I’ve just completed a second novel. This one is historical fiction, titled Thomas and Jane, (or possibly The Puritans’ Children.) It’s about two people born at the very start of the American Revolution.
My two main characters are my own great-great-great-great grandparents. I was able to use family papers at Harvard, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Morgan Library and the Phillips Library to stick pretty closely to their actual lives and times.
Thomas was the first in his staunchly Puritan family to venture into the world of business. He made a fortune as a smart maritime trader on the Boston waterfront. Jane abandoned small-town life in Hingham, Mass., to marry him and become a force in Boston’s cultural circles.
Their lives were not peaceful. The fight between Federalists and Republicans tore up Jane’s family church. President Jefferson’s shipping embargo nearly bankrupted Thomas. His engagement in the opium trade was a source of conflict. And when Boston’s newer merchant aristocracy moved into cotton manufacturing, and their son married into an abolitionist family, the couple had to take sides in the city’s ferocious conflict around slavery.
Through it all, miraculously, they raised six children to adulthood, and created something of a Boston dynasty.
The more I learned of that period of time between the American Revolution and the Civil War, the richer and more complex it became.
I’m in search of a publisher. Meanwhile, read the opening chapter on the “Long Form Fiction” tab. You can also order a copy of my earlier novel there.
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I really enjoyed the Thomas and Jane excerpt. It’s vivid description put me right into the young boys shoes. Looking forward to more of the story
Thank you, Fran.
I can’t wait to read “Thomas and Jane!”
Your description of a six-year-old in church is crystal clear, and I am already afraid of his step-other.
So so exciting! Crossing our fingers for a publisher!!
I agree with Maisie, “Coming soon, I hope”! The book sounds fascinating, both the topic and Maisie’s 21st century spin on her own family’s history, religion, slavery,etc!
Cant wait to read it!!!
Can’t wait to read it
Oblrgada!
Er, Obrigada
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first chapter and can’t wait to read more! It’s beautifully written. Your descriptive language paints a clear picture in my mind. I’m anxious to learn where the little tea cup will end up and if it will be found again – you have left me wanting more. Bravo!!!
Thank you Jane! You are, of course, a namesake of the Jane in the story.
I vote for “Thomas and Jane” as a title. “The Puritans’ Children” gives too much information, and not enough. Also, it doesn’t make it clear that it’s about a couple. Although I can see why you want to come up with something a little more snazzy, that’s the strength of “Thomas and Jane.” So it’s the better of two options — so far!
Thanks on the vote. I have always called it Thomas and Jane, but as you say, I thought I needed some snazz.
Wonderful first chapter! Of course I enjoyed the musical references: octave, tempo and trumpet. I know that music will appear again in the book and I can’t wait to see how you described it. Good Luck!!
Martha Siegel
Yep, music recurs, and thanks to you it should be historically appropriate!
Wonderful first chapter! Of course I enjoyed the musical references: octave, tempo and trumpet. I know that music will appear again in the book and I can’t wait to see how you described it. Good Luck!!
Martha Siegel
I confess I was drawn to temptation and read the first chapter, which is wonderfully tantalizing. I have sinned. And I want to sin more. How wonderful to draw upon family research for the characters and plot, and I look forward to reading the finished novel. Hannah’s Flight is a terrific, fascinating thrill, so I expect at least as much from this novel.
I love this opening. The characters are realistic and intriguing; the descriptions are beautifully wrought,
and the set up intriguing. I am really looking forward to the book.
I am a reader. I believe that together fiction and nonfiction make us more human. Nevertheless, as an avid reader I have my preferences. Maisie McAdoo has hit on one of my favorite genres. I enjoy the historical novel because it sets a human within the context of the person’s life and times. It is the interplay of context with characterization that enthralls and edifies. Our author sparks both of these emotional flights. Men and women make history but not in the way they wish. The richness of the historical novel reminds us that life is something that happens when we are making other plans. The first chapter of Thomas and Jane perhaps titillates too much because it will make the wait for the completed novel delicious but gnawingly anxious.
Meeting Angel’s standards is high praise indeed. He is one of the best readers and thinkers I know. Thank you, Angel, and may your good wishes land me in the stable of a wonderful and savvy literary agency! Abrazos!
can’t wait to read more! keep us posted when we can buy the new book.
I am in aw of your ability to bring the reader into this rich moment in history. Your bringing attention to the family and its struggles in a way that reminds all of life’s lack of a clear path. Delivering this in a deliciously written way by an exceptionally talented writer make me want more. John W Everets
Thank you, Cuz. It was indeed a rich moment in history. I hadn’t realized how rich until I dug into it. And it was partly your doing that I dug into it, because you flagged Thomas as one of the most interesting of the ancestors. I believe you were right.
Wow Maisie, amazing and I loved reading about our relatives. You have made them come alive and I’m very excited about the book.
Great story–I can’t wait to read more!
From your lips to the goddess’s ears, Nancy.
Dear cousin! I’m thrilled by the thought of reading it all!
Linn
So…when do we get to read chapter 2??? Cant wait.
Congratulations!
Your first chapter has set the stage for a great story…looking forward to diving back in when the next ones are available. So grateful for your diligent pursuit of your family’s history and your willingness to share…
All the best!
Paul
Dear Maisie,
I loved reading about but the shipping and merchandise trade at the time, and picturing life on the Boston wharves – one of my favorite places to go now in the 21st century.
-Julie
They are steeped in history, for sure.