What makes people tick? Who from history has an interesting story to tell? I wanted to know the answer to those questions.
As a child, my family had no hope for the future. My father was an abusive alcoholic, my mother mentally ill. Despite the dark clouds that loomed over our lives, I dared to dream of something more. For me, the library became a sanctuary of new possibilities. Among its shelves, I found biographies of individuals who had risen above their circumstances, defying the odds stacked against them. Names like Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, and Beethoven danced across the pages, each with a story to tell.
How does a person achieve such remarkable transformation, I wondered?
Exploring the annals of history provided me with a key insight: the prevailing cultural trends of the time often shaped the lives of individuals. Nelson Mandela, for instance, endured years in prison, fighting for his people’s rights and ultimately changing the trajectory of South Africa’s history. Albert Einstein, who overcame a childhood marked by bullying and abandonment, went on to revolutionize our understanding of time and light, forever altering the course of science.
And then there was Helen Keller, born blind, who embarked on a lifelong journey to learn to read and find purpose in helping others.
Through my exploration of historical fiction, I encountered James Michener, whose novels became windows into the tapestry of human history. “The Source” transported me to the birth of religions in Jerusalem, Israel. “Caribbean” delved into the harrowing history of slave trading and pirates in the Caribbean Islands. “Hawaii” unraveled the rich and complex story of the islands of aloha. These books didn’t just entertain; they educated me about the diverse and interconnected history of our world.
In my quest to understand the common thread that wove through the lives of these historical figures, I discovered a single powerful force: hope. They all dreamt of transcending their humble beginnings, of becoming more than what they were born into.
When I look at the people around me and consider those who came before us, I see a tapestry of hero’s journeys. Each of us born into unique circumstances, each with dreams we carried from childhood. The question that lingers is this: Are we living the lives we once dared to dream of as children?
Historical fiction, with its ability to simultaneously entertain and educate, brings these stories to life in a way that resonates with us all. It reminds us that we are part of an ever-evolving human story, where hope, determination, and the courage to dream have the power to shape our destinies.
Now, as a writer, I aspire to do what authors like James Michener did for me – to open doors to my imagination beyond what has come before and to touch hearts and minds with the belief that the extraordinary is within reach. Through historical fiction, I aim to continue exploring the hero’s journey that defines us all and to inspire others to dream, to hope, and to become more than they ever imagined.
Stay tuned my next novel, “Poseidon’s Atlantis Adventure – The Human Hybrid Experiment” will be released soon. Discover how the Greek god Poseidon leaves his dysfunctional family of gods and finds a new life in the enchanted world of Atlantis.
- Book Club Mom’s Author Update: News from Grace Blair - February 18, 2024
- Grace Blair, Author – What I am up to now - February 4, 2024
- The Human Hybrid Experiment - January 20, 2024