In Honor of Black History Month
I wrote my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT — which was a 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist — to preserve a very specific slice of women’s social history in 1970.
And part of that social history concerns the African-American experience in the U.S. because MRS. LIEUTENANT takes place six years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
MRS. LIEUTENANT is inspired by my own experiences as a new Mrs. Lieutenant at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, in the spring of 1970. The main African-American character in MRS. LIEUTENANT is a composite of people and researched information. (In fact, I wrote one part of the novel to answer a question in real life that was never answered.)
While equal rights may seem the norm today, in 1970 when my husband and I drove south from Chicago to Ft. Knox, we were concerned that we were driving into the South. In Louisville, for example, we half expected to see blacks (the correct term then) seated in the back of the bus.
Perhaps most interesting at that time (as the novel portrays) is that the U.S. Army, which had only been integrated since the Korean War, was more integrated than other places in the U.S.
In honor of Black History Month, check out MRS. LIEUTENANT on Kindle at http://amzn.to/TKTk4B
© 2013 Miller Mosaic LLC
Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of fiction and nonfiction books/ebooks, including TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK and the cozy mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE.
Click here to visit her Amazon author page at amazon.com/author/phylliszimblermiller
She also has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and is the co-founder of the online marketing company www.MillerMosaicLLC.com
Phyllis,
I’ve been snowed under so am just catching up on several of your posts.. I began with this one, fresh off the presses!!
Black History Month, has become an anticipated event… a time where I make space to learn about new facts and folks who make up the history and the achievements. I got into it more deeply, when like you, I began researching a writing project. The people I learned about were fascinating
I was so happy to read about your creating a composite character to embody African American experiences in your book, and also to hear of the progressive stance the U.S. Army took on integration of talent.
Good on America and good on you Phyllis.
Helena
Helena — Thanks so much for such a nice comment. I will always be thankful for my time as a Mrs. Lieutenant for the opportunity to meet and become friends with people outside my usual circles!