In addition to reviewing this outstanding novel, the author also agreed to stop by for a guest post about the research she did for Cascade. Without further ado please welcome Maryanne O’Hara to The Lit Bitch!
3 things I learned about the 1930s as I researched Cascade
1: Like many people who did not actually live through the Great Depression, I had a whole bunch of stereotypical images in my mind: that everyone tucked cardboard into their shoes, then stood on streetcorners trying to sell pencils and apples. Of course, some areas of the country were hit harder than others, but my book is set in Massachusetts and New York City. When I interviewed people who lived in those places during the time period, I often heard, “Oh yes, things were bad. Although….not so bad for my family. My father always had a job.” I came to realize that it is uncertainty that makes hard times hard for everyone. My characters are not “down and out.” They are average people struggling to make it through the hard times of the era.
Make way for the modern woman. Small town America saw substantial changes during the Great Depression.
In celebration of the upcoming paperback release of the second book in All Soul’s Trilogy, I am thrilled to offer a copy of the book and some bitchin’ alchemy buttons to go with thanks to Viking/Penguin books!
The Lit Bitch 