An Interview with the author, Velda Brotherton

Fly with the Mourning Dove

Lauren Smith:  As an Arkansas historical author, what inspired you to write Fly With The Mourning Dove, a book about living in New Mexico?

 
Velda Brotherton:  My Dad was a great storyteller, and all my life I'd heard him talk about some relatives of my grandparents who had homesteaded on the high desert in New Mexico. He'd talk about a woman who lived alone for an entire winter in order to prove up the homestead. About the snow being higher than the roof, and how she'd managed her day to day chores. The stories fascinated me and I never forgot them. Then, I went to a writer's conference in Albuquerque, remembered that the daughter of this woman lived near Taos and called her. I ended up spending a week with her. She took me all over that breathtaking country, so different from Arkansas. I especially enjoyed an overnight visit to one of the ranches, which she still owned. There were no modern facilities. At night the stars rested so close to the ground they could almost be touched. The desert and its monochromatic vistas mesmerized me; I couldn't get enough of it or her stories about growing up there. I continued to visit with her every year, and one day, as she was talking about having read one of my historical romances, she said casually, "When you write a book about me, I hope you don't write it as a romance." So there it was, the challenge no writer can turn down.

 
Lauren Smith:  What was it like to write about someone who is still living? 

Velda Brotherton:  Scary and difficult. I didn't want to present her personality in a way that would offend her, yet I had a definite perception that she probably wasn't aware of. Are any of us really aware of how we come across to other people? Sometimes I would get too carried away telling some of her deepest thoughts and emotions and she would ask me to leave out something, but for the most part, we got along well in that respect. I was still very nervous when I sent her the completed manuscript after more than a year of working long-distance on it. When it came back with a post-it note on top saying only, "I'm satisfied," I breathed a sigh of relief. 

Lauren Smith:  What surprised you most about this process? 

Velda Brotherton:  That she could be so honest with me about the way some of the difficulties of her life affected her. I'm sure she held back a few things, wouldn't any of us? Yet she revealed things about herself that were very private. I think they come across well in the book and present her as she really is.

Lauren Smith:  What were you fascinated to learn about Edna's life?

Velda Brotherton:  How strong she was, and still is. She had her 93rd birthday this July, and is still very active physically and mentally. She keeps up with current events and has strong opinions that are well thought out. Her understanding of the political and emotional situations while she was growing up is amazing.

Lauren Smith:  What do you hope readers learn from Edna's journey?

Velda Brotherton:  That no matter the trials and tribulations in life, we can make our way safely through them and remain who we always wanted to be. She's the epitome of the western woman who stands up to adversity with a serene strength that is admirable.

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