Today I’m delighted to have my friend Cindy Thomson join me. Cindy has been a good friend to me. Here’s one example. When I wrote A Promise Forged, I had to write baseball scenes since the book is set in the All American Girls Professional Softball League. Have I ever mentioned that I really don’t like baseball? Well, Cindy loves it and has written baseball books, so she very graciously offered to read my baseball scenes. She recently had a historical novel release, and I asked her if she would come share some of the story behind the story. I love Cindy and her story so much, I’m buying a copy to giveaway to one person. Read to the end to find out how to be entered. Here’s Cindy!
Five Things You Should Know About Ellis Island
I set my new novel during the Ellis Island era not only because the early 1900s were a fascinating time of contrast between rich and poor, corruption and moral reform, new inventions and old world traditions, but also because so many of us have ancestors whose life experiences during that time contributed to who we are today. Nearly half of all Americans have ancestors who came through Ellis Island.
Ellis Island was more than just an immigration station. Here are few things I believe all Americans should know.
- For those who came through Ellis Island, it was the passageway to freedom and hope for a better life. For many life in their homeland was difficult, even dangerous. Some people came to escape the Potato Famine in Ireland. Some came because their families did not have enough land to farm for the younger generations. Some came because there were no jobs, no husbands, no opportunity to improve one’s own station or status in their community. In Grace’s Pictures, Grace McCaffery had no future but the workhouse, which was a horrible place to be. I blogged about those workhouses/poorhouses here.
- Contrary to some of the stories out there, Ellis Island was not a horrible place. Only a small percentage got sent back home. It did happen, and there are heartbreaking stories to be sure, but on the whole the officials tried to treat the immigrants with respect and meet their needs. That’s why there were hospitals and accommodations that were vastly improved over the the ship steerage, and probably much better than where they were headed in the tenements. Those who were not released immediately were fed and many immigrants experienced foods they’d never tasted before like bananas, for instance. There is a famous story about a woman who ate the entire thing because she didn’t know she was supposed to peel it!
- Ellis Island employed a large number of workers, but not an official photographer. You might wonder why there are so many incredible photographs out there of Ellis Island immigrants. Most were taken by Augustus Sherman, a registry clerk. This historical figure appears in Grace’s Pictures. Mr. Sherman had his own camera and wanted to capture the faces and native costumes of the immigrants before they became Americanized. Some even changed out of their native dress in Battery Park where relatives already living in America brought them clothes so they wouldn’t stand out as newly arrived and naive. I blogged about Augustus Sherman here.
- During the busiest years on Ellis Island, many Americans saw immigration as a problem, even those who had immigrated themselves earlier. They thought the new arrivals would take their jobs, tax government services, bring more crime. All of these things are still debated today. I’m not saying which side to take, but just noting that history repeats itself.
- The Ellis Island Immigration Museum is still not open after Super Storm Sandy. This makes me very sad. I was enthralled when I was there, and can’t wait for an opportunity to go back. I think every American should visit whether they have ancestors who came through or not because it’s a part of all of us. The Statue of Liberty will be open July 4, which is wonderful news. Both these National Parks need supporting. Consider making a donation.
About Grace’s Pictures
Grace McCaffery hopes the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader.
A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness. Learn more and order.
 Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series. Cindy is also the author of Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland. She combined her love of history and baseball to co-author the biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story, which was a finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research’s Larry Ritter Book Award. In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio. Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com.
Comments 34
Sounds like a very interesting story. Thanks for the opportunity to try to win a copy.
Ok, just saw what I was supposed to comment about! I watched the video and I think the book will be interesting on many levels. First, I have always been interested in photography (and yes, I have used a brownie camera, one that belonged to my mother). I practiced with it when I was a child out in our backyard and actually got a few good pictures of our dog. You also mentioned police corruption back then. Interesting to see how that plays out in the book.
Thanks, Brittany. Loved to hear that you used a Brownie!
Author
There’s something special about capturing a photo that’s just right. I love it!
