Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for In a Grove of Maples by Jenny Knipfer

Today, I’m delighted to welcome Jenny Knipfer to the blog with a fabulous post about the research she undertook for her new audio book, In a Grove of Maples.

My research process is different for each project. Some of my books involved more intensive research, like my WWI novel, Silver Moon, set from Canada’s perspective, which I knew little to nothing about. I relied heavily on an online Canadian encyclopedia, various books, and wartime archives to graft history with my story. 

I research mainly online, pulling from reputable sources from university and government supported historical websites. On my projects I also supplement with books on the topic I am researching. When I can’t find what I need there, I dig a little deeper and search for books in the Wiscat or Worldcat library consortiums.

For In a Grove of Maples  I already knew much of how farming, good preservation, and household practices were back then from knowledge I’d built up over the years, stories my dad told me, and insight into machinery at the time from my brothers, who are farmers and have a knowledge base of older implements. 

I did rely on a history book of the local town to help give me a better feel for a few details, and my brother, who was the county clerk of courts for many years, checked on burial regulations for me.

Though the story is inspired by my grandparents and their lives as Wisconsin farmers in the 1890’s, I mixed in only a few personal details, mostly because that’s all I have. I know very little about them. Their purchase of the property, my grandfather lumbering up north, the death of their first son, and some physical and personality traits are based on fact. 

Never having been blessed to meet my grandparents—they died years before I was born—I used creative leeway in bringing how their story may have started to life. I remembered some things my dad told me about them and my older siblings shared a few things they knew that I didn’t, and the story of Edward and Beryl Massart took shape. I did not use my grandparents’ real names.

I am very familiar with the setting of the area, as it is the farm that I grew up on. Although looking very different today, the basic layout of the farm remains the same. Old pictures helped me some. However, the first photo my siblings and I have is from 1924, nothing earlier than that. When they bought the place, it only had a log cabin and a log barn. The log cabin logs can still be seen upon entering the farmhouse. The smaller cabin was expanded into a larger house, rather than being torn down. My nephew and his family now live on and own the farm.

Thank you so much for sharing your research process with me. It’s fascinating that the story is set in a place you know so well. Good luck with the new book.

Here’s the blurb;

“… a heartfelt tale of the struggles of married life on a nineteenth-century farm. Edward and Beryl are both relatable and sympathetic. Knipfer expertly captures the emotion and stress of their lives and relationship. It’s a touching and realistic portrayal of love, loss, and friendship.” Heather Stockard for Readers’ Favorite five-star review

A HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE PERILS OF NEWLYWED LIFE AND ALL THAT COMES TO DIVIDE LOVERS

In 1897 newly married Beryl and Edward Massart travel more than one thousand miles from Quebec to farm a plot of land in Wisconsin that they bought sight-unseen. An almost magical grove of maples on their property inspires them to dream of a real home built within the grove, not the tiny log cabin they’ve come to live in. 

Misunderstandings and tempers get the better of them when difficulties and troubles arise. Just months after they wed, Edward leaves pregnant Beryl in the midst of the coming winter to tend the farm and animals while he goes to be a teamster at a northern Wisconsin logging camp. 

Will Beryl and Edward walk into the future together to build their house of dreams in the grove of maples, or will their plans topple like a house of sticks when the winds of misunderstanding and disaster strike?

Readers of Christian historical fiction, Historical fiction, Women’s fiction, and Christian historical romance will be endeared to this slice of late 19th century farm life.

Available on Kindle Unlimited

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Meet the author

Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken, and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling.

Spending many years as a librarian in a local public library, Jenny recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disability. Her education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions.

She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, Wisconsin Writers Association, Christian Indie Publishing Association, and Independent Book Publishers Association.

Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set. A new historical fiction, four-part series entitled, Sheltering Trees, will be released in 2021 and 2022. Jenny is currently writing a novella series entitled, Botanical Seasons. 

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Don’t forget to check out the other stops on the In A Grove of Maples blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club.