Tidbit Tuesday: Laura Ingalls Wilder and The Little House Books

When I was growing up, my family often watched television together, enjoying such shows as The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie. It was not until I was an adult that I realized Little House was based on children’s books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder who was born 153 years ago this month. The first book was published in 1932 when Laura was 64 years old!

Born in Pepin, Wisconsin, Laura was the second of five children. Her family were descendants of the Delano family, the ancestral family of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt whose policies and programs she would later criticize. She was also third cousin, once removed, of President Ulysses S. Grant.

When Laura was two years old, her parents moved with her to a settlement near modern day Independence, Kansas, but the family was forced to move less than a year later because their homestead was on the Osage Indian reservation and not open to white settlers. Their home in Wisconsin reverted back to them because the buyer failed to pay the mortgage. Three years later, the Ingalls’s began a series of moves that took them to Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota where the family purchased a homestead in De Smet.

At the age of sixteen, Laura became the local school teacher to help with the family finances. Two year later, she quit to marry Almanzo Wilder, a farmer, ten years her senior. Initially prosperous the couple suffered a number of incidents during the first few year of their married life that created financial problems: Almanzo contracted diphtheria that left him partially paralyzed, two fires that cost them their home, barn, and supply of hay and grain, and several years of drought.

In 1894, the Wilder’s moved to Mansfield, Missouri where they purchase a property they named Rocky Ridge Farm. Learning from their earlier mistake of producing only one crop, the couple diversified with poultry, an apple orchard, and dairy cows. Laura became a local expert on farming and began giving talks around the area. In 1911, she was approached to write a regular column for the Missouri Ruralist, a job she would keep for more than a decade.

Then the stock market crash of 1929 occurred, and Laura and Almanzo lost everything they had. At the encouragement of her daughter, Laura wrote her autobiography and made several attempt to sell it to a publisher. Unsuccessful, she wrote fictionalized versions of her life geared toward children. The first book Little House in the Big Woods became an instant success, and Laura went on to write seven more, giving the family the stable income they sorely needed after the crash.

Laura passed away three days after her ninetieth birthday in 1957. 

Did you read or watch the Little House?

_________________________

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. Her latest release, Under Cover, features WWII war correspondent, Ruth Brown. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda is also a trustee for her local public library. She was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Now located in central New Hampshire, Linda’s favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors. Visit her website where she blogs about history, mystery, and faith. Sign up for her newsletter and receive a free short story. You can also connect with Linda on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

A Chat with Author Linda Shenton Matchett

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, she has lived in historical places most of her life. Now located in central New Hampshire, Linda’s favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

A Doctor in the House (part of The Hope of Christmas collection):
Emma O’Sullivan is one of the first female doctors to enlist after President Franklin Roosevelt signs the order allowing women in the Army and Navy medical corps. Within weeks, Emma is assigned to England to set up a convalescent hospital, and she leaves behind everything that is familiar. When the handsome widower of the requisitioned property claims she’s incompetent and tries to get her transferred, she must prove to her superiors she’s more than capable. But she’s soon drawn to the good-looking, grieving owner. Will she have to choose between her job and her heart?

Archibald “Archie” Heron is the last survivor of the Heron dynasty, his two older brothers having been lost at Dunkirk and Trondheim and his parents in the Blitz. After his wife is killed in a bombing raid while visiting Brighton, he begins to feel like a modern-day Job. To add insult to injury, the British government requisitions his country estate, Heron Hall, for the U.S. Army to use as a hospital. The last straw is when the hospital administrator turns out to be a fiery, ginger-haired American woman. She’s got to go. Or does she?

STT: A Doctor in the House is an intriguing story. Where did you get your inspiration?

Linda: My background is in corporate Human Resources, and I am fascinated by the history of women in the workplace. Wives, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers went to work during WWI, but not at the record levels experienced during the second World War. Society was turned upside down when women successfully stepped into jobs previously held by men. When researching another story, I stumbled on a reference to Margaret Craighill, the first female doctor in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. At the same time I saw a documentary about the thousands of country homes requisitioned by the British government for use as orphanages, troop housing, and hospitals. The British people had mixed feelings about U.S. service people. A common expression in England was "overfed, overpaid, oversexed, and over here."

