I am heading to West Springfield, MA next week to present my historical fiction Yours Faithfully, Florence Burke. However, this is no ordinary “author talk.” I am returning to the very place where my first generation Irish great, great grandparents settled. It is very special to share my interpretation of the events, the people, and history that took place in this small town. Many people living in West Springfield at this time contributed to my great, great grandparent’s history, and now I am excited to meet some of the descendants.
Several members of the Burke family still living in the Western Mass area have contacted me, and I am hopeful to speak with them and learn even more about our shared ancestors. I was fortunate enough to stumble across the Civil War letters from my great, great grandfather Florence Burke, but there are still many unanswered questions and mysteries surrounding his life that I would love to solve. While writing my book I was researching by myself, not with a genealogist or historian, and I was not able to find all the detailed information I would have liked. In those gaps of documented facts, I took the creative license to write what I thought might have happened, rather than what actually happened. I hope that by meeting my relatives I will gain more insight into the authentic events of the time. I am also delighted to share the personal Civil War letters of our Irish ancestor, Florence Burke.
There’s also another reason this “author talk” is going to be special to me. Some descendants of the 37th Mass Regiment have reached out to me and they plan to attend my talk. The 37th Mass is the same regiment that Florence Burke fought in over 150 years ago! I can’t wait to meet other relatives of soldiers who fought with my great, great grandfather. How cool is that? It gets better. Thanks to a newspaper article announcing my novel and my visit, I have also been in touch with a Civil War reenacting regiment (the Mass 10th) and a few of the soldiers are going to come to my “book talk” to perform a ceremony in honor of Florence Burke! The Mass 10th fought along side the 37th Regiment in Virginia. The reenactors are even working on finding a bugler to perform “Taps!” This is more than I could have ever imagined. I am grateful for this opportunity to honor not only my great, great grandfather, but all the Civil War soldiers from West Springfield. Monday will be a memorable day indeed!
To top everything off, I will be travelling to West Springfield with my father, Michael Baker. My father was the heir who received Florence Burke’s letters. They were handed down from his grandfather, Michael Burke, Florence’s son. It will be so meaningful to us to journey back to West Springfield to see where we came from and meet those from our past that shaped our history and made our very lives possible. In the case of the Burke family, we know without a doubt that our first generation Irish ancestors made sacrifices and unimaginable life decisions. It is because of their brave actions that we are here today and have the opportunity to enjoy fulfilling and enjoyable lives. I can’t wait to share this extraordinary experience with my father.
Look out West Springfield; here we come!
When: Monday, September 26th
Where: West Springfield Public Library
Time: 6:00pm
Donna Lawrence says
November 24, 2016 at 4:10 pmI was a student in your dad’s class on F. Scott Fitzgerald the morning after your talk. He told us a bit about your book with obvious pride. I got it from the library and I have just turned the last page and I want to tell you, Ellen, how much I enjoyed it. I had no idea Florence would die and was shocked with sadness. Ellen Burke had already been through so much in her four months without her husband. Your descriptions of the cold and snow were so realistic. It was a pleasure to read about the children who were such helpers to Ellen. You did Michael Burke and Baker proud. Nice job.
From an appreciative reader
Ellen Alden says
December 14, 2016 at 10:24 amThat’s amazing. I hope to visit Portsmouth library in the future! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.