A story written by one of my mom’s ancestors, James Ohio Pattie, played an important role in my first novel, West Against the Wind. My mom’s great-uncle Chuck Bray, hearing of my research into American pioneer history, sent me a copy of Pattie’s book, The Personal Narrative of James Ohio Pattie: The Adventures of a Young Man in the Southwest and California in the 1830s (the University of California Libraries has made the book available online through archive.org).

Pattie and his father, Sylvester, were fur traders and explorers before the opening of the Oregon Trail and the later stampedes of the California Gold Rush. When James returned to Missouri, he described his travels in a wilderness that was completely unfamiliar to most white Americans. According to Pattie’s account, he was the hero of every expedition, the savvy pathfinder when they were lost, the brave hunter who saved their party from a grizzly bear, and the keen-eyed miner who discovered a rich vein of copper in the mountains.

In spite of these obvious exaggerations, and my distaste over Pattie’s racist treatment of native people, his detailed descriptions of the west—written before photography was available—helped me to recreate the actual settings, wildlife, and physical challenges my characters encountered on the journey.

I even gave Pattie a cameo role as the crusty but friendly trapper who appears in West Against the Wind. He shares sound advice about the perilous ferry crossing ahead and recognizes my narrator’s resourcefulness as a trader.

(An amazing postscript to this story took place decades later. My husband and I were driving a scenic route from Tucson, Arizona to Mountainair, New Mexico, where our daughter-in-law was coring piňon pines for her doctoral research. We pulled over at a roadside attraction, and found ourselves on the precipice of a gargantuan copper mine. As I gaped at the size of the cratered landscape, John—who always reads historical markers—shouted: “Your ancestors were here!” I hurried over. To my astonishment, James Ohio Pattie and his father were memorialized on the sign, as the trappers who originally discovered the copper—just as Pattie had claimed. It’s hard to describe the mix of emotions I felt: despair and shame over the egregious mistreatment of the Apache and other tribal groups in the area; heartbreak over the rape of the landscape—combined with the stunned realization that my ancestor’s dramatic tale may have held more truth than I realized.)

To return to my mom’s family: by the time she was nineteen, my mom had lost her adored father and all four grandparents. But Mom brought our grandfather to life through stories focused on his sense of humor. She told us how he teased Weezie, our grandmother, by putting coat buttons in the collection plate at church, and how the neighbors loved his homemade bathtub gin.

We spent most summers with Weezie at her Vermont home. Though she insisted on high standards for us, she was famous for dancing on tables at parties during the Roaring Twenties. We even had a picture of her, dancing the Charleston in her flapper dress, with wineglasses at her feet. That photo, along with Weezie’s second marriage to my Grandpa Gil—which took place during a hurricane in Vermont—inspired my middle grade novel, Dancing on the Table.

On my dad’s side, I was lucky to know my grandfather, George Ketchum, for many years. He loved history in general, and also enjoyed sharing family history. He captivated us with stories about his peripatetic, hardscrabble upbringing. He told us that he was working as a court stenographer when he was “barely out of short pants”. A fine writer, he recounted his early years in an inspiring, personal memoir, “So When They Ask Me.” Though I haven’t drawn on Grandpa’s life directly, young characters in my stories often have jobs, such as selling newspapers (Amelia in Newsgirl), helping with sheep shearing (Gabriel in The Ghost of Lost Island) or working in a pizza parlor (Brandon in Out of Left Field).

My grandfather’s eccentric brother, Carlton, delegated himself the family historian. I treasure his cramped, handwritten letters, sharing details of our Randolph, Vermont ancestors. When Uncle Carlton learned I was writing historical fiction, he insisted that I had to tell the story of our Griswold ancestors: Joseph, a farmer, and his Pequot wife Margery, a midwife and healer. They settled in Randolph at the time of the American Revolution. Carlton sent me an article about this couple, as well as newspaper clippings about their life together. Those letters and articles sat in my “Idea File” for twenty years, until the Mashantucket Pequot Museum opened and I decided I could fictionalize their story. Where the Great Hawk Flies was the result. I’m only sorry that Uncle Carlton didn’t live to read the story that his demands inspired.

I’m lucky that I could draw on rich family resources for my fiction. Now I think about the stories I’ve passed on to my own children and grandchildren. Which ones will they remember? And why?