STT: You have written and published ten books with more on the way in 2020. How do you balance your writing career with your other commitments?

Linda: Sometimes not so well-ha! I tend to be organized in all areas of my life, and that trait has served me well in juggling two careers. My full-time job is as the dining services and catering manager at a boarding school, and I invest about twenty-five hours a week to my writing. On most days I get an hour's worth of writing done before work, and one day a week I work at night, so I have almost an entire day to put words on paper. Saturdays are geared for marketing and social media, and Sundays before church are when I write my blog posts. Before I say yes to anything, I check my schedule so I don't double book myself!

STT: With the exception of one of your books, you write historical fiction. What draws you to history and what is your favorite era?

Linda: Despite being married to a software engineer, I am not a very technology-driven person. Having said that, I appreciate modern conveniences such as washers, telephones, and computers. What fascinates me about history is what people accomplished with their own two hands (clearing the land, building homesteads, and raising families). Many of our "modern" inventions got their start decades, even centuries ago. My favorite era is World War II, a time when people pulled together to "do their bit" for the war effort. Whether they wanted to or not, women entered the workforce, often working ten-twelve hours days, sometimes six days a week. In addition, they fed their families under the duress of rationing, they created victory gardens, preserved food, and "made do and mended" their clothes all while wondering if their husbands would return safe and sound.

STT: What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Linda: I love coming up with the story ideas. I'm a planner, so I outline my entire book before beginning to write. I enjoy brainstorming what I can do to and with my characters.

STT: What are your upcoming projects?

Linda: I have lots of irons in the fire. January and February will see the release of books two and three in my Ruth Brown Mystery series, and during March A Love Not Forgotten will be re-released on its own (It was part of a collection). Then in April, May, and June, a trilogy about three sisters will be coming out. I'm very excited to be part of a multi-author project featuring mail-order brides, and my story Dinah's Dilemma will be coming out in August.

STT: Where can people find you on the web?

Linda:

Website/Blog: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/LindaShentonMatchettAuthor

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lindasmatchett

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/linda-shenton-matchett/e/B01DNB54S0

BookBub: http://bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author­_linda_matchett

Newsletter Signup (receive a free short story when you sign up):  https://mailchi.mp/74bb7b34c9c2/lindashentonmatchettnewsletter

STT: Thank you for stopping by!

LM: Thank you for having me. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Author Interview with Linda Shenton Matchett and a Giveaway!

July 25^th marks Linda Shenton Matchett’s book birthday for her WWII mystery, Under Fire. In celebration, she’s giving away an ebook copy to one lucky winner (chosen at random from those who comment. Grab a glass of your favorite summertime beverage and get a peek behind the scenes.

You have published several historical romances, but this is your first mystery. Can you tell us how that came about?

Interestingly, I wrote Under Fire before any of the other books I’ve published. I took Jerry Jenkins’s Christian Writer’s Guild Journeyman program, and the story came out of my class assignments. As a new writer, I struggled with knowing how to come up with scenes to move the plot along. Then I attended Crimebake (a mystery writer’s conference) and realized if I wrote a mystery, the scenes would be about solving the crime. As my first manuscript, it took a lot of writing, rewriting, editing, and polishing. It took quite a few years and submissions to find a publisher.

Research is an important part of writing. How did you research Under Fire?

I love to conduct research. I can get lost in it for hours! The main character, Ruth, is a war correspondent, so I read LOTS of autobiographies and memoirs by WWII journalists and photojournalists, lots of the articles they wrote, too. I found YouTube interviews of Americans and British citizens who lived during WWII. That gave me a real sense of the era in both countries, but especially what it was like to be in London during the Blitz. I also watched documentaries that were produced during the war.

How is Ruth, like you? Different?

War Correspondent Martha Gellhorn

Ruth and I are both very curious (some people might say nosy!) and tenacious. That’s what makes Ruth a good reporter. She’ll dig until she’s got the whole story. Those traits also help her solve the mystery surrounding her sister’s disappearance. In some ways, Ruth is much braver than I am. I wouldn’t do some of the creeping around she does!

How do come up with story ideas?

I’ve gotten ideas from newspaper and magazine articles, movies, TV shows, snippets of conversation, museum exhibits, and incidents I’ve experienced that make me wonder “what if…?” Under Fire came from a combination of brainstorming for class, an incident that happened in a town a short distance from where I live, and a TV show.

