Lake Wildwood book club welcomes local author for thought-provoking discussion | News
Julia Park Tracey focuses on strong women in her novels — a theme that resonated with the book club meeting at the Lake Wildwood home of Nancy Bell on April 17.
“Silence” is historical fiction based on Julia’s seventh great-grandmother, Silence Greenleaf, who lived in Colonial Massachusetts. In the novel, the Puritans sentence her to one year of silence for an outburst in which she decries an unfeeling God after the death of her mother, husband and infant daughter in short order.
“I really feel like the story reflects the silencing of women both in that era and every day since,” Julia says.
In keeping with the times, there is ultimately a witch trial. But Julia also leaves room for romance.
The Grass Valley author offered fascinating details about an ancestry search that began with her second great-grandfather, Will Gaston, who was part of the Orphan Train that relocated children in the Civil War era. Her research led to Silence and even as far back as the Mayflower.
“I read ‘The Orphan Train,’ a book by Christina Baker Kline, and it had a little section that mentioned the Orphan Train museum. I wondered if they might have some information and they did, actually,” Julia reports. “I found that his name was Homer Lozier and he had three siblings. And then there was the mother, and there were records of the letters she wrote asking for her children back.”
Julia’s first book, “The Bereaved,” fictionalizes that woman – her third great-grandmother Martha – who desperately fought for her children to be returned. They all were, except Homer.
When writing “Silence,” she dug deeper into her family’s past to create a story with strong religious overtones. Book club member Wendy Hornsby Robinette, a retired history professor, praised Julia for her realistic portrayal of the Puritan lifestyle. “Sometimes in historical fiction, the author uses so many modern terms that it takes you out of the scene,” Wendy notes.
“Silence” is among many books profiling women on the club’s reading list this year. In March, the group celebrated with a gourmet dinner featuring the Barefoot Contessa’s recipes in conjunction with a discussion of Ina Garten’s autobiography, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens.” Other female-centric books on this year’s list include “The Book of Lost Names,” about a woman in the French Resistance during World War II; “The Briar Club,” where a group of young women navigate careers and love in the McCarthy era; “The Personal Librarian,” focusing on Belle da Costa Greene, a Black woman who helped J.P. Morgan build his impressive book collection; and “The Women,” which recounts the life of an Army Corps nurse during the Vietnam War.
Strung together, the books weave a compelling tale of female empowerment. “Perhaps it’s an unconscious attempt to contrast the cultural emphasis on HIS-story throughout the centuries,” muses Carol Bastelier, one of the club’s founding members.
Carol, Kathy Elmore and Shelly Sexton launched the circle of readers in 1998. “Our book club has morphed into a great group of gals who are fascinating in their own right with amazing stories of their own,” says Carol, comparing the convivial atmosphere to a Viking cruise – “meeting villains, heroes and sheroes, sipping great wine, dining with Ina Garten sometimes, and having lots of giggles and frank discussions on the way.”
Other current members are Lori Brown, Gina Farrage, Chris Goodwin, Mae Kiser, Bobbie Lippiatt, Bev Britton, Sharon Loucks, Lou Ann Schwartz and Jewell Willis. Many met on the Lake Wildwood tennis courts, now furthering their friendships through their mutual love of books.
This wasn’t the first time the club hosted a local author. Wendy was the guest speaker when they read one of her Maggie MacGowen mysteries. After a lively discussion, they asked her to join the group.
In 2023, Nancy’s husband Fred discussed his autobiography of his time in the Peace Corps, “Coming of Age in the Cannibal Isles.”
After the most recent gathering, it was evident from the smile on Nancy’s face how pleased she was to meet Julia after learning about her book through a NextDoor post.
“What a delight it was to have Julia at my home for our book club,” Nancy says. “Her presentation was articulate and entertaining.”
Meanwhile, Julia continues to write historical fiction about her strong female ancestors – or, as she calls them, her “an-sisters.”
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