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Special Author e-blast from Stephen Puleo
THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST release edition!
April, 2024
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Greetings loyal readers! I'm so excited to announce that my latest (eighth) book,
THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union, has been released!
This newsletter will focus on the new book (latest reviews, press coverage, etc.) and lists the events / appearances I'll be making in May and June. You can always find the events on my website, but I offer a little more detail here. It will be a busy Spring (and Fall) speaking season, but I welcome these appearances to share Sumner's compelling story with you!
I hope you'll visit The History Reader website, where you can read a column I wrote about the Sumner - Abraham Lincoln relationship (more on this below). And please check out my most recent blog, which summarizes how Sumner, during his first major antislavery speech, established freedom and equality as the underpinnings of the nation's founding (more on this below, too!).
You'll also find plenty of other "non-TGA" news in this edition that I think you'll enjoy.
With the publication of my eighth book, I feel enormously blessed in so many ways. Like all of my books, THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST would not be possible without your loyalty, encouragement, and support. For that, I want to express my eternal gratitude. I'm so grateful that you are members of my team.
Your direct emails to me at spuleo@aol.com (note that Google and other domain marketing rules required that Constant Contact send this newsletter from a slightly different address, but you can still reach me at mine!), plus your Facebook and Instagram responses, also give me a chance to do what I like best in my author life -- engage and communicate with you. Knowing you're "out there" inspires me every day.
In addition, we continue to make numerous updates to my Website that I hope will keep it fresh and make it more informative for you. Please check my site regularly to see updated events, content, and photos. Let me know how we're doing and if there's anything else you'd like to see on stephenpuleo.com. We have launched our new section on THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST, so please have a look. It contains excerpts, book club study questions, pre-publication reviews, and more (and we'll be adding new content to that as time goes on).
I welcome your feedback. I hear from so many of you after these newsletters go out and I love it!
Happy reading -- I truly hope you enjoy THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST -- and thanks again for your support!
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All the Latest News on THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST
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WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING...
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I've already shared with you some wonderful blurbs I received from authors and historians, and a great pre-publication "starred review" from Kirkus Reviews. Among other things, Kirkus called THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST "a wonderfully written book about a true American freedom fighter."
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I want to thank Harvard Law School student Tom Koenig for his thoughtful and outstanding review of THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST in American Purpose magazine, where he is also a contributing editor. Koenig called TGA a "masterful new biography" of Sumner and really captures the essence of the book in his thorough review.
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Some early reviews from readers are in and I'm very pleased! Here is a collection of advance reviews from Netgalley.com that shows readers have enjoyed THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST!
EARLY PODCASTS AND CABLE TV...
I've done some early podcasts and cable shows for THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST, with others scheduled. Here's a couple for you to enjoy when you have the time.
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Booknotes + on C-Span with the legendary Brian Lamb -- I had great fun on this podcast fielding questions from the man who has done this show for years and has his own inimitable style. The discussion (audio only) is about an hour. Don't be deceived (or deterred!) by the notation that the interview is two hours -- I was on Lamb's show for my book, THE CANING, several years ago, so the producers ran the podcasts back-to-back (each about an hour). Enjoy the interview here!
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Author Talk with Jim Dorman on Abington (MA) Community Access and Media -- The Town of Abington, which recently selected my book, THE CANING, as its townwide read, enjoys books and reading. I was thrilled to be a guest on Jim Dorman's "Author Talk" show to discuss THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST for one of the first times! We recorded this show in March -- before the book came out -- in anticipation of my appearance at the James Library and Center for the Arts in nearby Norwell, MA on May 21 (more on this event below). My thanks to Jim and Executive Director Kevin Tocci for this fine production, which you can watch here.
IF YOU LIKE AUDIOBOOKS...
AND YOU CAN READ MY COLUMN FEATURED ON THE HISTORY READER...
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The History Reader is an outstanding history website hosted by Macmillan Publishing, the parent company of St. Martin's Press, which published THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST. I hope you'll enjoy my column entitled "Charles Sumner Witnesses the Abraham Lincoln Magic." There are many examples of how Sumner and Lincoln learned from each other. One of those occurred in April 1865 at General Ulysses S. Grant's headquarters at City Point, Virginia, when Sumner witnesses Lincoln's strong connection with front-line soldiers.
AS WELL AS MY LATEST BLOG ON SUMNER'S FIRST MAJOR ANTI-SLAVERY SPEECH...
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As I say in my author's note to begin this new blog, I adapted this story from THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST because I thought it was important to highlight how Charles Sumner differed from other abolitionists. Sumner’s belief was that freedom and equality were America’s birthrights, and racists laws were a perversion of those ideals. He saw the government’s tolerance and support for the growth of slavery in the 1840s and 1850s as an ignorant misreading of the country’s founding documents, not an inevitable condition flowing from them. As one of his congressional eulogists declared, Sumner “believed in his country, in her unity, her grandeur, her ideas, and her destiny.” Let me know what you think!