How do you pick the locations for your stories?

Research is sometimes the driving force for where my stories are set, although I intentionally wanted to set Under Fire in England. Even before I had a chance to visit, I was fascinated with England’s history, especially during WWII, so many of my stories are set there.

In addition to being a writer, you work a full-time job. How do you balance the two careers?

I am fortunate that I live only a half mile from my employer, so I don’t have a long commute. (In fact, I usually walk to work.) But it can be challenging to juggle all the components of being an author with working. I’m an early riser, so I write or revise my current manuscript in the mornings before going to work. Sundays before church I write and schedule my blog posts. Saturdays are for research, marketing, and social media planning. Some days, life goes according to plan, and I get a lot done. Then there are the other days…!

What are you working on now?

I just submitted book one in my Women of Courage series to an agent for consideration, and I’m in the revision stage of two manuscripts, one of which I’ll be independently publishing in the fall. It’s not titled yet, but I better come up with something soon, because the cover is almost done! The other is book two of the Ruth Brown mystery series. Once I finish the revisions on both these manuscripts, I’ll start writing book two in the Women of Courage series. It is tentatively a five book series.

Connect with Linda:

Website/Blog: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorlindamatchett

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lindasmatchett

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/authorlindamatchett

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Shenton-Matchett/e/B01DNB54S0

Newsletter Signup: https://bit.ly/2DDLmI2

Bio: Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. A member of ACFW, Sisters in Crime, and RWA, Linda is a member-at-large for the New England Chapter of SinC and serves on the Crimebake Writer’s Conference committee. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library.

Book Blurb: Set in 1942, Under Fire tells the story of Ruth Brown whose missing sister Jane is declared dead. Convinced her sister is still alive, Ruth follows clues from their small New Hampshire town to war-torn London trying to find her.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0743MS95H

Parachuting in France as a Spy

Lise Marie Jenette de Baissac and Andree Borrel had the distinction of being the first two SOE women agents parachuted into France during WWII. Their experiences differed tremendously, and only Lise lived to tell the tale.

Born on May 11, 1905 in Mauritius, British citizen Lise was of French descent. The third of three children who were taught French by their parents, she moved with her family to Paris in 1919. Eleven years later, Paris was occupied by the Germans, and the de Baissacs escaped. Lise and her brother, Claude, received help from the American Consulate and were able to make it to London where she secured a job with The Daily Sketch. Soon thereafter she was recruited by the Special Operations Executive. After extensive training, she began her first mission on September 24, 1942 – go to France to set up her own circuit and establish a safe house for new agents.

Settling in the Loire Valley area, she claimed to be a destitute Parisian widow who was an amateur archaeologist. This cover allowed her to cycle around the area to find potential parachute drop zones and landing sites for RAF squadrons. Bold as brass, she moved into the house next door to the Gestapo headquarters. Nine months later, her network collapsed, and she was flown back to England. However, Andree Borrel was not so lucky. She was one of several members arrested.

Born in 1919, Andree dropped out of school and moved to Paris to learn the dressmaking trade. She worked for several shops through the years, but when the war begin in 1939, she knew she had to do her part. She and her mother moved to Toulon and trained with the Red Cross. On a fateful day in July 1941, Andree met Maurice Dufour, a resistance fighter. They became lovers and partners. She helped him set up a safe house near the Pyrenees Mountains.

Five months later, the network was betrayed, and Andree and Maurice fled for their lives. Arriving in London in April 1942, she joined the SOE in May, never to see Maurice again. At the conclusion of her training, she parachuted into France near the village of Boisrenard with Lise. Code named Denise, Andree’s mission was to be a courier for a new circuit in Paris. Operations went well until June 24, 1943 when double agent Henri Dericourt betrayed the group.

Andree was initially incarcerated in Fresnes prison, notorious for its horrific conditions and brutal treatment of its prisoners. The following years she was moved to the extermination camp at Natzweiler-Struthof. One of four agents classified under the “Nacht and Nable” directive (night and fog) which meant they were to disappear without a trace, She was executed and her body cremated in one of the ovens.

Two women of valor. Two different outcomes. Both to be remembered.

