.
Travelling awards us insight but there is insufficient time when one is visiting a place to fully appreciate its uniqueness and I always hunt for books that can teach me more. Kerry McGinnis is Australian born and she and her family owned a cattle station in central Australia. As such, I believed The Waddi Tree a worthwhile read.
The story commences in 1957. For the past decade, Sandy McAllister has run the struggling Arcadia Cattle Station; a homemade three-room house and shed on leasehold property in central Australia. His younger brother, Rob, manages Kharko Station; a prosperous operation with a homestead and complex of buildings likened to a town. Sandy, a fifty-year-old army vet, is hard-working, devoted to his vibrant wife, a former nurse, Jenny and adventuresome with their child, a ten-year-old named Jim. By comparison, Rob is regimented and taciturn. His wife, Mary, was once full of laughter; the drowning of their son, Todd, fifteen years ago, however, has rendered her pale and subdued. Their nine-year old daughter, Rosemary is rebellious whereas Oliver, her fourteen-year-old sibling, has resigned to the fact he must follow his father’s footsteps. Though only forty miles separates the stations, the brother’s conflicting personalities has limited and strained their contact; nevertheless, Sandy emphasizes to Jim, Rob is his only uncle.
McGinnis vividly depicts daily life on the isolated stations by referencing radio communications, Jim’s daily half-hour school lessons with an unseen teacher in Alice Springs through the School of the Air program and The Flying Doctor’s visit with a nurse to Kharko Station for monthly clinics. Jim works to help his parents sustain Arcadia. His chores include herding goats but he romps with his aboriginal buddy, Nipper. He and his mother enjoy Sandy’s accordion playing but after her accidental death, his father unravels, this chapter closes and he is sent to live with Rob’s family.
Sandy ultimately abandons Arcadia Station, becomes an itinerant worker, begins a slow descent into alcoholism and contravenes social mores by partnering with an Aboriginal woman and fathering a child named Eddy. He evolves into an object of derision and becomes estranged from Jim. In Chapter Five when Sandy is about to leave Jim with a promise to return in a year, he says, ‘You’ll understand when you’re older son.’ The quote underscores Jim’s odyssey that represents the thread of the book.
The story explores Jim’s struggle to comprehend all that has happened as he transitions from boy to man. He fights to escape the shadow of his father, cope with the grief of his mother’s loss and earn worth based on his own merits rather than accepting anything subscribed to him for being Rob’s nephew. As he tries to find his place at Kharko Station, a microcosm for the world, he assumes more responsibility and his interactions with characters and responses to events illustrate his attempts to reconcile issues of loss, anger, hurt and shame. Through his experiences, he comes to understand “family” has more than a single definition and love, many dynamics. In particular, Jim’s interaction with the spirited Rosemary and observation of Oliver’s defeatist attitude lead him to contemplate his own options.
Of note are his relationships with secondary characters, especially the cook, Pommy John and racehorse jockey, Barney O’Dowd. Through conversations and incidents, the reader is informed of the immensity of cattle stations in central Australia. There are numerous hands and property allocated covers vast tracts of land. Branding cattle is an onerous chore and ensuring herds have steady access to water demands a relentless cycle of moving the animals. In addition, these characters serve as vehicles to reveal attitudes towards black workers, white-black coupling and half-caste children. They also represent forums within which Jim debates matters of conscience, tests new skills and exhibits growing competence on the station.
The blistering-hot and furnace-dry desert environment of central Australia is a metaphor for the bleakness Jim confronts as he passes through adolescence. McGinnis’ descriptive passages of the ochre mountains, red sand dunes, spiky spinifex ridges and pale trunked gum trees are superb and message us of the beauty that exists within this stark land. Her references to drought and the construction of bores to tap groundwater from shallow aquifers for the cattle mirror the barrenness of Jim’s relationship with his father plus hint at the hope of salvation. The inclusion of wildlife such as emus, euros, brumby feral horses and the second largest lizard in the world, a perenti, highlight Australia’s uniqueness. Animals also interject humour and frame valuable lessons: Jake, Jim’s quirky bay pony; Peddler, a brown Arcadia Station packhorse; and Pearlshell, the red bay present from Rob for his sixteenth birthday.
