An excerpt from Chapter 2 of The Unmarriable Kind by Melina Druga “You wish to speak to me, sir?” Pen in hand, Steward sat behind his neatly organized desk and glanced up when he heard her voice. “Yes, I do,” he said, setting his pen on the stand beside the inkwell. Lucretia…
An excerpt from Chapter 5 from Rose’s Assignment by Melina Druga “Hello, Mama,” Rose said, maneuvering up the aisle trying to prevent her voluminous dress from injuring the tender plants. Her mother looked up from her work and turned toward the voice. “Rose. It’s a Monday. What do you want?” Rose stopped walking…
An excerpt from Chapter 3 from Journey of Hope by Melina Druga Lavinia Fox Winthrop’s shriveled and cracked hands appeared two decades older than the rest of her 42 years. While the skin on her face still appeared youthful, though tired, her hands betrayed a lifetime of drudgery. Claire eyed her mother and wondered if…
An excerpt from Chapter 18 from Adjustment Year by Melina Druga Why were Jacob and Nathaniel never subjected to these dinners? Oh, wait, I know why. It’s because they didn’t leave home. These dinners were Alfred’s punishment for disobeying his parents. No, not punishment, torture. Torture by in-laws should be forbidden in the Geneva Convention.…
An excerpt from Solving One Problem Causes Another from Those Left Behind by Melina Druga The sound of crying startled Ida from a deep sleep. At first, it felt like a dream, but then she heard it again. Mothers’ intuition told her it was one of the girls, but when she rolled over to get…
An excerpt from the murder of Ella and John Coppersmith from Heinous: Forgotten Murders From the 1910s by Melina Druga Russell Pethrick, a 22-year-old grocery delivery boy, was one of the suspects police interrogated and quickly released because they lacked evidence. During his interrogation, police showed Pethrick a series of photographs and to see if…
An excerpt from Chapter 3 of Angel of Mercy by Melina Druga Geoffrey was, if nothing else, predictable and reliable. Today’s dinner, like every other dinner since their marriage, followed the same pattern. Geoffrey recapped his day with statements Hettie almost could quote verbatim. First he complained about the dullness of his duties and the…
An excerpt from A Tale of Two Nations: Canada, U.S. and WWI by Melina Druga World War I, like most wars, was started by politicians and fought by ordinary men who generally had no stake in the conflict. They fought because of patriotic fervor or a sense of adventure, and millions lost their lives as…
An excerpt from 1918 by Melina Druga The news was met with unbridled joy in North America with spontaneous celebrations breaking out in communities small and large. In Ottawa, the first Canadian city to receive the news, wireless operators feverishly telegraphed the news to other parts of the dominion. The church bells, factory whistles,…
An excerpt from 1917 by Melina Druga Patriotic zeal gripped the U.S. Frederick Summer Boyd, an Englishman in New York City, was pelted with salad and mayonnaise at a restaurant for refusing to stand when the orchestra played “The Star Spangled Banner.” He was dining with Jessie Ashley, a suffragist and attorney who had…
An excerpt from 1916 by Melina Druga On Election Day in the United States, Nov. 7, both Democrats and Republicans were confident of victory. Wilson was in Princeton, New Jersey, staying at his home, Shadow Lawn, and Hughes was in New York City, staying at the hotel serving as his campaign headquarters. Hughes would vote…
An excerpt from 1915 by Melina Druga Remembering the Dead By April 27, the troops were relieved and sent behind the line where they were expected to be given up to two weeks of rest. A report the next day, however, contradicted this. It stated the Canadians were still fiercely fighting along a five-mile…