A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Shenton Matchett is the author of Love's Harvest, Love Found in Sherwood Forest, and On the Rails. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about WWII war correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown is now available at eLectio Publishing , Amazon, or your favorite independent bookstore. Visit Linda at www.LindaShentonMatchett.com.

Happy 75th Birthday Bambi!

In August 1942, war was raging in Europe, yet Disney Studios held the world premiere of its fifth animated film, Bambi, in London on the thirteenth of that month. Not surprising, the movie lost money. A telegram from Roy Disney to his brother, Walt, indicated “Unable to make any deal to stay third week…night business is our problem.” (Go figure!)

Walt Disney

Did you know the story of Bambi didn’t originate at Disney? Did you know the novel was written for adults? Authored by Hungarian-Austrian Felix Salten in 1923, Bambi, A Life in the Woods was translated into English in 1928 and became a book-of-the-month success. Five years later, Salten sold the rights for $1,000 to the MGM director Sidney Franklin who later transferred the rights to Disney Studios when he decided that making the book into a live action film would be too difficult. Salten’s books Perri and The Hound of Florence were also made into Disney films: Perri (1957) and The Shaggy Dog (1959).

Originally a roe deer, Bambi was changed to a white-tailed deer because roe deer are not native to North America. Despite its original failure, the film ultimately received three Academy Award nominations: Best Sound, Best Song, and Original Music Score. Since then the American Film Institute placed Bambi on a list of its “10 Top 10,” the best ten films in each of ten classic American film genres. In 2011 the movie was added to the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress.

Today’s much loved response to the movie is the antithesis of how Bambi was received in 1942. Because of the lack of fantasy elements and an objection toward a dramatic story of animals’ struggle to survive and avoid the threat of humans, most critics did not like Bambi. Film critic Manny Farber said the movie was “entirely unpleasant,” and Outdoor Life editor Raymond Brown wrote that Bambi “was the worst insult ever offered in any form to American sportsmen.” According to The New York Times “In the search for perfection, Mr. Disney has come perilously close to tossing away his whole world of cartoon fantasy.” Reports are that even Walt Disney’s daughter, Diane, complained that Bambi’s mother didn’t need to die.

The movie was re-released in 1947 and saw greater success. After the war, Disney Studios went on to make the animated The Three Caballeros, Song of the South, and Cinderella, as well as the live-action Mary Poppins which received five Academy Awards.

What is your favorite animated Disney film?

A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Shenton Matchett is the author of several romance novellas. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about WWII War Correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown, is available from eLectio Publishing, Amazon, or your favorite independent bookstore. Visit Linda at www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Linda Shenton Matchett's Under Fire

Our own Linda Matchett had a new full-length novel release on July 25. Set in World War II, it ranges from New Hampshire to England to Ireland, and back to England. I was privileged to read an early readers copy. Questions often come to mind while reading and this time, I had the opportunity to ask Linda about Under Fire.

Lake Winnipesaukee

I recognized Lake Winnipesaukee right away, but it’s not named. Why? Too big a mouthful?

LOL! Most people do stumble over the name the first few times they try to say it (BTW, it’s pronounced win-eh-peh-sock-ee). I decided that writing about a fictional location would be easier. With all the WWII research I had to do to ensure historical accuracy, I didn’t want to have to research the town’s history too.

A Chris-Craft photo by Classic Boating Magazine

Since my family’s business is publishing Classic Boating magazine, I was right at home reading about Chris-Craft and Lyman boats. (Yes, those wartime boats are classics now.) Have they been part of your life?

Not at all. I grew up boating on the Potomac River with my dad in his twelve-foot Jon boat. I was unfamiliar with wooden lake boats until we moved to New Hampshire. I’ve had several opportunities to ride in Lymans and Chris-Crafts, and there’s nothing like the experience. The gorgeous wooden hull, cushy interior, throaty snarl of the engine, the speed across open water.

Ruth lives a very adventurous life, traipsing of to London on her own in wartime, sneaking into places and spying on bad guys. Do you live vicariously through your characters? Is this the way you’d like to see yourself?

I have definitely lived vicariously through Ruth. She is much braver than I am in many ways. I have a fear of heights and am claustrophobic, so I admired her ability to scale walls and fences and squeeze into tiny hiding places. I also get lost easily, so I can’t imagine having to navigate a city where the signs have been removed.