The novel was poignant but McGinniss’ exploration of so many emotional issues caused some to be left thin and, as a result, I felt residual incompletion at the end. Jim’s visiting his father’s grave and his grasp of the anguish he’d suffered over his mother’s death, however, was gratifying. His learning he’d hung on to Arcadia Station, willed it to him and realization he’d never truly been abandoned was also gratifying.
McGinnis is deft with words as exemplified by her phrasing of this coming-of-age moment in Chapter Sixteen. ‘When she (his mother, Jenny) died it was as if a fire had gone out in Sandy. Jim could still recall the light in his father’s eyes as they rested on Jenny, and suddenly he understood what a burden life must have become for him once she was gone.’ Jim’s commitment to restore Arcadia Station and make it home brought full circle to the novel. I did regard his decision to assume care of his half-brother, Eddy and assumption a teacher, Ruth Petlow, with whom he’d developed a minimal relationship rather simplistic and, perhaps, a rushed attempt by McGinniss to conclude the book.
Titles bear symbolism and a waddi tree is mentioned in Chapter One. It is a desert acacia tree Sandy insisted never be cut that shaded the eastern side of the veranda fronting their home. When Jim returns to Arcadia Station in the final chapter, its condition is dilapidated but the tree has survived and, hence, harbingers a positive future.
In conclusion, I’d like to tribute McGinnis’ skilful use of vocabulary in authenticating Australia and cite examples: swag, a term for pack; strapper, someone who cares for horses and tuckerbox, a lunch pail. On a final note, The Waddi Tree was definitely a worthwhile read. It enhanced my understanding of the Northern Territory and will hold a valuable place in my travel library.
As to a jackeroo, it is a cattle station employee being trained for management; a position for which Jim is qualified when he decides to assume ownership of Arcadia Station.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
March 25, 2015
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.
February 24, 2015
Author Interview: Pittsburgh Historical Fiction Examiner
10 questions with historical fiction author: Marianne Perry
February 24, 2015: Kayla Posney
Pittsburgh Historical Fiction Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/article/10-qu...
Marianne Perry, author of "The Inheritance" answers 10 questions about her favorite time period in history, her favorite figures from history, and the age old question of coffee or tea.
1. If you could go back in time and be any figure from history, who would it be?
Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance artist, scientist and visionary who lived from 1452 to 1519, mesmerizes me. The child of a peasant woman and notary who never married, I have viewed his paintings in galleries around the world plus visited the Chapel of Saint-Hubert at Chateau Amboise in central France where he is buried. To inhabit the mind of this genius for even one day would be a profound experience.
2. What year in history would you have liked to live in?
I would like to have lived during the Italian Renaissance. The period 1330 to 1550 was a zenith of cultural achievement and the latter years of Leonardo’s time would be my preference.
3. You’re having a dinner party and you can invite five people from history, who would they be?
My maternal uncle, an artist, sparked my interest in art when I was a young girl and I would invite the following to a dinner party: Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Raffaello (Raphael) Sanzio, Johannes Vermeer and Leonardo da Vinci.
4. What castle from the past or present would you like to live in?
The Chateau of Chenonceau in north-western France spans the Cher River. Developed and owned by a succession of women, I visited this five hundred year old castle with its spectacular gardens while exploring the Loire Valley. It is breath-taking and I would love to live there while working on a writing project.
5. Two fellow historical fiction authors you’d like to go on a history themed tour of the world with?
My paternal aunt introduced me to historical fiction during my teens. She recommended I read Taylor Caldwell and my first books were "Dear" and "Glorious Physician" about St. Luke and A Pillar of Iron, which told the story of the Roman senator, Cicero. Susan Vreeland’s novels explore art and I have enjoyed "The Girl in Hyacinth Blue" about an imaginary Johannes Vermeer painting and "The Forest Lover" that deals with Emily Carr. I would relish a historical themed tour of the world with these authors.
