Setting: Where in the world?

Okay, right down to business here. I've known for maybe 5-6 years that I'd like to do a Shaker book, and settled fairly early on Kentucky, mostly because I had visited Pleasant Hill. In fact, I thought at first (for several years, actually) that I'd set the novel there--thought it would be more interesting for people to be able to read about a place they'd actually visited. And it's a beautiful place, as you can see from the gorgeous photos on the website. China would go to Pleasant Hil to an herb workshop, maybe, or to give a talk, or consult on a garden project, and (as usual) she would run into a mystery.

But then I began thinking about the mechanics of the mystery plot (I know, I know--YOU may not need a mystery in a China novel, but my editor does, and so do at least 50% of the readers). And when I got down to the nasty details--dirty tricks, maybe arson, certainly one dead body, maybe more, dastardly motives, buried secrets--Pleasant Hill seemed less and less like the right setting. Can you see why? The people who have restored the buildings and keep the grounds and staff the services are really nice people. I don't want to "victimize" or "villainize" any of them (even if only fictionally).

Also, when you use an actual site, you are bound by what exists or existed there, more or less. Take the village of Sawrey, for example, which I'm using in the Cottage Tales. It's a real place. You can go there and visit and look around and check the settings in the books against the village itself. But that's hard to do, and in some ways limiting. And I didn't want to do it for China's Shaker book. I wanted more freedom than that.

So I decided some months ago that this was going to be a fictional Shaker village. Yes, in Kentucky, but not at Pleasant Hill or South Union, the only two real Shaker communities in the state. I'd put it somewhere else--beside a mineral spring, say, where people could come for the "healing waters." (I thought first of a hot spring, but then Bill suggested a mineral spring--he didn't think there were any hot springs in Kentucky--and I like that idea better.)

So the book is set at Zion Springs, which is a fictional Shaker village northwest of Lexington, sort of, in an area where there is a rather famous mineral spring, Drennon Springs. I read about it once, and an Internet search turned it up again. Drennon was the site of cabins (1820s) and an hotel (1840s), which failed when an outbreak of cholera occurred there. (That would do it, wouldn't it?) The Shaker village itself, which failed in 1910 (about the same time that Pleasant Hill and South Union failed), is now the site of a "living museum," modeled on the one at Pleasant Hill. Since it's a fictional setting, I have more freedom in constructing it--I can create all the spaces I need for the plot. Since it's based on real-world places, however--Pleasant Hill, Drennon Springs--I have something concrete to start with. It will feel real, at least to me.

Today I finished the introduction (added some stuff about the Shakers' decline and fall), and started writing the first chapter. It's set in Pecan Springs, at a picnic, which gives me a chance to get all the Pecan Springs characters into the book. China doesn't want to go off on this jaunt to Zion Spring, but Ruby and the others are encouraging her to go. Setting this chapter in a familiar place, with familiar characters, will satisfy (at least partially) those readers who hate it when China leaves town on an adventure. And it helps to anchor the story in the context of China's on-going life, which as you know is what the series is really all about.

Word count (I'm going to start putting it here, at the end of the entry, so you can see where I am in the process): 3800. These books are usually around 85,000 words, so you can see I have a way to go.

Comments

[Ann Bevak]

Susan, I'm looking forward to the Shaker-based mystery! Our herb group is over 30 years old, and when we were more studious we studied the Shakers and I even did a simple talk on them for a group of Questers. Once we had a Shaker luncheon and lecture -- great fun. We had Sister Lettie's Beet Salad, Shaker Pork and Sage pies, and Shaker lemon pie for dessert.
There's a biography of Ann Lee called Ann The Word -- you've probably already found it in your meticulous research. The Pleasant Hill community was founded long after her death, however.
Thank you for the blog. I love reading it and all the other e-communications. I even listened to one of your lectures the other day.
Ann

[Pam]

Susan, This is really interesting to read about your thought process as you go through choosing the setting. I am very excited about this book because I love visiting Shaker villages and reading about the Shakers.
Are you going to do a map of your Shaker village like you do with your Cottage Tales?