Paul Stankus
asked
Sarah McCoy:
One of the most intriguing aspects of The Mapmaker's Children (and one that caused me to set the book aside and read more about it) is the long and dedicated friendship between Captain John Brown's family, and Henry David Thoreau, as indicated by the signed copy of 'Walden' that Sarah carries around. How did you discover the linkage between the two?
Sarah McCoy
Great question, Paul!
I read Thoreau's "A Plea for Captain John Brown" and was captivated. He not only wrote this treatise but gave it as a speech multiple times mere weeks after the raid on Harper's Ferry and the arrest of John Brown. Quite a bold act and incredibly dangerous for the times. Thoreau even went so far as to criticize the popular Christian majority, claiming that they said prayers then went to sleep aware of injustice but doing nothing. He stood and pointed a finger in the face of countrymen who were on the verge of picking up arms in Civil War. All for John Brown, whom most in the nation viewed as an abolitionist zealot. Their link had to have been beyond political advocacy. Those are the actions of a friend. Researching deeper, I found more evidence of the two in conversation. Brown being such a family man, Sarah Brown would've been familiar with her father's close friends and supporters.
I'm such a history nerd. I loved seeing these connections and brush-stroking them into my fiction. It's info that I felt was essential to fully understanding the social influences on Sarah Brown's character development even if it didn't directly pertain to THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN plot.
I'm so glad I have astute readers like you who pick up on the stories beyond the novel and take the time to know it for themselves. Thank you, Paul!
Yours truly,
Sarah
I read Thoreau's "A Plea for Captain John Brown" and was captivated. He not only wrote this treatise but gave it as a speech multiple times mere weeks after the raid on Harper's Ferry and the arrest of John Brown. Quite a bold act and incredibly dangerous for the times. Thoreau even went so far as to criticize the popular Christian majority, claiming that they said prayers then went to sleep aware of injustice but doing nothing. He stood and pointed a finger in the face of countrymen who were on the verge of picking up arms in Civil War. All for John Brown, whom most in the nation viewed as an abolitionist zealot. Their link had to have been beyond political advocacy. Those are the actions of a friend. Researching deeper, I found more evidence of the two in conversation. Brown being such a family man, Sarah Brown would've been familiar with her father's close friends and supporters.
I'm such a history nerd. I loved seeing these connections and brush-stroking them into my fiction. It's info that I felt was essential to fully understanding the social influences on Sarah Brown's character development even if it didn't directly pertain to THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN plot.
I'm so glad I have astute readers like you who pick up on the stories beyond the novel and take the time to know it for themselves. Thank you, Paul!
Yours truly,
Sarah
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Nov 23, 2015 01:35PM · flag