6. Who was more dashing and interesting, King Henry VIII of England or King Louis X1V of France?
After visiting The Palace of Versailles ten miles southwest of Paris, I would select King Louis XIV who transformed this former hunting lodge into a luxurious residence for his court.
7. Which of the six wives of King Henry V111 is your favorite?
My favourite is Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Previously married to his brother, he’d had their marriage annulled to wed Anne Boleyn. Despite her husband’s actions, Catherine believed her Henry’s legitimate wife. There only surviving child was Mary who eventually became Queen of England.
8. English monarchy or French monarchy?
I am a second generation Canadian-Italian. Our country is an independent nation within the British Commonwealth and I would choose the English monarchy.
9. What three novels could you read over and over?
My interests are solving family mysteries through genealogical research, understanding family dynamics and honing my writing skills. In addition to art, I have a passion for adventure and have travelled to every continent on our beautiful earth. I set my writing in places I have been and the books selected reflect my interests.
1). "The Pillars of the Earth". Ken Follett’s story of the building of a 12th century Gothic cathedral in England.
2). I have affinity for the city of Venice, Italy. As Donna Leon sets her Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery/crime books here, I have given her a general reference.
3). "The Birth of Venus". Sarah Dunant’s book in 15th century Florence during the Italian Renaissance would be a fabulous re-read.
10. Tea or coffee when writing?
Three cups of coffee wake me up in the morning but when I write; I drink cool water from the two-hundred foot well on the property of our Lake Superior country home in Northern Ontario.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Author of The Inheritance
An historical fiction about a woman rejecting social norms and a family disintegrating from conflicting loyalties who collide in Calabria, southern Italy during the early 1900s.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
http://www.marianneperry.ca
Author of The Inheritance
February 24, 2015: Kayla Posney
Pittsburgh Historical Fiction Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/article/10-qu...
Marianne Perry, author of "The Inheritance" answers 10 questions about her favorite time period in history, her favorite figures from history, and the age old question of coffee or tea.
1. If you could go back in time and be any figure from history, who would it be?
Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance artist, scientist and visionary who lived from 1452 to 1519, mesmerizes me. The child of a peasant woman and notary who never married, I have viewed his paintings in galleries around the world plus visited the Chapel of Saint-Hubert at Chateau Amboise in central France where he is buried. To inhabit the mind of this genius for even one day would be a profound experience.
2. What year in history would you have liked to live in?
I would like to have lived during the Italian Renaissance. The period 1330 to 1550 was a zenith of cultural achievement and the latter years of Leonardo’s time would be my preference.
3. You’re having a dinner party and you can invite five people from history, who would they be?
My maternal uncle, an artist, sparked my interest in art when I was a young girl and I would invite the following to a dinner party: Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Raffaello (Raphael) Sanzio, Johannes Vermeer and Leonardo da Vinci.
4. What castle from the past or present would you like to live in?
The Chateau of Chenonceau in north-western France spans the Cher River. Developed and owned by a succession of women, I visited this five hundred year old castle with its spectacular gardens while exploring the Loire Valley. It is breath-taking and I would love to live there while working on a writing project.
5. Two fellow historical fiction authors you’d like to go on a history themed tour of the world with?
My paternal aunt introduced me to historical fiction during my teens. She recommended I read Taylor Caldwell and my first books were "Dear" and "Glorious Physician" about St. Luke and A Pillar of Iron, which told the story of the Roman senator, Cicero. Susan Vreeland’s novels explore art and I have enjoyed "The Girl in Hyacinth Blue" about an imaginary Johannes Vermeer painting and "The Forest Lover" that deals with Emily Carr. I would relish a historical themed tour of the world with these authors.
6. Who was more dashing and interesting, King Henry VIII of England or King Louis X1V of France?
After visiting The Palace of Versailles ten miles southwest of Paris, I would select King Louis XIV who transformed this former hunting lodge into a luxurious residence for his court.
