Blog - Karen A. Chase

How to Research Women Like a Historical Novelist

April 28, 2020 By Karen A. Chase

Over the last couple of weeks, I conducted two live webinars on the topic of researching female historical figures or ancestors using some of my own organization and exploration methods—those of a historical novelist.

In total, over 535 people registered for the webinars, and a great portion of them are now out there thinking about their endeavors a little differently. They’re not researchers or genealogists. They’re storytellers.

Why researchers need to think like novelists?

Gathering dates about a person’s life ignores (and worse, buries) the impact of that life. Think of your own history. If I only knew family tree facts about you—the dates and locations of birth, death, and marriage for your family, children, and in-laws… Well, how much would I really understand about your life story?

I’d be ignoring your education, career, your neighbors and friends, your book clubs, adventures, influences, hopes, disappointments, and all your small and significant milestones. I’d also be unable to determine your contributions, if any, to our greater American story.

Why details in women’s stories matters.

Gathering only dates about female ancestors—or “Patriots” as they are known in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)—perpetuates a major problem in our educational system; the women are not being shown as integral to American history in proportion to their contributions and achievements.

By gathering only genealogical details, researchers like Margot Shetterly would not have unearthed the hidden figures in our history. Margot’s deeper exploration helped us learn about all those women, like mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped humans go to the moon.

American history is a human story.

It’s easy when there are over 900 biographies of George Washington, to think that American history was primarily made by men. Thankfully, a few of those biographies are written by women (thank you, Alexis Coe), but casting blame as to why women’s contributions are only a small portion of our collective American history, isn’t going to change it. We must change it.

Your mission is to become storytellers.

We must look at American history as human, and to do that more women need to become storytellers who can balance the history by showing us the other gender.

Together, along with 185,000 DAR members doing the same, we can show future generations how women—both famous and ordinary—contributed in extraordinary ways to our American history.

How to conduct and organize research.

Okay, but how do you become a storyteller? Like a novelist, you need to expand your subject’s network, and then you need to better catalog your own researcher’s network.

My video and links below will help you come to understand these two areas. This is the full webinar, free to watch. Included below are links the notes and the networking charts explained in the webinar.

Watch. Share this post.

Together we women can rise and shine the light on women’s history.

Download RESEARCH PRESENTATION NOTES here.

Download the SUBJECT’S & RESEARCHER’S NETWORKING CHARTS here.

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GET THE NOVEL: If the webinar content impacts your thinking, I hope you’ll order a copy of Carrying Independence to show your support for such presentations, and to see my research suggestions in action. Print & Ebook retailers, and excerpts can be found at: CarryingIndependence.com.

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A big thank you to Amy Garelick of PowerUp Video for assisting with the video editing. She’s also provides video event production and assistance.

For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

Behind the Scenes: Historical versus Fictional Characters

April 9, 2020 By Karen A. Chase

In a previous post, I gave you an inside peek into my character development worksheets via my supporting character, Arthur.

Today, let’s talk about the number of characters—both fictional and real—that go into the making of historical novels.

Although very few of us are getting together with people right now, bringing people together is exactly what needs to happen in fiction. By that, I don’t mean the story has to bring people physically together. I mean that your protagonist has to interact emotionally, physically, or psychologically with others. A person’s engagement or separation from other humans in their lives is part of the catalyst for growth.

How Many Characters is Enough?

Years ago, I read an article that suggested some of the better works of adult fiction have upwards of twenty characters. (Anne of Green Gables, a young adult novel, has 9 characters. Outlander has at least 15.)

To create even one fictional character results in creating that character’s entire world—family, friends, acquaintances, and maybe even his enemy or enemies.

To put it another way, think of your own world. How many people do you come into contact with, or that influence the story of your life, in a normal day, week, month, or year?

A PDF of a full list of characters from my recent novel, Carrying Independence, is here, along with hotlinks for every real figure.

TheCharacters_FictionalReal_KarenAChase Download

Let me explain how my own character list came to be so robust (read on for the numbers —even Ben Franklin in that image above is rolling his eyes at me, I think.)

How to Determine Character Roles

I am a movie nut, and often my fiction is structured (in my head at least) like a movie script—scene-by-scene. So I look at my characters like my cast, and assign them into Oscar-like categories:

Who were my leads? Who was in a supporting role? Which figures would have bit parts or non-speaking roles? Additionally, I noted who was real, and who needed to be invented by me.