Under Fire is full of twists and turns. Did you plot the novel before writing or did ideas come as you wrote?

I did plot the novel before I began. The first full length story I wrote as an adult was done free form, and it lagged and sagged in the middle, and I often got writer’s block. Since then I’ve always outlined my books. I also write extensive biographies for my characters. I allow my characters to wander “off script,” and sometimes an idea will come to me and I’ll change what I had planned, but for the most part I know generally how the story is going to go.

  

Where did the inspiration for Under Fire come from? 

As a former HR professional, I am intrigued about women’s employment experiences in the early 20^th Century. I love reading about women who were trailblazers in their field, and I’ve got a background in journalism.  When I learned that only 127 of the 1,600 certified war correspondents were women, I knew what I wanted my protagonist to do for a living. Once I had nailed that down, I decided to explore how the WWII impacted people’s faith in God (e.g. how could a loving God allow Hitler to succeed, etc.), and I wanted Ruth to experience a personal crisis of faith as well. That’s when I decided to make her sister disappear.

I’ve just read your novella A Love Not Forgotten. Parts seemed familiar and sure enough, it’s a companion to your Love’s Harvest. Do you anticipate Ruth showing up in a future project?

I’ve got two more Ruth Brown mysteries written with several story ideas percolating.

What are you working on next?

I am working on a mystery about a young woman who joins the USO to escape an arranged marriage. When her fiancé is found dead, she must prove her innocence.

Stay tuned!

Under Fire Blurb: Journalist Ruth Brown’s sister Jane is pronounced dead after a boating accident in April 1942. Because Jane’s body is missing, Ruth is convinced her sister is still alive. During her investigation, Ruth becomes suspicious about Jane’s job. Eventually Ruth follows clues to war-torn London. By the time she uncovers the truth about Jane’s disappearance, she has stumbled on black marketers, resistance fighters and the IRA – all of whom may want her dead.

Bio: Linda Shenton Matchett is a journalist, blogger, and author. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, Linda has lived in historical places most of her life. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and as a Trustee for the Wolfeboro Public Library. Active in her church Linda serves as treasurer, usher, choir member, and Bible study leader. She is author of several romance novellas. Under Fire, the first in her trilogy about amateur sleuth/war correspondent Ruth Brown has just been released by eLectio Publishing (electiopublishing.com). Click here (eepurl.com/cp_SRL) to receive Linda’s monthly newsletter that includes book reviews, links to free book sites, historical tidbits, and more.

Weekly Windup: Comment to Win Under Fire by Linda Shenton Matchett

Weekly Windup

Welcome to the Weekly Windup! We have a winner to announce!

 Winner of Embracing Hope by Janell Butler Wojtowicz is...Melody Schamel!

   If you are a winner, please Contact Us to claim your prize.

 

This Week's Giveaway:

Under Fire by our very own Linda Shenton Matchett

Small-town journalist Ruth Brown's sister Jane is pronounced dead after a boating accident in the Spring of 1942. Because Jane's body is missing, Ruth is convinced her sister is still alive. A series of events and discoveries raise Ruth's suspicions about Jane's work at the local manufacturing plant, then additional clues send Ruth to war-torn London. By the time their brother contacts her with the devastating news that Jane's body has been found, and evidence suggests she was murdered, Ruth has stumbled on black marketers, resistance fighters, and the IRA-all of whom may want her dead.

Releasing on July 25th!

 

 

 Comment on any post now through August 6th to get your name in the drawing! Winner will be announced in the August 7th issue of the Weekly Windup. Paperback giveaways are for U.S. residents only.

Coming up this week:

Monday, 7/24: Dwelling in Happiness by Carole Brown
Tuesday, 7/25: Christmas in July by Elaine Manders
Wednesday, 7/26: No bake Strawberry Pie by Crystal Barnes
Thursday, 7/27: Book review by Jodie Wolfe
Friday, 7/28: Guest Jennifer Slattery
Saturday, 7/29: Interview with Julie Arduini

Propaganda! The Office of War Information

Seventy-five years ago today, a little more than six months after Pearl Harbor, an executive order created the Office of War Information. Tasked with the dissemination of all official U.S. news within and abroad as well as propaganda overseas, the organization had a mammoth job.

