How to Share a Ghost Story

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“Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.” – Dalai Lama

Book collector Harry Elkins Widener was 27-years-old when he stood on the deck of the Titanic and urged his mom to get on a lifeboat. He said he needed to go back to get a rare and precious book. He was never seen again and no book was ever found.

Here’s what I love about how we share. That story has persisted in the 113 years since the Titanic went down because it was shared. It lives on because Harry Elkins Widener’s mom built a library for him at Harvard complete with Memorial Rooms that house his desk and shared his rare book collection. I know of the story because the talented novelist Alyson Richman heard the story, did an immense amount of research, and then shared it in the form of her delightful latest historical novel, The Missing Pages. We humans really are amazing at our ability to share knowledge, stories, and legacy in so many ways.

On the latest episode of the How to Share podcast, Vicki Atkinson and I had the great fortune to talk with Alyson Richman about her incredible book, The Missing Pages. She tells us how she heard the story of Harry Elkins Widener from her daughter and was inspired to write this book.

Alyson has the amazing ability to inhabit the time periods she writes about – and they are different for each of her 12 bestselling novels. She tells us about her research process and how her insatiable curiosity helps to drive her storytelling and writing.

We talk about the unexpected gifts in writing. In this case, the story her daughter, Charlotte, brought home from a Harvard Campus tour. Alyson reminds us that you have to be open to receive unexpected gifts and the goodness that flows from them.

Alyson has done that beautifully in this book, embodying both the mother and son’s viewpoint as well as the rich historical context in her gripping story. It’s a ghost story, mystery, bibliophile adventure, and love-story all wrapped up in one delicious book.

This is a wonderful conversation with an incredible author about a fantastic book. We know you’ll love it.

Takeaways

  • Alyson Richman’s novel ‘The Missing Pages’ is inspired by a true story.
  • The book intertwines the past and present through a ghost narrative.
  • Richman emphasizes the importance of being open to unexpected gifts.
  • Her research process involves extensive historical exploration.
  • The themes of grief and memory are central to her storytelling.
  • Richman’s characters are deeply developed and emotionally engaging.
  • Historical facts serve as building blocks for her narratives.
  • Richman is currently working on a new novel about Edith Wharton.

Here’s Alyson talking about her inspiration:

Here are some ways you can watch this great episode:

Links for this episode:

How to Share a Ghost Story with Alyson Richman transcript

The Missing Pages on Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Alyson Richman’s website

From the Hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

41 thoughts on “How to Share a Ghost Story”

  2. So many angles to this story. The wealth of mother and son, the accident, a book thought so valuable to cost a young man his life, and how a mother gave her son a posthumous life. Thank you, ladies, all.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Oh my goodness, Wynne! This book…this conversation! Thank you to you and Alyson Richman for the opportunity to join you to talk about “The Missing Pages”. Alyson’s book will hold a spot in my heart for all time. So good! 💝

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Wynne, Mrs. B is a big Titanic junkie so I will pass along to her that backstory of the library at Harvard. Especially at this time of year, I’m always up for a ghost narrative. Sounds like a great read, and of course great advice to keep oneself open for the unexpected…even a ghost with a story to tell!

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  9. I have to admit that I was shocked to learn the Titanic story and poor Harry’s early death was a true story! It was quite inventive to twist the tried and true biography format by creating a ghost, thus turning the genre to fiction as well. I give Alyson kudos for doing that. You truly never know where the ideas will come from. This never ceases to amaze me. And the adoration Harry’s mom had for her son to actually build a library memorial for him is sad and sweet. And most importantly, true! What a mix; I enjoyed learning about it. Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Love your comment that you never know where the ideas will come from. I know you can relate to Alyson’s wisdom that we just have to be open to them. They might just come in our dreams, right? Thanks so much for listening and your delightful comments about this episode and story. Appreciate you so much!

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  10. I can’t wait to listen to this and to read the book. when I was in Ireland I went to the titanic exhibit in Belfast where it was built. we went on the self guided tour and there were so many stories, letters, artifacts, and it was very emotional and moving and no one left without tears running down their face. the stories were simply stunning. I can’t wait to read this

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  11. I’ve always been intrigued by the history and mystery around the Titanic, and this adds an entirely new layer. I’m very much looking forward to listening and reading!

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  12. What a beautiful conversation. If James Cameron ever does a sequel to the film, Titanic, here’s an amazing novel ready to be adapted. Love the idea of taking a historical story and weaving a novel around it. It’s interesting she told it from the perspective of the “soulful character” which adds so much depth and nuance to the story. Love this and I’ll be adding this to my reading list!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, I love your idea for this to be a sequel! It’s such a great book and that you picked up on the Soulful character comment. You have an amazing ability to zero in on the key points!

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