Hello ,
Nearly every American knows about Paul Revere and his ride to warn the Continental Army. Why don't we know about the many women who fought for American independence in their homes, on their farms, on battlefields?
Featuring Author Susan Casey |
Sybil Ludington rode her horse forty miles in the dead of night to muster the troops of her father's militia, alerting them to join her father to join the other forces fighting against the British during the Battle of Danbury. As I delved into the lives of the women featured in my book I felt pulled into their stories, into a process of not only gathering facts but also trying to understand who they were and what motivated them. Many of their stories were single
incidents. I wondered what the rest of their lives were like.
For example, while I found many books featuring the story of Prudence Wright as leader of the Pitchfork Brigade I was captivated to find that besides being able to organize an ambush she excelled in the art of sand scouring, a way of cleaning and also creating patterns on her wooden floor. Discovering that fact made her come alive for me and gave me a window into a small
aspect of life in another era.
Days after shots were fired at Lexington and Concord setting off the American Revolution, Prudence Wright organized the women of her town of Pepperell, Massachusetts to waylay couriers taking plans to the British. Dressed in their husband's clothing and armed with pitchforks, the women surprised the men. To Prudence's dismay one of the couriers was her own
brother. Betty Zane was only sixteen in 1782 when she fought with only a few dozen other settlers to defend Fort Henry, a frontier village in what is now West
Virginia.
The British and their Native American allies would have won the conflict if Betty had not run across the battlefield and retrieved much needed gunpowder from a nearby cabin.
When she ran back across the field arrows and shots flew past her, some ripping through her petticoat. She safely slid through the doors of the fort making possible a win for the Americans in one of the last battles of the American
Revolution. I found myself wondering about the feelings of the women I was researching. Sixteen year old Sybil Ludington rode forty miles on a horse in the dead of night. What was she thinking about? Was she scared?
I was frustrated
by the lack of information about her and many others but no less curious. I wanted to know more about what prompted Lydia Darragh to walk miles to warn George Washington of an impending attack without telling anyone, including her husband.
As I remarked to a friend, I felt as though I was living with twenty plus roommates. I was as involved in their lives as in the lives of people I actually know. In the months since I finished the
book I find myself missing the women and searching for ways to visit them again.
Thank you, Susan! I enjoyed reading your book, and I appreciate you taking the time to join us today.
Fantastic news for Pure Grit this week! The book has been nominated for
the 2015 Washington State Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award, young adult category. I'm really excited and honored my book is a finalist along with Between Two Worlds by Katherine Kirkpatrick, Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo, and The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton.
The Washington State Book Awards is a literary awards program presented annually
in recognition of notable books written by Washington authors in the previous year.
The program was established in 1967 as the Governor's Writers Awards. Each year, up to ten outstanding books of any genre, which have been written by Washington authors in the previous year are recognized with awards based on literary merit, lasting importance, and overall quality of the publication.
You can see all the nominated books here.... The winning prizes will be awarded October 10th at the Seattle Public Library. Wish me luck! |
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