Former NY Times reporter turned radio news reporter Elmer Davis was tapped to spearhead the OWI, as it came to be known. The result of combining several existing government organizations, OWI ultimately employed over 3,000 people. A strong-minded man, it was Davis who convinced President Roosevelt to allow Japanese-Americans enlist in the armed services. Because Davis believed that Americans had a right to “be truthfully informed,” he was a key proponent of loosening the censorship that forbade the publication of pictures that featured dead GIs.

Photographers were sent across the nation to capture images of the public performing patriotic work. The photos showed aircraft factories, women in the workforce, and armed services members in an effort order to inspire and encourage Americans. The photo to the right was captioned “Pearl Harbor Widows have gone into war work to carry on the fight with a personal vengeance. Mrs. Virginia Young (right) who husband was one of the first casualties of World War II, is a supervisor in the Assembly and Repairs Department of the Naval Air Base. Her job is to find convenient and comfortable living quarters for women workers from out of state, like Ethel Mann, who operates an electric drill.”

Overseas OWI operated a Psychological Warfare Branch which used propaganda against enemy forces in combat zones. “Leaflet warfare” became popular, and OWI produced and dropped over 180 million pamphlets. Titles such as “You are surrounded” and “Drowning is a nasty death” are just two of the many used to undermine the enemy. OWI also produced “specialty items” such as seed packets, matchbooks, sewing kits, and soap papers (“From your friends in the United Nations. Dip in water, use like soap. Wash off the Nazi dirt.”)

By 1944, conflict and tension between Congress and the OWI resulted in a reduction of funding for domestic projects forcing OWI to focus their efforts outside the U.S. Some of the more well-known employees of OWI include: Milton Eisenhower (younger brother of President Dwight D. Eisenhower), Jay Bennett (Author), Alan Cranston (U.S. Senator), Howard Fast (Novelist), and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. (Historian and social critic).

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to get your name in the drawing for "Just Claire" by Jean Ann Williams! Winner will be announced in the June 19th issue of the Weekly Windup.

A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Shenton Matchett is the author of Love's Harvest, Love Found in Sherwood Forest, and On the Rails. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about WWII war correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown, will be released this on July 25 from eLectio Publishing. To get to know Linda, visit her website.

Aaron Copland and A Lincoln Portrait

While World War II was raging, Aaron Copland was creating music. Asked to write a portrait of an “eminent American,” the forty-two year old composer chose President Abraham Lincoln as his subject. Combining Lincoln’s own words from speeches and letters with folks songs of the period and an original score, Copland created the classical orchestral work “A Lincoln Portrait.”

Seventy-five years ago, the first performance was held on May 14, 1942. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra played, and William Adams was the narrator. Over fifteen minutes in length, the piece was an inspiration to all who heard it during the early, dark days of WWII. Some of the quoted text is from:

His annual message to Congress in 1862: “Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history…The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation. We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility.”

The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858: “It is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. It is the same spirit that says ‘you toil and work and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.’ No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.”

The Gettysburg Address: “That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

Performed hundreds of times, A Lincoln Portrait has been narrated by a dichotomy of people: Neil Armstrong, Marian Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Bill Clinton, Walter Cronkite, Julius Irving, Henry Fonda, Danny Glover, Tom Hanks, James Taylor, and Margaret Thatcher. There are several renditions on the internet of this iconic musical creation. Consider taking a few minutes to watch one:  A Lincoln Portrait 

A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Shenton Matchett is the author of Love's Harvest and Love Found in Sherwood Forest. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about war correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown will be released this summer. Get to know Linda by visiting her website.

The Daring Henri Giraud

April 17^th marks the 75^th anniversary of French General Henri Giraud’s escape from the Nazis. A brave military man, this was not Giraud’s first escape.

Born in Paris, France in 1879, Giraud graduated from St. Cyr in 1900 before joining the French Army. Sent to North Africa in 1914 as part of the 4^th Zouave Regiment, he was captured in the Battle of Guise. He managed to escape two months later.

Surviving WWI, he remained in the Army. Giraud served in Constantinople on the staff of General Francet de Esperey before being sent to Morocco in 1922 where he was promoted to Captain and received the Legion d’Honneur. He eventually became the military governor of Metz.