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My Upcoming Appearances and Events for
THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST
-- Hope to See You At One (or more)!
I'm happy to have several events scheduled for THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST, most live and some on Zoom. It will be a busy May and June, but I'm really looking forward to discussing this book with you. Where possible below, I'll provide details and links for more information -- and as I mentioned above, we regularly update events on my website. This will give you a chance to mark your calendars early depending on where you live (for "live" events) and when you're available! All events are live UNLESS otherwise noted.
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MAY 2 - LAUNCH EVENT, Hull, MA; Nantasket Lecture Series, Nantasket Beach Resort, 45 Hull Shore Drive, 7:00 p.m. -- I've launched several books in Hull, at this beautiful location and others in this great town. This event will be held in the hotel's 1st floor Nantasket Ballroom, and I'd advise you to get there early, because Hull always draws a good crowd! The event is co-sponsored by the resort and the Friends of the Hull Public Library. Also, book sales for this event will be handled by Buttonwood Books & Toys in Cohasset, MA, a fantastic independent bookstore that has handled many of my events! Click here for more information.
MAY 4 - Sponsored by the Andover (MA) Bookstore, but the event is being held at the larger Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main St., Andover (MA), at 2:00 p.m. The Andover Bookstore is also a wonderful independent store that has always been good to me, so I hope you can support this great team! For more information, check in here.
MAY 6 - Sponsored by the Marshfield (MA) Council on Aging Lifelong Learning Program, 230 Webster St., -- Refreshments begin at 5:30 p.m., and my discussion begins at 6:15 p.m. Go here for more information (and scroll down to May 6). It's always a fun time in Marshfield.
MAY 9 (ZOOM event) - Presented by the American Inspiration Series from American Ancestors / New England Historic Genealogical Society, 6:00-7:15 p.m. Link here for registration and information on how to attend this special event! This series is always well done and always entertaining! I did an event for VOYAGE OF MERCY as part of this series, and participants and I really enjoyed ourselves.
MAY 13 -- Weymouth (MA) - Tufts Library, 46 Broad St., Weymouth, 7:00 p.m. I'm always excited to do a "hometown event," so I hope you can join me! You can find out all you need to know here.
MAY 15 - Winchester (MA) Public Library, 80 Washington St., 7:00 p.m. Another town that does a great job with events, and another town with a terrific independent bookstore -- Book Ends! You can link here for more information!
MAY 21 - James Library and Center for the Arts, 24 West St., Norwell, MA; 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30) -- I've done several events at this very special library, and they are always handled with great professionalism. You can register for the event and find out additional information here! And again, book sales will be handled by Buttonwood!
MAY 22 (Zoom event) -- Boston.com Book Club -- I'm thrilled that the club has chosen THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST as its May selection! This will be a discussion format with my friends at Buttonwood Books, moderated by Totsie McGonagle. Should be a fun event. Go here for more info!
MAY 23 (Zoom event) -- The Mark Twain House & Museum, 7:00 p.m. -- I'm honored to participate in this moderated discussion with this prestigious organization and its worldwide reach. I'm also looking forward to being interviewed by Duby McDowell, long-time Connecticut journalist, political commentator, and television host. Visit the museum's website for additional information and registration.
MAY 29 -- Reading (MA) Public Library, 64 Middlesex Ave., Reading, MA, 7:00 p.m. -- A great town and I anticipate a great event! Book sales will be handled by another independent, Whitelam Books -- I've never worked with them before, and I certainly look forward to it! Link here for more info!
JUNE 1 -- Barnes and Noble, Hingham MA booksigning - at the Derby Shoppes, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. -- What better way to spend part of a Saturday afternoon in June than to drop by and get a signed copy of THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST for Father's Day, graduation, or for any other reason? This store is located in the town next to mine, and I consider it my "home" B&N, so it will be great to see you! Find out more information here!
JUNE 6 - Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford (MA) Public Library - 7:00 p.m. It's always fun to talk history in this city with a rich history and a strong sense of community (and on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, no less). You can get details here. Just scroll down a bit once you reach the page.
JUNE 7 - Friends of the Wolfeboro (NH) Public Library Book & Author Luncheon, Bald Peak Colony Club, 180 Bald Peak Drive, Moultonborough, NH, 11:30 a.m. (registration required) -- I'm thrilled to participate in this event, along with New York Times besteslling author Lisa Gardner, to kick off the Wolfeboro/Lakes Region summer season! Note that the event is sponsored by the Friends of Wolfeboro, but it's being held in a large venue in nearby Moultonborough. Book sales will be handled by an independent that has been a fixture in Wolfeboro for years, The Country Bookseller. For more info, including the registration process, please go here.
