Guest post written by A Tiny Piece of Blue author Charlotte Whitney
Raised on a family farm in Michigan, Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set in the rural Midwest. Coming out in February, 2025 is A Tiny Piece of Blue, a stand-alone historical novel about a homeless teenager during the Great Depression. The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery has received three writing awards. It follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with much critical acclaim and commercial success. In addition, she has authored I Dream in White, a contemporary romance, How to Win at Upwords, a nonfiction book about her favorite word game, and a self-help book, Win- Win Negotiations for Couples. She received a master’s degree in English and served as associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts at the University of Michigan. She lives in Arizona with her husband and two Labrador retrievers. For more information visit her website.
A small town public library plays a huge role in my forthcoming book, A Tiny Piece of Blue, and not surprisingly, my local public library plays a large role in my life. Librarians have helped me research topics as esoteric as postage stamps from the Civil War era, grain silos during the 1930s, and county fairs during the Great Depression. Also, they’re constantly processing interlibrary loan materials for me, making suggestions for other research paths, and generally putting a smile on my face.
I must say it went against my grain to include a villainous librarian in the aforesaid book. But darn it, a character named Doris, a librarian, kept pushing and pressuring me to make her way into the story. Doris got her way, and I’m sorry to say she’s not a pleasant person like the librarians I know. I didn’t mean to besmirch the image of these talented professionals, but when Doris fought her way into the manuscript she was relentless. Also, I do love creepy villains. So Doris remains in the book as well as her not-so-sweet husband who is involved in some immoral and illegal money-making schemes. I must confess that in the entire course of my lifetime I’ve never met an unpleasant librarian. To atone for the presence of Doris in A Tiny Piece of Blue I’ve dedicated the book to all librarians.
Last year I served as Writer-in-Residence of my local library in Tempe, Arizona. My responsibilities included delivering several workshops on writing topics as well as meeting with individuals who were seeking advice on specific pieces of their writing. Keep in mind I write historical novels, so when both a poet and a playwright appeared on my schedule I wondered if they were going to be giving me advice rather than vice-versa. However, it all played out well. The playwright wanted help with an interview she was giving for an NPR segment and the poet needed assistance in getting her webpage up and running. Both tasks resided within my wheelhouse, and we all left happy.
One day when I had an hour free of appointments, I decided to use the time to promote the library on my social media pages. I thought I knew the library well and I didn’t think this particular day was extraordinary. My self-imposed mission was to develop a photo essay exploring the many services our library offered. Was I in for a surprise! I discovered many features I had known nothing about. I started with the seed library that contained seeds for herbs, flowers, and vegetables. Not having a green thumb I chose not to borrow any, but my friends were interested. Next I encountered a story-making machine which typed out a story for me, based on the number of words I wanted. After that I popped into a conference room where two friendly librarians from the Library for the Blind shared their information with me, including how to use audio book players. Soon I found myself downstairs in the children’s section with parents on the floor playing games with small children, an adult in a dragon costume and a huge selection of picture books. When I got back upstairs I found shelter information for the homeless, books about becoming a U.S. citizen, and information on a local writing contest. A shelf of recent bestsellers beckoned me. They could be borrowed for only one-week with no renewals, and they were flying off the shelf.
I fully believe public libraries play an important role in our communities and function in promoting our democratic values. In A Tiny Piece of Blue, one of the main characters, Alberta states, “I love everything about libraries . . . Free books and clean places to study. A library gives people like Silstice and me opportunities. In school you can only take a few classes every year, but you can learn hundreds of things at the library.” I concur with Alberta. Cheers to public libraries and to the librarians who serve us.