For my one main protagonist, Nathaniel, and the four main voices prevailing throughout Carrying Independence, my fictional character list was a whopping 44 (if you include the two ships and a horse).

Including Historical Figures in Fiction

There are authors, like Jeff Shaara, who construct fiction almost entirely out of historical figures and real events. For my own novel, the story focuses on one full year of the American Revolution, so I had to first determine the historical events my fictional characters would take part in. Then I began the daunting (yet fun) task of listing and researching every real person they’d encounter.

Keep in mind, not every historical figure speaks or is “on camera.” There are figures my characters talk about who would never actually appear. They still must be researched to ensure the context or mentioning them is appropriate.

The total of historical figures appearing or referenced in the novel… brace yourself… 51. Woah. That means there are a total of 95 people with major or minor roles, or talked about in one historical novel. Holy cow.

Story & Theme Before Characters

Despite those very high numbers of characters, historical novelists (or any novelist for that matter) must keep this in mind:

The two major factors in considering characters: One, if the character—real or otherwise—doesn’t advance the story, they can’t stay. Two, if a character complicates but doesn’t deepen the understanding of the main character or the author’s theme, they gotta go.

You never want to cause the reader to wonder why a character exists, or they’ll wander out of the story world you’ve created.

So, authors and readers out there, how many characters are in your favorite story?

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Reader Insights: Even my horse, Bayard, is based on a historical figure—a legendary horse at that. Find out about the Carrying Independence is available as an ebook and also in print.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

Reading in Isolation for Perspective, Part One

April 4, 2020 By Karen A. Chase

So many of us are reading books during this time of isolation and concern, many of which allow us to escape. Sometimes, however, reading about others coping with their own imposed isolation can help us gain perspective. This is especially true when either the character’s situation might be more perilous, or their outlook in spite of that situation is insightful. This affords us a chance to more deeply develop our own character.

Here are few options based on books read in my home or through my book club. If you’re living with someone, reading aloud will take longer and allow you to discuss the book as you go. The books are not new releases so you might get them used on ABEBooks or as e-book rentals from libraries. Links to purchase all of the recommendations are also here on my BookShop list, Karen’s Reads & Book Club Picks.

Karen’s Four Fiction Reads

A Gentlemen in Moscow by Amor Towles

In this historical novel, Count Rostov has been sentenced to live his life in the Metropol Hotel in Russia, post-Bolshevik Revolution. The writing is beyond lovely, and the ingenuity and grace with which the main character chooses to live is superb. These days, I find myself asking, “What would Count Rostov do?” The author’s gorgeous website is worth getting lost in. …Buy the book.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

You’ll face the realities of a dystopian future (or what might feel like your present) head on in this science fiction work that’s become a cult classic. Living inside a virtual world, Wade has to learn to rely on himself, but ultimately discovers what is best about the world. People coming together. Great for kids, but Gen X-ers like me who lived the 80s will love it. (There’s a movie, too.) …Buy the book.

The Chef’s Apprentice by Elle Newmark

“In a world of violence and intrigue, who guards the truth?” What if your isolation was because of what you knew, and that knowledge was what everyone wanted? Here, that knowledge is the alchemy for long life. I loved this book not just for the writing and the young protagonist, who is assistant to the chef for the Doge of Venice, but for the delightful food. You’ll never cut an onion without awe again, and you’ll make cheesecake as if for the first time. …Buy the Book.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Never mind being stuck at home, imagine being trapped in one parallel universe after another. It’ll take so much brain power to wrap your head around how dark matter works or doesn’t (plus you’ll watch a Schrödinger’s Cat video about quantum mechanics), that the hours will fly. My dreams were WILD while Jason navigated a world that was not his own while traversing other parallel worlds literally of his own making. Mind blowing. …Buy the book.

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Reader Insights: I enjoy giving my characters books to read, too. My protagonist, Nathaniel, is gifted a copy of Gulliver’s Travels, which was published 50 years before he receives it in 1776. Nathaniel reads the book aloud with Captain Blythe in the scene right before this excerpt on my website. Nathaniel alone carries the sole copy of the Declaration of Independence in Carrying Independence, available as an ebook and in print.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

Behind the Scenes: Character Building

March 31, 2020 By Karen A. Chase

With so many authors now stuck at home, and readers seeking solace in books, I thought it might be fun to give a behind-the-scenes peek into the making of my Revolutionary novel, Carrying Independence. Today, character building.

