Tulsa World: Book blends history, author's family tales

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Book blends history, author's family tales

By SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent
Published: 11/29/2009 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 11/29/2009 6:12 AM

TAHLEQUAH — After retiring from almost three decades of teaching, Jeannie Thompson was ready for new pursuits.

Since retiring in 1999 her photography skills had landed her images in numerous magazines across the state, but in 2007 she decided to pursue her long-forgotten dream of writing a book.

"I'm an English teacher, and 90 percent of English teachers will tell you they would like to write a book," Thompson said.

So she took a collection of family stories handed down through the generations and formed a fictional account of Ephram Humphry and his family's journey to Indian Territory in the 1830s.

At first, the novel, "Cherokee Friends," was entered in a program sponsored by National Novel Writing Month.

"The novel could be about anything and had to be 50,000 words," she said. "I wrote a novel and entered into the contest for self-gratification."

After failing to find an agent or publisher, Thompson chose to self-publish the book.

In Thompson's book, when Humphry's Cherokee neighbors are forced to leave their home, he sees this as a chance for a new beginning and to realize his dream of owning a business. The white family makes the pilgrimage to Indian Territory and settles in Tahlequah. The story of their victories and defeats are told in the book.

"Cherokee Friends" was released in October and is listed online with Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

"It's like 'Little House on the Prairie,' except it's Cherokee," Thompson said. "I have incorporated many authentic Cherokee traditions in the story."

Thompson spent hours doing historical research. Thompson's ancestors were among the white families who followed the Cherokee Tribe into Indian Territory. Most of the scenarios are based upon stories from her and her husband's families, she said.

People have heard about the fighting between settlers and Indians, she said. In "Cherokee Friends," however, the story of their peaceful interpersonal relations is carved out for the reader, she said.

"Cherokee Friends" is part one of a trilogy Thompson plans to write. She is now working on a second book about how the family was affected by the Civil War. Her third book will be about a prisoner of war at Camp Gruber during World War II, she said. By SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

1 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

Report Comment

Few Clothes, America (11/29/2009 4:32:24 PM)

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.