Published in October 2019, this book draws on abundant primary resources and combines elements of narrative nonfiction, history, biography and memoir to illuminate a fascinating period of American history through the eyes of my grandmother, Rachel Whitcomb. Rachel worked at three different New England settlement houses from 1913 to 1922. These organizations were similar to modern-day community centers, but with a focus on assisting immigrants and their families.
During her career, Rachel also pursued her other passion of writing. She kept extensive written records through journals, poems and newspaper articles. Her written words painted a vivid portrait of the world in which she worked – infused with the perspectives and reflections of a traditionally brought-up young New England woman in a new and evolving environment.
Rachel was a lifelong writer, as was my mother Charlotte. That three-generation bond of creativity was strengthened through my childhood. Years later, the idea for this book was born when I read Rachel’s 1913-1914 journal. I spent about 12 years off and on, meticulously researching and writing Rachel’s personal story, while weaving that narrative into the backdrop of the Progressive Era, immigration issues of the day, settlement houses and the early days of social work. During that process, different aspects gradually unfolded to enrich the story: my relationship with my grandmother, her life as a writer, and profiles of two of Rachel’s settlements that are still in the business of helping people—more than a century after the settlement idea came into being.
Courage Says “Keep On” was published in October 2019 and is available for purchase at Amazon.com.