Character Building for Plotters

Every author has a different method for writing. Some are “pantsers”—those who write by the seat of their pants, building plot, story, and characters on the fly while writing. I am decidedly not one of those writers.

I’m a planner, happily living in that category of writers called, “plotters.” I rough out the plot of a story from beginning to end before I start writing, and adjust as necessary as I research and write. And when it comes to characters, I’ve a worksheet I use.

Character Development Worksheets

Most of my worksheet is unoriginal. Over the years, I read a variety of blogs, books, recommendations, and writing resources, and gathered together what I felt best suited the way I write and think about characters.

Why fill out a worksheet? Written down, I have guidelines to help ensure my characters stay true and grow as they’re supposed to. Then they look, sound, act, or think like themselves and not like everyone else.

Below is a breakdown of my two-page worksheet. The accompanying images are from the bio I created for my supporting character, Arthur Bowman. You’ll learn much about him from the worksheets. (Note: Grammar and spelling aren’t important in worksheets. These notes are just for the author and perhaps their editor, so please forgive any tiny little errors).

Page One, Basic Character Info

This page has name, age, basic story line, and relationship to main character. At the bottom are bullet-point characteristics. After I’ve written some of the character, I go back in and add a quote from them that I feel captures the person or their thinking.

This page also includes photos of actors I envision for the role. Yes, looking through Google Images and IMDB.com can take an inordinate amount of time, but I find it does help me write the physical traits of a character. (Plus it is SO fun, and every author optimistically daydreams about who would play roles when our books are adapted to film.)

Page Two, The Character’s Story Points

We all want something. Abstractly, we might want love. Concretely, we might want to marry the hottie who lives on the corner. Through a series of questions, I determine what it is my character wants, what they learn along the way, and what prevents them from getting what they wanted. (Characters can’t simply get what they originally wanted at the beginning of a story or they won’t grow enough… but that’s another post in itself.)

Bonus Material for Character Development

For some characters, I might need more detail to keep me on track. This bonus material might be historical information related to the character, like names of places, maps, or images of things they carry. Sometimes it’s their story line written from their point of view in just a paragraph or two. Or, as in Arthur’s bio, it has notes of characters from movies or literature that I hope this character embodies. This section is usually more robust for my main protagonist and antagonist.

Character Bios Can Should Change

Without a doubt, character bios, like my entire plot, are adapted or updated as I work through rewrites. Certainly the time it takes a book to be produced alters these character worksheets, too. Nearly every actor or actress I initially picked outgrew the part I hoped they’d play… sigh. New experiences in my life also helped me deepen characters or their journey. Or as Arthur and his friends say, “On this journey, we each our own way go.”

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Reader Insights: You can read an excerpt of a scene at City Tavern with Arthur on my website. This scene is early on in the novel, and primarily between Nathaniel and his brother Peter. You’ll lift a pint with Arthur nearer the end, where you’ll see some of his earlier characteristics come out. Carrying Independence is available as an ebook and also in print.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

The American Revolution and the Shawnee at Fort Pitt, This Week in 1776

October 31, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

The Shawnee, Colonel Morgan, and the Treaty of 1776

Take a read through pretty much any high school history textbook, and you’ll find what I initially did about the Shawnee in 1776. They, like all Native Americans, were supposedly choosing sides between the Colonists and the British. Take a visit to many museums, like the Fort Pitt museum, and you’ll see over-told tales of the Shawnee capturing white settlers. Clearly they do not know about Colonel Morgan, Gregory Schaaf, or the treaty of 1776.

Who was Colonel Morgan?

Colonel Morgan was the Indian Commissioner for the Colonies in 1776. He was also good friend to the Delaware, the Iroquois, and he spoke a multitude of languages—so endeared was he to the Indians, that they gave him nicknames like “Council House” and “Brother Tamanend.” In the fall of 1776, he called a treaty of all Indian Nations to meet in Fort Pitt to discuss the issue at hand. Land.

The Native Americans Came to Fort Pitt in 1776 to Discuss Land Rights

The Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768 had drawn a dividing line down the middle of the land at Fort Pitt. The east belonged to the British and west of that line belonged to the Native Americans. When the colonists separated from Britain, that treaty went kaput, and the land was once again up for grabs. Additionally, the land hadn’t been yet surveyed that far west, so it wasn’t certain if Fort Pitt sat upon Pennsylvania or Virginia soil. And to make matters worse, George Washington himself was speculating on land—including about 1500 acres in and around Fort Pitt.