The book sounds wonderful and the cover is gorgeous! Thanks for introducing me to a new author and for the giveaway, too.
I’m interested in all kinds of history, including early photography. I’d heard of the brownie cameras, but this is the first time I’ve seen one. Even so, what intrigues me most about Grace’s Pictures is the contrast between rich and poor during this time. Thanks for the giveaway!
Grace’s Pictures seems very interesting to me because I myself am Irish and I love geneology. In fact, my great-great grandfather came to America from Ireland.
I am so very interested in reading your book! I haven’t read any you have written yet, but I plan to now. I love doing genealogy research on my family. I am from mainly Scottish/Irish descent and I love hearing the stories of what it was like when my ancestors lived. I love getting a feel for what it was like for them. I have not yet been able to trace back to when we arrived here, but hopefully soon I will!
Growing up I remember seeing my mom’s old Brownie camera, but hers was more from probably the 30’s. I don’t remember using it though.
Author
How cool that your mom had a Brownie!
Thanks for sharing! My daughter and I love to read historical fiction. We can’t wait to read this one!
What intrigues me most is the gang involvement and police corruption – and how it all intertwines with the infamous photo that the gang thinks she took!
Author
The gang and police corruption adds a twist!
I think it’s interesting how she takes pictures and gets entangled with a gang. I love stories about immigrants!!
It’s a story of a Irish immigrant and I was an art and photography major in college. Both interesting to me.
This book sounds so good. Ive recently found I enjoy learning about Ellis Island and all the history that it encompasses. I’m most interested to learn about the pics she takes and the story around her mother’s emigration or lack thereof. I’m excited and grateful for a chance to win this book!
Author
I’ll admit it’s one part of our history I don’t know a lot about. I do find it intriguing!
I like reading about this time period and I love to take pictures, so we have something in common there. I had a brownie camera when I was little but it didn’t look anything like the one Grace used. This sounds like a great book.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
Author
In the book I have coming out early next year the heroine is a photojournalist. My husband went on ebay and bought two of the cameras for me. It was great to get to play with them as I was trying to describe what she would do.
Thanks for the giveaway. I really enjoy photography and also enjoy reading about this time period. I watched the video and what intrigues me the most is the contrast between rich and poor in Grace’s pictures.
Author
That contrast is pretty stark, isn’t it.
Thanks, everyone. So happy to hear of your interest. The Brownie cameras were made for decades, so you may have seen one that doesn’t look like the one on the cover. They all operated basically the same way. You look down through the viewfinder, like Grace is doing on the cover, and click the shutter on the side of the box. Pretty simple!
Author
Thanks for stopping by, Cindy!
To come to such a large city by herself must have been bery hard. Grace’s experiences on her own must have been very difficult.
Author
It’s hard to imagine isn’t it? Coming all the way to a new country by yourself? Wow!
I think the history and the photography intrigue me. Thank you for the chance to win this book.
griperang at embarqmail dot com
Author
I agree those are great elements.
I love to take pictures and the camera and taking pictures during that time period interest me.
The combination of the time period, Ellis Island, early photography (SO different from digital now!), gangs and police corruption sounds intriguing! Cindy’s a new author to me… but one I definitely want to check out!
I always enjoy a storyline that takes you to another time and also gives you a sense of the history and culture of that period. Thank you for this giveaway!
I love history, particularly 1800’s. My mom had a brownie camera but I never used it myself. Can’t wait to read your book. Thanks for having this contest
After watching the video, I’m really interested in picking this book up to read! The fact that she has an Irish background is really intriguing to me since my ancestors are Irish….and I have the red hair to prove it. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
“Grace’s Pictures” sounds so exciting. Partially, because I love taking pictures & yes, when I first started taking pictures I used my parents brownie. Also, the time period and the history of the police department, intrigues me. Look forward to reading your book
Author
It’s so fun to see how many of you have seen or used brownie cameras!
Whenever I see pictures of Ellis Island, I think of the many people who came to America and the life they left behind and the life they came to. It sets my imagination into gear.