Sturbridge Village in Massachussetts is a great place to visit anytime of the
year, but the Fall brings out memories of Thanksgiving past.
I’ve been there many times. Re-enactors often dress as Pilgrims
and the displays are varied and interesting.
A few years ago I happened to be strolling through the
museum when a display of old letters caught my eye. I love researching and
checked them. Turns out they were written in the late 1600s and early 1700s by
the children and grandchildren of the original Plymouth settlers. Now is where my story
takes an interesting twist.
You need to know a little history to understand what
happened.
The first settlers at Plymouth were ill-equipped for the
hardships they faced. That winter was harsh, even by New England standards and
disease quickly claimed a number of hunger weakened Pilgrims.
We’ve all been told the story of Squanto and how he helped
the Pilgrims by showing them how to plant corn seeds with a dead fish to act as
fertilizer. It seems Squanto had an incentive to help the struggling colony. He
wanted to marry one of the widows. His tribe had a tradition that might have
stopped a less determined man. A male must show he can provide for the family
of his potential wife. And he thought all the colonists were related because of
their referring to each other as ‘brother’ and ‘sister’.
Like many determined males, he found a way. He showed them
how to plant enough to eat. His tribe gave their blessing and the widow married
him.
How can this be verified several hundred years later—
Those letters I told you about went into detail on the
question of what to call the children of these couples. There was more than one
widow who chose to survive with a strong, intelligent man.
The correspondents finally decided the parents had made the decision.
Some of the women had moved to live with the tribe and their children were Indians.
Those who lived in the colony were white.
The facts are buried in the past, but I loved the idea of
love finding a way.
Check out my holiday romance Journey of the Magi for another
couple who finds a way to love.
Journey of the Magi blurb:
Widow Noel Martin never
breaks promises, and she promised her kids they’d have Christmas at her
childhood home in Connecticut. But driving across country takes money. Noel is
broke when a snowstorm blows them into a tiny Minnesota café owned by a man who
can change her mind. She accepts his offer of a job. Despite her attraction to
him, she makes it clear she is only temporary help.
Dan Longstreet isn’t adopting
any more strays, but he needs a waitress. Dan works so hard to make his café a success, he doesn't have
time for love. Though Noel’s slender blonde
beauty stuns him and her two adorable children tug at his heart, he denies how
they threaten to change his life.
When tragedy strikes, their
new-found love is the first victim. Noel can't stay and Dan can't
leave. Will their journey be the gift that reunites them?
Please
follow, friend or like me. I love to hear from my readers.
Twitter https://www.twitter.com/Barb_ed
3 comments:
Barbara, Talk about love conquers all. So many story ideas from the past. Great concept. Your book is on my TBR pile. Best of luck.
Good for Squanto. Even if he had an ulterior motive, he was a hero! Best of luck with your new release, Barbara!
Very interesting, I did not know that little tidbit about Squanto. So, did he get the girl?
Post a Comment