“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:
- The podcast player embedded below
- Click this link to watch in a browser: How to Share a Ghost Story with Alyson Richman
- Subscribe to How To Share on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
- Subscribing to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@howtosharepodcast
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Links for this episode:
How to Share a Ghost Story with Alyson Richman transcript
The Missing Pages on Barnes & Noble and Amazon
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
Surprised By Joy 