7. Which of the six wives of King Henry V111 is your favorite?
My favourite is Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Previously married to his brother, he’d had their marriage annulled to wed Anne Boleyn. Despite her husband’s actions, Catherine believed her Henry’s legitimate wife. There only surviving child was Mary who eventually became Queen of England.
8. English monarchy or French monarchy?
I am a second generation Canadian-Italian. Our country is an independent nation within the British Commonwealth and I would choose the English monarchy.
9. What three novels could you read over and over?
My interests are solving family mysteries through genealogical research, understanding family dynamics and honing my writing skills. In addition to art, I have a passion for adventure and have travelled to every continent on our beautiful earth. I set my writing in places I have been and the books selected reflect my interests.
1). "The Pillars of the Earth". Ken Follett’s story of the building of a 12th century Gothic cathedral in England.
2). I have affinity for the city of Venice, Italy. As Donna Leon sets her Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery/crime books here, I have given her a general reference.
3). "The Birth of Venus". Sarah Dunant’s book in 15th century Florence during the Italian Renaissance would be a fabulous re-read.
10. Tea or coffee when writing?
Three cups of coffee wake me up in the morning but when I write; I drink cool water from the two-hundred foot well on the property of our Lake Superior country home in Northern Ontario.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Author of The Inheritance
An historical fiction about a woman rejecting social norms and a family disintegrating from conflicting loyalties who collide in Calabria, southern Italy during the early 1900s.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
http://www.marianneperry.ca
Author of The Inheritance
January 5, 2015
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
December 18, 2014
How Do You Celebrate Christmas?
What holiday traditions best reflect yours?
A). We had a seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. ___
B). We donated food and gifts to a community shelter. ___
C). A rich relative gave the women in our family glass ornaments from Venice, Italy. ___
D). My mother made the children a special drink of warm milk mixed with coffee and crumbled cookie pieces. ___
The Inheritance examines the social structure that governed Calabria, southern Italy during the early 1900’s. Anna and Santo Marino and their sons, Caesare, Benito and Lorenzo are rich landowners of the Villa San Michelle Estate. Caterina and her father, Edoardo, are peasants who work for them and an examination of their respective Christmas traditions helps illustrate class differences.
What family did you choose?
Traditions A & C refer to the Marino family.
Traditions B & D refer to Caterina and Edoardo. The references are from Chapter Nine.
Did the witch give you coal or candy at Christmas?
The Italian Christmas season is traditionally celebrated from Christmas Eve on December 24th to January 6th, The Feast of the Epiphany and La Befana plays a key role in the cultural folklore.
According to legend, La Befana is a witch who flies from house to house on her broomstick the evening of January 5th giving good children toys and candy and bad children lumps of coal. A reference to La Befana in Chapter Nine of The Inheritance, therefore, helps create an authentic Christmas scene in the novel.
________________________________________
What are your family’s holiday traditions? I’d welcome your comments.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
A). We had a seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. ___
B). We donated food and gifts to a community shelter. ___
C). A rich relative gave the women in our family glass ornaments from Venice, Italy. ___
D). My mother made the children a special drink of warm milk mixed with coffee and crumbled cookie pieces. ___
The Inheritance examines the social structure that governed Calabria, southern Italy during the early 1900’s. Anna and Santo Marino and their sons, Caesare, Benito and Lorenzo are rich landowners of the Villa San Michelle Estate. Caterina and her father, Edoardo, are peasants who work for them and an examination of their respective Christmas traditions helps illustrate class differences.
What family did you choose?
Traditions A & C refer to the Marino family.
Traditions B & D refer to Caterina and Edoardo. The references are from Chapter Nine.
Did the witch give you coal or candy at Christmas?
The Italian Christmas season is traditionally celebrated from Christmas Eve on December 24th to January 6th, The Feast of the Epiphany and La Befana plays a key role in the cultural folklore.