To the Shawnee, and many of the Indian nations, it was their sacred hunting ground. Just as it always had been. So over 650 Native Americans from more than six nations came to Fort Pitt to meet with Morgan, this last week of October, 1776. That included Netawatees, grandfather to the Delaware, who was nearing 100.

How Do We Know The First American-Indian Treaty was in 1776?

We can thank both Colonel Morgan and Gregory Schaaf. Schaaf was working on a dissertation back in the 1980s. He was convinced that there was more to this October 1776 treaty than had previously been discovered. I had seen only one line about it, and I hunted, too. I found Gregory Schaaf, and Gregory Schaaf had been persistent. After knocking on the door of several of Morgan’s descendants, one of them called him to say… wait for it… “here’s a packet of letters and documents I came across in an old chest.”

It included a 73-page journal written by Colonel Morgan, the Indian Agent who had invited everyone to Fort Pitt. An article in People Magazine, described Schaaf’s find as “The Mother Load.”

It was to me, too. The treaty, and the results from it, were described by Morgan. Schaaf transcribed the journal, added his interpretations, and I used it and other sources to frame the facts of the treaty in my historical novel.

So, What Was the Result of the Treaty of 1776?

Keep in mind that treaties like this were often discussions, from which written appeals or pleas were developed. Not always were lines drawn, and land divided. In this case, the Shawnee, along with the Iroquois, the Munsee, the Delawares, the Mohicans, and other nations, drew up a request for Congress, submitting a plea they hoped would resonate with the men who had drafted the Declaration of Independence. The Indians asked for a right to political sovereignty, to religious freedom, and a fair piece or payment for their tribal hunting grounds.

And in exchange for agreeing to stay out of the “White Man’s War”—choosing the side of neither the colonists nor the British—the Native Americans asked for just three rights in exchange. Three little ideals they knew the colonists would find familiar:

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

That puts our founding document in a new light now, doesn’t it? What a different world we would live in now if, back then, the ideals of one group had been expanded and designed to include the others.

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Reader Insights: To read more about the Treaty and what happened beyond 1776, stay tuned or pick up my novel, CARRYING INDEPENDENCE. I’m forever grateful to historians like Gregory Schaaf and Colin Calloway who helped me with my research, and who are striving to tell the Indian story faithfully in part by constantly seeking new information.

I think it’s also fair that Native Americans be given the opportunity and the means to tell their own stories. As such, a portion of the proceeds of my novel are being donated to the DAR American Indian Scholarship Fund. I hope you’ll donate, too.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

Traveling Light for Food

October 3, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Whenever I embark on a trip, like the one I’m about to take to Greece (more on that in another post), I look for tips on how to pack light but smart. Enter the traveler and author, Karen McCann, who recently traveled just for food! Don’t you love her for this idea alone? While she was just beginning her tour, she sent these notes along.

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A Guest Post by Author Karen McCann:

How to Pack for Four Months of Eating Mediterranean Comfort Food

“Four months on the road eating Mediterranean comfort food?” a friend asked, when she heard of my latest project as a travel writer: The Mediterranean Comfort Food Tour. “Do you expect to double your body weight?”

I certainly hope not. Many people assume that comfort food means a diet of French fries and ice cream, when in fact, a lot of the traditional recipes I’m exploring are actually quite healthy.

Starting the trip in Crete, I’ve been chowing down on fresh fish, artichokes, and snails. For the record, a portion of snails contains just 76 calories and one gram of fat, and when they’re cooked in olive oil and rosemary, they are spectacular. I can see why kohli bourbouristi has been a family favorite around here for generations.

Packing as a Semi-Minimalist

Packing for this trip, I followed my usual semi-minimalist approach. My luggage consists of one small roll-aboard suitcase and one shoulder purse, so I can get from town to town without much fuss.

A multi-pocket travel vest lets me keep my phone and wallet safely hidden away on my person, so I don’t have to be hyper-vigilant about my purse when I’m shooting video in a kitchen or sidewalk café.
Footwear (which fills up a suitcase fast) is just two pairs of good walking shoes, one of which is reasonably “nice” for doing interviews, plus slippers for downtime.
Trousers have to be comfy enough for sitting on a train or ferry for many hours. In my case, that means some stretch in the waist, which will come in handy if I do gain any weight along the way.
All clothes must be hand-washable, quick-drying, and wrinkle-resistant, so I can remove gravy stains from a shirt in the hotel sink after dinner and have it ready to wear the next day.
One iron-clad rule: if I want to buy anything, I have to throw away something of equal weight. It’s maddening not to be able to collect olive oil, recipe books, and local wines, but I’d have to ditch the laptop to do it, and that’s not going to happen.

