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| Photo by Jacqueline Hanna Photography |
Charlotte Whitney is the author of the new novel A Tiny Piece of Blue. Her other books include Threads. She lives in Arizona.
Q: What inspired you to write A Tiny Piece of Blue, and how did you create your cast of characters?
A: I’d been thinking about the fact that there were no safety nets for people until 1935. Social Security, unemployment compensation, homeless shelters—none of these programs existed. Some cities had soup lines. If you didn’t have family you were in deep trouble.
I also considered families that might have tarnished reputations and how their children would suffer. Add to that the fact that children were trafficked. I wanted all of this as a backdrop for A Tiny Piece of Blue.
The characters evolved after I defined my main ones—the three point-of-view voices the reader hears. Silstice (Silly) is a 13-year-old teenager who, after a devastating fire, becomes homeless. Edna and Vernon are elderly farmer-neighbors who are at odds with one another about taking her in.
To my surprise, Silly’s sister’s role kept enlarging. It was as if she demanded to be a more major player in the book, and I let her have her way.
Also, I wanted the red-haired librarian to have a sinister quality about her, and she does. So funny because my husband read the very first draft and he told me outright there would never, ever be a librarian who is evil. All librarians, he said, are smart, helpful, and extremely nice people.
I tend to agree with him, but I wanted to break the mold with Mrs. Mitchell. Hopefully, I redeemed myself by dedicating the book to librarians.
Q: Did you do any research to write the novel, and if so, what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: Yes, I find myself doing tons of research for every historical novel I write—even if they are in the same setting.
With A Tiny Piece of Blue I needed information on the value of old postage stamps, so I contacted a couple of noted philatelists who were extremely helpful.
I refer to the Farmers’ Almanac several times in the book. To my surprise I couldn’t find a 1934 version in any library system, so I went to the owner/editor of Farmers’ Almanac who was able to provide me with a copy.
I also read a lot about child trafficking and similar kinds of crimes.
Then I went on to research the Calhoun County Fair. A big surprise: the director of the Calhoun County Fair Museum was able to provide me with a huge amount of information plus several photos of the weeklong fair taken during the 1930s.
I loved seeing the collection of kewpie dolls and other prizes from Midway games at the fair, the Duck Pond, and 4-H members about to show their farm animals.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen and what does it signify to you?
A: “A Tiny Piece of Blue” is actually an excerpt from the book. It occurs at the end of a chapter where 13-year-old Silly reaches rock bottom. She’s penniless, homeless, and desperate.
When she finds herself lying on the ground in the muddy snow, she turns her head and sees “a tiny piece of blue” on the horizon while the rest of the sky is a dark storm cloud. This, of course, is symbolic of hope, perhaps a bit trite, but I’ve gotten many positive comments so far.
Q: The writer Bonnie Blaylock said of the book, “Weaving in mystery, despicable villains, struggle and suspense, A Tiny Piece of Blue is ultimately a story of hope and redemption.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love her endorsement. It’s clear that she read every word in the book, cover-to-cover, and I couldn’t have written it better myself.
As an author herself she understands not only the plot and subplots but also the greater message of creating family and home in new and unusual ways. It’s a transformative story that speaks to the readers’ emotions, one of heart and soul.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m switching eras and co-authoring a historical novel based on a real-life fugitive slave family who escaped a Kentucky plantation and made their way to my hometown of Marshall, Michigan. Marshall was an amazing village with several Abolitionists who lived their ideals, and the fugitive family became part of a warm and caring community.
Also fascinating is the fact that my co-author’s family was enslaved in the same Kentucky county as this family, only ten miles away. Needless to say as authors we’ve both experienced strong emotions researching the book. It’s one of those “truth is stranger than fiction” sagas.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: The setting for this book is my parents’ farm in Marshall Township, Calhoun County, Michigan. The setting for Threads A Depression Era Tale was my grandparents’ farm, also in Calhoun County, but east of Marshall, Michigan.
While I know the settings intimately, I must say that the stories are totally fabricated from my imagination. But I do love all the rich details of a farm setting from milking the cows, feeding the pigs, to gathering eggs.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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