Shaking her family tree led this writer to craft a novel

Stockholm — Retiree Valerie Josephson was inspired to research her family tree after reading Alex Hailey’s groundbreaking novel “Roots” in the late 1980s. From that initial exploration into her family history, Josephson embarked on a 10-year journey that ended with an historical novel, “Who Would Not Be a Soldier: The Boys of the 20th Maine,” a book for young adults based on her great-grandfather. Josephson’s ancestor joined the famed 20th Maine regiment when he was 19 years old and was wounded in the Battle of Little Round Top, spending four months in a convalescent hospital. Josephson spent nearly seven years learning all she could about her great-grandfather using U.S. Census materials, county histories and family historical records. “I spent several years going back and forth to Maine,” Josephson says, “learning all I could about my family. One local school teacher gave me a will she had that showed my family immigrated to Bath, Maine in 1835 from England. I have battle records from the Civil War showing my great grandfather’s thumb was shot off, and that he was seriously wounded in the side on July 2 at the Battle of Little Round Top.” Turning it to fiction Her book’s main characters, two young men from small farms in Maine, are reluctant soldiers who join when President Lincoln calls for recruits in July 1862. They are subsequently involved in one of the most famous battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Little Round Top at Gettysburg. “I like to call this book the Butterball turkey of historical novels because it will appeal to the history geek like me, and all ages. Although the book is written for young adults from 12 to 17, I think everyone who is fascinated by history and the Civil War will enjoy it.” Josephson spent more than two years writing the novel, enlisting help from her screenwriter daughter during the editing process. To get the novel published she initially sent letters to major publishing houses, but few were willing to publish it. “I think a lot of them were scared by the 30 pages of endnotes I have. I wanted young adults to see how the research was done,” she said. “That was such a large part of the book. Kids need to know how to do research and anyone who likes history will appreciate seeing the process illustrated.” Self-publish, self-promote Ultimately, Josephson decided to publish the book herself, enlisting the help of Civil War re-enactors for the photographs, and designing the cover. Then she handed it over to the TNG Creative Group in Kinnelon for typesetting, binding and printing. Since August, she’s sold several hundred copies at local bookstores in Maine and through her Web site www.whowouldnot.com as well as through her speaking engagements. “My target goal this year was to keep it local, sell it at places like Annie’s Bookstop in Wantage. I’m already at a second shipment to the Maine bookstores. It’s been a very enriching experience, and I’m already working on another.”

A bit of background
Organized on Aug. 20, 1862, the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a combat unit of the United States Army during the Civil War, most famous for its defense of Little Round Top at the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg.Source: Wikipedia