Their collection of books on Western history has been particularly helpful. When I was working on The Gold Rush, a companion book to the Stephen Ives/Ken Burns PBS series, The West, I came across a first edition of J.D. Borthwick’s amazing book, Three Years in California. Like many of the thousands who traveled to California in search of instant wealth, Borthwick—a talented artist from Scotland—discovered that it was easier to earn money serving the miners rather than to join them in the arduous search for gold.

Faro by J.D. Borthwick, 1851

In the 1850s, photography was in its early stages, so Borthwick drew pictures of miners at work and play, and sold the pen and ink drawings to his subjects. Eight of these wonderful portraits appeared in his book, giving me a realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the miners. Thanks to the Athenaeum’s help, I was able to use a couple of his drawings in my own book. 

I am pleased that the library has included me among their Athenaeum Authors. Here’s the article on their website:

Because “O-Cab” was acquired at the July 31 trade deadline from Montreal, few cards from that year depict him in a Red Sox uniform. This Topps “Heritage” set was modeled after 1955 Bowmans, which honored the then-new “Color TV.”

Orlando “O-Cab” Cabrera had the huge task of replacing fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra at shortstop.

His stellar efforts included 17 post-season hits and 11 RBI.

Tributes from Red Sox fans flowed after after Cabrera’s 2011 retirement.

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The Red Sox are the only pro team to sponsor a yearly literary series, entitled “The Great Fenway Park Writers Series.” Flavin and his new book received July honors. Learn more about the series at the event website. Speaking of Series, admire the World Series ring on the hand of the PA announcer/poet. (Photo courtesy of Julie Cordero, staff photographer, Boston Red Sox.)

I’m not the only author who has written about the Red Sox.

Dick Flavin is the team’s poet laureate. The daytime PA announcer appeared on a popular radio program in April.

This month, his book comes out (Red Sox Rhymes: Curses and Verses).

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Back-up catcher Doug Mirabelli was the perfect team player for the Red Sox, doing anything needed — even welcoming ceremonial first-pitch participants to Fenway Park in 2002. By U.S. Navy photo by Journalist Seaman Joe Burgess. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

If baseball was basketball, stats might credit back-up catcher Doug Mirabelli with 12 assists for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield’s dozen wins in 2004.

As “Wake’s” personal catcher with over-sized mitt, he gave the hurler the perfect defensive partner. 

Sporting the “C” on his jersey, Jason Varitek led Boston’s 2004 rise. Googie man at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Catcher Jason Varitek was a field general in 2004, guiding a pitching staff.

On July 24 at Fenway Park, he proved to the Yankees and one Alex Rodriguez how far he’d go for a pitcher.

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In 2006, Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky displayed his team pride via his World Series ring. By Hackhix (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Boston players played for “a ring” in 2004.

And what a ring they earned! Their World Series ring read on one side: “Greatest Comeback in History.”

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Manny Ramirez, who provided an all-star homer, gets the all-star treatment at the 2004 World Series victory parade. By Schmiddy at en.wikipedia (Uploaded to the English Wikipedia by the author.) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Manny Ramirez was the sole Red Sox starter on the 2004 All-Star team.

However, Manny and David Ortiz contributed key homers that guaranteed Boston home field advantage for the World Series.

Here are all the stats you’d ever need to relive that night. 

The mysterious Manny Ramirez, circa 2008. By Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The words “Manny being Manny” are part of my book Out of Left Field.

They’re being spoken more than a decade later, repeated by Hall of Fame teammate Pedro Martinez.

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Dave Roberts wore a different team cap during the 2010 off-season: the U.S. Navy’s. He toured the USS Carl Vinson as a Padres coach. By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Travis K. Mendoza (http://www.flickr.com/photos/compacflt/5260980927/) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

More Boston news outlets than California media jumped on the story when former Red Sox speedster Dave Roberts (briefly) was named interim manager of the Padres.

It seems those reporters haven’t forgotten “The Steal” from 2004, either. 

My husband and I were lucky to attend the Sox/Giants game, the summer after the World Series, which marked Roberts’ first return to Fenway Park. The crowd went wild when he came up to bat and gave him a standing ovation, even though he was now playing for the other team.

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