Why Traveling Light Matters

Traveling light means more freedom and mobility on any journey. As travel guru Rick Steves observed, “You’ll never meet a traveler who, after five trips, brags ‘Every year I pack heavier.’” And that goes double for food writers.

It’s easy to resist shopping in the souvenir stalls and even local markets when you know you’re coming home with once-in-a-lifetime photos and videos, and the kind of mouthwatering recipes that will, I hope, put dishes like kohli bourbouristi on the world’s list of favorite comfort foods.

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Karen McCann is the author of three Amazon bestselling travel books and a popular travel blog. She and her husband embarked on a trip around the Mediterranean rim sampling traditional comfort food; yes, a book project is in the works. To learn more about their journey and details of how they packed for it, see her blog, Enjoy Living Abroad.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For more information, and to download your passport, visit the Valentine History’s Museum’s Website. Or call 804-649-0711 for more information.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

Time Travelers Weekend

September 17, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Free Admission to Richmond Area Historic Sites

For one weekend, September 21–22, folks in my town of Richmond, Virginia can travel back in time. In a biannual tradition, you can get a “passport” and wander through 19 of the area’s historic homes, museums, churches, and more for FREE.

Buckle up. It’s not too often you can travel with adventure through 400 years in one weekend, no time machine required. Talk about Chasing Histories! So which historic sites are included? The list is below.

Participating sites

The list is long, and all are within an easy drive in the Richmond Region.

Agecroft Hall & Garden
The American Civil War Museum’s White House of the Confederacy
The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design
The Chesterfield Museum and Historic Jail
Chimborazo Medical Museum (Richmond National Battlefield Park)
Clark-Palmore House
Courtney Road Service Station
Dabbs House Museum
Deep Run Schoolhouse
Historic St. John’s Church
The John Marshall House
Magnolia Grange
The Edgar Allan Poe Museum
Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
Maymont
Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park
Virginia Randolph House
The Valentine and Wickham House
The Valentine First Freedom Center

Get your Passport

For more information, and to download your passport, visit the Valentine History’s Museum’s Website. Or call 804-649-0711 for more information.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

Revolutionary War Tunes

September 13, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Songs from the 1776 Trenches

KarenAChase_Yankeedoodle_Sprit_of_'76.2 — One of several versions of a scene by Archibald MacNeal Willard in the late nineteenth century, the painting came to be known as *The Spirit of ’76.*

Although many historians focus on the tune of Yankee Doodle, often referring to the image here as such, some Revolutionary War songs are far more free-spirited. Sung by soldiers, they were sometimes influenced by the men’s varied heritages. Case in point, the song, “Maggie Lauder.” It was known to be sung in the American trenches, but it originated in Scotland.

Francis Sempill of Beltrees, who lived from around 1616 to 1685, wrote the ditty, and then it had the added benefit of having an easy and completely memorable tune put with it. (Careful, as it will get stuck in your craw when you watch the below version by The Corries.)

The song also has the benefit of having one heck of a funny word in the first verse. Blatherskite. Though back when spelling wasn’t standardized, they spelled it bladderskate…

Wha wadna be in love
Wi bonnie Maggie Lauder?
A piper met her gaun to Fife,
And spier’d what was’t they ca’d her:
Richt scornfully she answered him,
Begone, you hallanshakerl
Jog on your gate, you bladderskate!
My name is Maggie Lauder.

To call someone a blatherskite, is basically to say they are full of B.S. I truly love how Maggie shares her moniker with this bloke, the piper, while also putting him in his place by calling him names. Incidentally, if anyone has a definition—or a more modern spelling—of hallanshakerl, please let me know.

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Reader Insights: When you’re writing historical fiction, if you put too many period-appropriate words or phrases into dialogue, it can be clunky for readers. So, I use them sparingly. While I’m reserving blatherskite for my next novel, you’ll find I happily used the curse, blistering blackguards. You can read it within an excerpt with Captain Blythe on the Frontier from my novel, here.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

A Million Daughters

September 3, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

The DAR Million Members Celebration

I am a DAR. As a Daughter of the American Revolution, I can prove my lineage back to a “patriot” who supported the Cause. This fall, I will become one DAR in a million.

