My newest Martha Beale novel, WITHOUT FEAR, was inspired by two intriguing historical facts that at first glance seemed wholly unrelated. One was my research into the chateau built by Napoleon’s brother, the former Comte de Survilliers, Joseph Bonaparte, at his estate Point Breeze on the Delaware River north of Philadelphia; the other was my delving into labor conditions within the city’s numerous textile mills. As in my previous two novels set in the mid-nineteenth century, I feel compelled to address issues of social injustice. In Point Breeze and Quaker City Mill (an invented name) I had places that represented the highest aspirations of Philadelphia society, as well as the most demeaning and inhumane.
As always, I’m meticulous in my research. If I’m going to transport myself to 1840s Philadelphia, I need to know precisely how the city looked and sounded. I need to delve into the actual newspapers so I can gain a sense of the daily issues confronting my characters. And, yes, I always seek to make sense of the role of women during the era. The popular “fainting couches” belie the facts: there were redoubtable and influential females. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, was a worthy predecessor to Oprah.
The Library Company of Philadelphia is my home away from home. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia has a collection of Napoleon artifacts. Our city was a cosmopolitan place. Shopkeepers boasted that “the English, French and Spanish languages” were spoken. For additional information on phrenology and cranioscopy which were then in vogue for determining psychological ailments, the Mutter Museum is highly recommended.
Whether you wish to indulge in additional research or simply want a compelling story, I hope you enjoy your return engagement with Miss Martha Beale.
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