The idea for this novel came to me from several different directions, but one of the most influential was a story my grandmother told to me. She's the one on the right in this picture, taken in 1946. The other women were cousins of her husband, my grandfather. When I asked what was behind this photo, she always said, "Oh, we was just actin' up," which, as you can see, is exactly what she wrote, in ink, on the front of the photo.
Grandma had been born into a Mormon family in a rural area of Idaho and, like all Mormon kids, was due to be baptized when she turned eight. She refused, however, kicking and screaming, and wouldn't let her older sisters dress her for the baptism. She told me she was convinced that if she allowed them to baptize her, she would have to marry Brigham Young.
One thing I never understood was how the strong, competent, self-assured women I grew up around, women like my grandmother and aunts, had come out of what everybody believed was a patriarchal culture, where women were considered as not much more than a man's property. I couldn't figure it out, and I finally had to write a story about a girl, born into a polygamous family in this culture, and watch her grow up to understand where that strength came from. The story I wrote, "Belle o' the Waters," helped me understand what I probably already knew, at some level deep inside: her strength came from the land itself, and her toughness grew out of the necessity to live in that harsh land, protect your children, and make a life for yourself in what was truly the wild West at that time.
I will keep you posted about progress with the book, but in the meantime, I have a lot more old pictures to post and a lot more family stories to relate, so stay tuned for more!
Congratulations, Raima! I would have enjoyed meeting your Grandmother.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, she was great. And a great influence on many of us in her large family.
DeleteThis sounds amazing! Can't wait to read and review. Robin (my hubster) told me about your novel as I love how regular women, the women who build our culture, are collectively writing the first history of women. These are the stories we need to fuel our rebuilding of a world gone mad.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy - I think I've got you on Twitter. And now on FB! Will keep everybody posted on this book as it goes through the publication process. Thank you for your project, too. Sounds fascinating!
DeleteHoly man, this is going to be good! Love that photo of badass women!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue! And I totally agree with you about the photo. :)
DeleteI can't wait to read it, Raima. Sounds interesting and powerful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenny! And thanks for leaving a comment on my little blog. :)
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