Mary Glickman, who lives on Seabrook Island and is known for her previous three novels, has just published her fourth, titled An Undisturbed Peace. She will discuss her new book on Low Country Live (ABC-WCIV) this Thursday, February 4, 10:00 am to 11:00 am. She has also been interviewed by Charleston City Paper about the book.
Who better to describe this action-packed, historical novel than Pat Conroy, who says:
“Mary Glickman’s powerful new novel is the finest depiction of the infamous Trail of Tears that I have ever read. The forced removal of the Cherokee nation from its ancestral homeland in the southern Appalachia and its forced relocation in Oklahoma is one of the darkest and most fascinating dramas of a shameful American past. Glickman turns this to literature by her brilliant portrayal of three unforgettable characters. Their story is riveting, and Mary Glickman is a wonder.”
Such an endorsement is high praise from a master story-teller. The book is available at Indigo Books in Freshfields Village and also carried by on-line retailers.
Mary has certainly hit her stride now but she worked hard to get to this stage. She was raised by a book-oriented family, reading widely and writing her first novel at age 11, one she describes as a Perry Mason thriller. Dark poetry followed in her teen-age years. Not until she participated in a masters degree program in creative writing at Boston University did she get serious about her writing and pen her first novel.
Afterwards, to support herself, she wrote for business and non-profit organizations. Her husband eventually encouraged her to focus on writing novels, her true love. For thirty years she honed her craft. During this time none of her work got published though she did receive some awards, and publishers were encouraging. She explained that the writing sustained her: “I became what I do”.
When she started writing “Southern novels”, her work took off. She said it may have been that the time was right. At the time The Help was receiving much acclaim. She wrote her first three published books in the style of oral narrative, the style of Southerners sitting on their back porch telling stories. As she put it,
“As an historical novelist, it’s important when creating the ambiance of an era to keep character primary and historical detail – or the time period’s zeitgeist – the setting. Whatever the era, people are always the same. They want love, security, a home. They show the same emotions, whether jealousy, greed, or courage.”
Home in the Morning, her first book, has been under contract to be filmed. Mary is not sure when because the producer got involved with other productions. The second, One More River, received the National Jewish Book Award Finalist in Fiction. Her third book is Marching to Zion.
These three books are tied together through characters that show up repeatedly. Many of her characters are Jewish. She converted to Judaism in her twenties. These books explore many themes, including racial relations, friendships, and family ties.
Enjoy seeing Mary this Thursday (Feb. 4th) on Low Country Live.
—Sally Kimball, Tidelines Editor