According to legend, La Befana is a witch who flies from house to house on her broomstick the evening of January 5th giving good children toys and candy and bad children lumps of coal. A reference to La Befana in Chapter Nine of The Inheritance, therefore, helps create an authentic Christmas scene in the novel.
________________________________________
What are your family’s holiday traditions? I’d welcome your comments.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
December 9, 2014
Shoveling Snow and Writing a Book
I live in Northern Ontario and we have had more snow than usual already. This morning as I was helping my husband shovel our driveway, I thought how it is like the book writing process.
First of all, when I saw all the snow I thought, how on earth am I going to get this done? It was heavy and as we had to go to town, it had to be done. Well, I decided to break it into small sections and clear one little bit at a time. Sometimes I used a shovel and other times, the big scoop. I also decided I didn't have to clear it completely nor did it have to be perfect. I just had to do what needed to be done today.
Writing a book is a daunting project, but it doesn't have to be done all at once. Just a little bit at a time will get the job done. Plus, there are many tools to help us along the way. Social media discussions groups and my trusty thesaurus are like my shovel and scoop.
Well that's it for now. Have to go and clean up some of the parts in my driveway that I didn't tend to this morning. Plus it snowed again. Like writing a book, driveway shoveling is an ongoing process.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Http://www.marianneperry.ca
First of all, when I saw all the snow I thought, how on earth am I going to get this done? It was heavy and as we had to go to town, it had to be done. Well, I decided to break it into small sections and clear one little bit at a time. Sometimes I used a shovel and other times, the big scoop. I also decided I didn't have to clear it completely nor did it have to be perfect. I just had to do what needed to be done today.
Writing a book is a daunting project, but it doesn't have to be done all at once. Just a little bit at a time will get the job done. Plus, there are many tools to help us along the way. Social media discussions groups and my trusty thesaurus are like my shovel and scoop.
Well that's it for now. Have to go and clean up some of the parts in my driveway that I didn't tend to this morning. Plus it snowed again. Like writing a book, driveway shoveling is an ongoing process.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Http://www.marianneperry.ca
November 19, 2014
Wartime Recipes Cookbook
Travelling is a great opportunity for researching future projects and wandering through bookstores in search of interesting titles is something I always do. While visiting The Churchill War Rooms in The Imperial War Museums in London, England this past year, I came across a terrific book that presented a different aspect of life during World War Two. Entitled Wartime Recipes: A Collection of Recipes from the War Years, it contains soup, main meals, vegetable cookery and sweets and puddings recipes popular during this era. In addition, there are also illustrations of people buying produce, food facts, coupon book, advertisements, etc. that further describe living conditions. The website where this book might be purchased is: iwmshop.org.uk.
The book was published by Pitkin Publishing 1998.(sales@thehistorypress.co.uk)
The book may be purchased on their website: www.pitkin-guides.com
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
The book was published by Pitkin Publishing 1998.(sales@thehistorypress.co.uk)
The book may be purchased on their website: www.pitkin-guides.com
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca
November 5, 2014
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
October 19, 2014
The Perri-Perry Family of Origin
In addition to writing a second novel whose story grew out of genealogical research to solve family mysteries, I also pen non-fiction articles for genealogy based publications. I am currently working on an article for The Ontario Genealogical Society that will highlight the process I followed to profile my paternal great-grandparents from Calabria, southern Italy. My grandfather, Pietro Perri, left Calabria in 1910 for North America. He never returned to Italy and we knew scant about the family he left behind. My late father had always wanted to know more about his heritage and supported my research efforts over the years. He knew his grandparent's names, Concetta Gigliotti and Luigi Perri, but little else. How sad not to know your family of origin, I thought.
If you are interested in learning about your family of origin, my genealogical blogs offer practical tips. Check out my website and email me if you have a question. I will try to help.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Http://www.marianneperry.ca
If you are interested in learning about your family of origin, my genealogical blogs offer practical tips. Check out my website and email me if you have a question. I will try to help.
Marianne Perry
Author of The Inheritance
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
Http://www.marianneperry.ca
