Bringing Hidden History to Light
By L.A. Chandlar
I love bringing readers little pieces of history that aren’t in the history books. Finding those important bits that give you the feel of an era, and showing all that was going on at the same time. We tend to learn history in pockets. My favorite part of hidden history in THE GOLD PAWN, is the ride on the Hindenberg. I found a journalist’s eye-witness account of the ride he took in 1936 with all the details I mention. We tend to only learn about the big crash in May of 1937, as if it only had one ride. But before then, the Hindenberg was tooling back and forth across the Atlantic quite frequently and was a regular sight in the New York City skies.
One of the ways I add in real history is by meeting with people who were around in that era. One of the most delightful tidbits is the little girl who wins an award from Fiorello La Guardia for her article on fire prevention. She really did! Ann Therese Higgins is the late mother of a dear friend of mind. I’d heard about her award and gave her a call to hear more. I was going to just mention the award as another way to show how Fio really invested in the people of his city, especially the underdogs. But Ann was so wonderful and funny on our interview, I decided I had to have little Ann meet Lane and have pretty much the exact talk that I had with her on the phone. She was a hoot! Sadly, Ann passed away this summer. She really touched my heart, and I am so honored to be able to share a little part of her plucky character.
The hidden part of Detroit in THE GOLD PAWN, is the zesty spunk of the town back then. I love to have my mysteries take place mainly in New York, but add fun side trips that are a crucial part of the mystery. In book 3, THE PEARL DAGGER, coming out in 2019, I take the crew to London. For this book, they get to go to Detroit. One of the hidden aspects is the vitality of Detroit in the Thirties. The manufacturing abilities of that city were skyrocketing and people flooded in for those jobs. If you had any new innovation, Detroit was where you went to build it. It was a vibrant city of dreams.
My favorite part of this hidden idea, is introducing Matilda Wilson, the Dodge heir. I love her! I always adored Meadowbrook Hall, a piece of European style and grace right in our little part of the world. But I also have a tender spot for Matilda herself. She was a strong, smart woman in an era that was all about the men. She managed a bank, decided not to sell her inheritance of Dodge at the untimely death of her husband, but waited and nearly tripled her take when she did sell the company.
And oh, Meadowbrook Hall! We still go there frequently for dinners the golf club and tours of the gorgeous hall. All of the tidbits of art and details of the grand estate home are as exact as I could be. Christmastime there is absolutely magical.
These are just a few of the amazing pieces of history that are an absolute joy to write about. I hope they bring you great delight.
(Possible pics: Hindenberg over NYC, Fiorello on radio)
Kensington and L A Chandlar have special thank you gift to anyone who pre-orders THE GOLD PAWN and registers here>>>http://sites.
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