While researching for A Lady’s Maid, I found myself on numerous occasions, standing up and pacing. “How?” “Why?” Even the teenage, “I can’t even…” all rushed through my mind. Then I would rush back to the screen, trying to puzzle through how a human could come to another and say, “We want our voice to be heard.” And the response would be, “No.”
If you take out the politics, the gender, the labels, how could one human say to another, “I don’t want to hear you?” And not just once, but over and over again, “I don’t want to hear you.” For generations.
And I never found a satisfying answer.
But what I did discover was so emotional for me, I hope you have the same response while reading A Lady’s Maid.
- Women are amazing. They had a huge influence—even while undervalued, abused, and ground down upon, they still made a difference.
- Women persisted. They never gave up. Hundreds and hundreds of years of asking, they did not give up.
- Men that listen to, believe, and admire women are the real deal. They are one vital factor into why real change could finally happen.
And here’s one of the most powerful truths I learned. The story changes depending on WHO is telling it. That’s not because someone is making up stories. Or lying. But because point of view is everything. Two people can experience the same thing and come away with a totally different dialogue.
As I placed myself in the mind and heart of women in the 1800’s, asking for the right to vote, experiencing resultant abuse because their voice is not heard, I learned the power of Point of View. Who’s telling the story? And I imagined some of our own stories, the ones of ancient history. What more insight would we gain from a feminine point of view? What would the history of the world look like as told through a woman’s eyes? If I ever have the privilege to sit at the feet of some of the earliest women in our lives, I will drink from their perspective, soak in their wisdom, and joy in the telling and the listening.
With all the emotion running around in my heart at the launch of a new book, I’m mostly overcome with gratitude. For all the women, then and now who join the conversation, who take risks and stand up and speak, who raise figurative banners and say, over and over again…
I will be heard.
I will be heard.
I will be heard.
I will be heard.
I will be heard.
I will be heard.
I will be heard.
I will be heard.
I will be heard.
To you and to women everywhere, I salute you. I curtsy, or nod in your direction. I cry with you. I hug you. I cheer for you and I stand in silent vigil with you. Thank you for being you. I believe in God and I truly believe that when God sent women to this earth, He knew what the world could become because of us. Do not tread lightly, dear sisters. Add your voice to the conversation. In this remarkable day of communication, Be Heard.
I’m in the middle of reading A Lady’s Maid & am enjoying it so much, but feel like I entered into the middle of a story. Is this part of a series? Would it be helpful to read them in order?
Thanks for a very intriguing story!
Vicki Hess
Thank you for your question! I’m so sorry I didn’t see it until now. It is book TWO in the series. And I’m so sorry that you didn’t know. The Nobleman’s Daughter comes first.
What grabbed me to purchase A Lady’s Maid from Deseret Book was the quick reference, on the catalog page, to the massacre at Peterloo. I am a direct line descendant from Hugh Hornby Birley, who led the cavalry charge into the crowd that was surrounding Birley’s Mill. I look forward to reading your book[s] 🙂
This is so wonderful!!! The Nobleman’s Daughter covers The Peterloo Massacre in even greater detail.
Thank you for stopping by Sara!!! I love your comment. It’s so inspiring, thinking about women.
Beautifully said! I agree – women are amazing. I’m awed by their perseverance throughout history – whether cherished or devalued, they took care of business, and that demands respect. I can’t wait to see what you’ve found with this story!