I first became fascinated with the history behind Penikese Island when I stumbled upon a book, Island of Hope, by I. Thomas Buckley in 2010. When I learned the island had been home to The Penikese Island Leper Colony in the early 20th century, I was bewildered. Leprosy? In my home state of Massachusetts? In the 20th century? Wasn’t leprosy a thing of biblical stories?
These questions were enough to send me on a research frenzy. I read everything I could, not only about leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) but about the island and the patients. Leaving my toddlers at home with their dad, I ventured up to Boston (a place I had only been to on eighth-grade field trips) to Harvard’s Countway Library of Medicine to read the correspondence to and from the island concerning matters of the patients. I also took a trip to the island with my six-year-old son. A story began brewing in my mind–a story that has not let go of me for more than a decade.
As I learned more about the patients cast off to Penikese for the remainder of their lives, and those who ministered to them, my compassion grew. I wanted to tell their story. While my two main characters (Atta Schaeffer and Dr. Harry Mayhew), are fictional, many of the other characters in the novel are true-to-life people.
I was captivated by Dr. Frank Parker, and his wife, Marion, who ministered to the patients on the island from 1907 until the island’s closing in 1921. At that time, Dr. Parker could not find patients (no one wished to be treated by a man who’d doctored lepers for the last 14 years) and at the age of 66, was refused a pension. I was captivated by the upbeat spirit of the island’s longest resident, Goon Lee Dip (Willie Goon) who remained content despite his hopeless state. My heart broke over the story of Isabelle Barros, who gave birth to a healthy baby boy who was taken from her after only 20 days. I was inspired by Reverend Nathan Bailey, who had been assigned by the New Bedford Ministerial Union to represent all religions as he ministered to the patients. Reverend Bailey became a good friend and confidant of the patients, was not paid for his work, and continued on as the island’s chaplain until the hospital closed in 1921.
This is one of my favorite parts of writing historical fiction–bringing the past to life. Putting my readers (and myself!) in the shoes of those who lived these stories.
In 1973, the Penikese Island School was established as a private rehabilitation school for troubled boys. I was drawn to the fact that this island, in so much of its history, was intended for outcasts. Again, my compassion stirred. I wanted to bring light and hope into these stories. What better way, than a dual timeline novel about loving the unloveable, forgiving the unforgivable, and finding hope in the midst of the impossible?
Below are some pictures I took during my 2011 trip to Penikese.










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To learn more about my new novel, Hope Beyond the Waves (releasing in just a few days!), visit here.