Fast forward to World War II when Giraud was assigned to command the 7^th Army. Sent to Holland in May 1940, the army held off the German Army at Breda before being sent to the Ardennes to try to block the Germans. Unfortunately, the campaign did not go well, and Giraud was captured at Wassigny. He was imprisoned at Konigstein castle in Dresden.

For two years, Giraud planned his escape. Using a code in his letters home, he informed his family of his intent to break out of the prison. He taught himself German and memorized a map of the area. After collecting twine, wire, and bedsheets, he created a 150 foot rope that he used to lower himself out a window and down the castle wall. (Remember at this point he was 63 years old and had been on prison food for two years!)

Shaving off his mustache, he disguised himself and made his way to the Swiss border. He was able to slip back into Vichy France where he tried to convince Petain to resist German occupation. The French government was not interested in his input, but refused to turn him over to the Nazis. Shortly thereafter, he was contacted by the Allies and taken to North Africa by submarine where he was part of the invasion of Algiers. Two months later, French Admiral Darlan was assassinated, and Giraud was elected to succeed Darlan.

A man of strong opinions, Giraud’s views differed greatly from de Gaulle’s. The two men disagreed regularly, with de Gaulle publicly criticizing Giraud on several occasions. As a result, Giraud retired in 1944. He wrote two books about his military career and his escapes before passing away in March, 1949.

Be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win Return to the Misty Shore by Bonnie Leon! Winner will be announced in the Weekly Windup on April 17.

A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda is the author of Love's Harvest (a fictionalized modernization of the book of Ruth) and Love Found in Sherwood Forest. Under Fire, the first book in her trilogy about war correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown will be released this summer. Get to know more about Linda on her website: www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Voice of America

Founded on February 17, 1942, Voice of America is “a US government-funded multi-media news source and the official external broadcasting institution of the United States.” (Wikipedia)  Headquartered in Washington, DC, VOA provides news, information, and cultural programming for radio, television, and the internet outside of the US in English and forty-seven (!) other languages. VOA began broadcasting to combat Nazi propaganda with accurate and unbiased news and information. Per their website ever since then, VOA has served the world with a consistent message of truth, hope, and inspiration.

The first words spoken by William Harlan Hale, American journalist, writer, and editor who served in Army Intelligence during WWII, and broadcast in German over shortwave radio were “we bring you voices from America.” Here is the transcript:

MUSIC:           Battle Hymn

WINTER:        This is a voice from America.

KAPPEL:        This is a voice from America at war.

HALE:             Our voices are coming to you from New York over the Atlantic Ocean. They are transmitted to Germany by our friends at London Radio.

KAPPEL:        Today, America has been at war for fifty-eight days.

HALE:             Today, and every day from now on, we will be with you from America to talk about the war. Here in America, we get news from all over the world. The news may be good or bad for us…We will always tell you the truth.

VOA announcer and Austrian Robert Bauer began his radio career in the 1930s with the Austrian Freedom Broadcasting Station. Vocal about his anti-Nazi philosophy and regularly mocking Hitler through news stories, Bauer fled Austria in 1938 with one suitcase and never saw his mother again.

Another Austrian who joined the ranks of VOA broadcasters was Walter R. Roberts. While a student at Harvard Law School in 1942, he was approached by a professor and asked if he spoke German. When he replied in the affirmative, Walters was told “we need people like you.” Shortly thereafter he found himself on a train to Washington, DC.  

The VOA charter signed into law in 1976 by President Ford requires VOA to “serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news” and “be accurate, objective and comprehensive.” Located in Washington, DC the organization is funded from the same budget used for embassies and consulates. Broadcasts are distributed by satellite, cable, and FM, AM, and shortwave radio frequencies. They are also streamed on language services websites, social media sites and mobile platforms – a far cry from their initial thirty-eight second message sent over shortwave. 

A freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Shenton Matchett writes soul-quenching stories about ordinary women who do extraordinary things. Her novellas Love's Harvest, Love Found in Sherwood Forest, and On the Rails are available on Amazon. Under Fire, the first book in her series about WWII war correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown is being released in July 2017 by eLectio Publishing. Visit Linda at www.LindaShentonMatchett.com