Although the DAR currently has about 185,000 active members worldwide, at some point between now and November the DAR will welcome its one millionth member since the organization was founded in 1890. As this milestone comes, I know what such a celebration provides for the future.

What the DAR Millionth Member Means to Me

First, we’ll get to build on the DAR’s (and my) immense love of education and preservation. Scholarships, grants, and school support for boys and girls come from the DAR. Without the DAR, the Block House at Fort Pitt, PA and the Custom House at Yorktown, VA might not be standing. They are just two examples of historic places the women and chapters of our organization saved, own, and maintain.

Secondly, we are moving into the future as an inclusive organization. It is not religion, politics, or race that define who we are, and this openness fits with who I am. Gone is the privileged DAR featured in movies or shows like the Gilmore Girls. This new DAR is made up of welcoming career women, moms, students, and everyday women who are eager to contribute and get things done.

By comparison, the Sons of the American Revolution has about 35,000 active members. So make no mistake, it’s women getting it done. And soon, we’ll be a million strong.

If you think you might be a DAR, contact a local chapter (search here by zip code) and ask for the Registrar or Membership Chair. They’ll help you with an application. And check out our Facebook Page filled with Million Member Testimonials.

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Reader Insights: I became a DAR while researching my novel, CARRYING INDEPENDENCE. In my travels for research, I kept finding markers at historical sites and upon graves revitalized by DAR chapters. So in addition to researching the book, I researched my own lineage. Although I am Canadian, it was Jacob G. Klock of New York who I proved to be my ancestral patriot. Who is yours?

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For behind-the-scenes author-related news, giveaways, and to find out where I might be speaking near you, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

Revolutionary Food

August 2, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

City Tavern and Early American Food

From 1774 through 1776, a tavern in Philadelphia that had only been open a few years was the place where our founding fathers assembled after a day of debates. City Tavern, just a few blocks from the State House, was a spot where they could lift a pint, stay the night, and further discuss (or eavesdrop) on the issue of separation. It was also a place to taste dishes made from the game, fruits, and spices coming into the port city.

It still is.

Recipes Recreated

Although City Tavern was destroyed by fire in the 1800s, the National Park Service rebuilt it completely because the original architectural plans existed as did the original footings. A dozen or so years ago, along came Walter Staib—a chef one could describe as obsessed with understanding the origins of 18th century food. In addition to a TV show called A Taste of History, Chef Staib developed a Colonial menu for the tavern.

Now, one can stroll into City Tavern just as folks did in 1776, and order numerous dishes off a lunch or dinner menu, including a chicken or turkey pot pie described as, “tender chunks of turkey, mushrooms, early peas, red potatoes, sherry cream sauce & flaky pastry crust,” and with a, “Pennsylvania Dutch egg noodle accompaniment.” I’ve eaten it. Oh my word. That gravy! This is my idea of Chasing History. (You can see the pot pie in the photo below.)

One might also meet or dine with an actual founding father or two—it was a delightful conversation, Ben and T.J.—as I did while in Philly to see the live reading of the Declaration on July 8th. All of this is to say, that when it came to writing about the Revolution, having such a spot where I could experience the food was crucial to creating the era and setting. Food is universally how we humans experience a time and place.

Including Food in Fiction

I love it when books I read include food, so naturally, it’s in mine, too. I’m also in a book club that often chooses stories so we can try new recipes. This month, my own book club read Carrying Independence. (Yes, there was some trepidation—I’ve seen this group when they don’t like a book—but they were lovely.)

Thanks to Chef Staib’s recipe book and TV shows, and a few revolutionary food-inspired websites, we created a feast of salmon and corn cakes, an elegant salad platter of corn, tomatoes, and greens, asparagus, a succulent pot roast, apple galettes, and Shrewsbury cookies, among other things. Swoon is the word you’re looking for. (Thanks to Becky for the food shots.)

Reader Insights: Chef Staib’s food and City Tavern are recreated within Carrying Independence. My characters meet, drink and dine in a back corner booth of City Tavern in Philadelphia (see photo), and the food and spices they experience are taken from my own in this same place. On my website I’ve included an excerpt—a full chapter—that takes place in City Tavern in that booth.

Now you can get a taste of the history behind Carrying Independence, too. Be sure to mop that gravy off your chin.

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