JUNE 13 - Sponsored by The Forbes House Museum and the Milton Public Library, event located at Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Ave., Milton, MA 6:30 p.m. I spent some quality time at the Forbes House while researching VOYAGE OF MERCY, and the Town of Milton made VOM its community-wide read. They make a great collaborative team, so I'm sure this event for my new book will be top-notch! Go here for more info and to register!
JUNE 18 - Arlington MA; Robbins, Library, 700 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA, 7:00 p.m. - This event will be held in the Community Room on the lower level, and book sales will be managed by local independent, the Book Rack! You can find more information here.
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I hope to see you at one or more of my events -- and as I mentioned, you can stay informed on appearances by visiting my website events page, which is updated regularly. I already have several Fall events scheduled, which include a visit to a bookstore in Montgomery, Alabama, and attending the prestigious UMass-Dartmouth literary luncheon! | |
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In Other News...
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Many Thanks to this Naples, Florida Book Club for Choosing VOYAGE OF MERCY!
(and thanks to all clubs everywhere!)
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If you receive these newsletters, or follow me on social media, you know how grateful I am for book clubs and their constant support and encouragement!
Here, I'm offering a big thank you to this enthusiastic Naples, Florida club that was kind enough to read my book, VOYAGE OF MERCY. Member Peg Mongiello said the group focused its discussions on the roles of the book's lead characters -- USS Jamestown Captain Robert Bennet Forbes and Irish priest Father Theobald Mathew -- as well as Sir Charles Trevelyan, who managed the (poor) British response to the Irish famine. "Loved the writing and the history lesson," Peg reported.
Many thanks to the Naples, FL Book Club -- and all clubs -- for their support! Book club members are special people who love to read and who enjoy sharing their love of reading. Book clubs have supported me in a big way during my career as an author. And all book club members should know that I have a special section on my website for book clubs, which includes study questions for each of my books.
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I've Enjoyed Working With Scholastic on the
I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919 Graphic Novel
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A few issues ago, I mentioned that I was honored to be assisting a leading children's book publishing house on a graphic novel about the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 (as you know, the topic of my nonfiction book, DARK TIDE: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919). For legal reasons, I could not say too much more at the time.
Now, however, I can let you know that I was working with Scholastic as part of the publisher's enormously popular "I Survived" series. The graphic novel (shown here) is based on the children's fiction book of the same title by Lauren Tarshis, who is the author of the "I Survived" series (Lauren was kind enough to ask me to read the manuscript when the original book was published).
What a fun project the graphic novel was! Scholastic asked me to review graphics and dialogue to ensure authenticity and accuracy in the way the North End neighborhood and its people were depicted in 1919. Scholastic did its usual excellent job!
This was my first graphic novel project, and I'm so pleased that this dramatic story is being told in an exciting and compelling form!
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Two Great March events on Boston's
North and South Shores!
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I want to thank the communities and readers of Abington (MA) and Middleton (MA) for two great events in March.
The Town of Abington selected my book, THE CANING, as its community-wide read for 2024, and we had an outstanding discussion on March 14. I'm shown here with Library Director Deb Grimmett, who organized the event. I've spoken in Abington several times and have always been treated with "welcoming warmth" by residents. "Your comments about the research and writing process were insightful, and I know that the audience thoroughly enjoyed the question-and-answer session," Deb wrote to me afterwards.
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On St. Patrick's Day, I visited the beautiful Flint Library in Middleton (complete with its historic and spectacular stained glass window) to discuss my book, Voyage of Mercy, an appropriate topic for the day! The event was co-sponsored by the library and the North Shore chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). I'm shown here with Lou Hills, who presented me with a print of the USS Jamestown as it departed Boston for its mission to Ireland! This group engaged in an excellent discussion and asked some amazing questions -- a terrific way to spend a St. Patrick's Day afternoon.
Thank you Abington, Middleton, and the AAUW!
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Readers Speak! (And I Say "Thanks!")
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I'm always gratified to hear directly from readers, and over the last few weeks, I've heard from several about different books. Here are the opening lines of their comments -- the rest of their remarks, and the feedback of many other readers, can be found on the What Readers Are Saying section of my website!
From Phil Johnston (shown here):
Stephen Puleo’s book, A City So Grand, is a wonderful history of Boston during an important period in the development of our nation and the city of Boston. It is an absorbing and fascinating story that will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys a great history book….
From Mary Ann Walsh:
Thank you very much for traveling to Middleton on St. Patrick’s Day to speak with the people on the North Shore about Voyage of Mercy. You are an extremely animated and dynamic speaker, and we learned so much from you….
From George Colella:
I just finished Due to Enemy Action, and again what a great read. I was on vacation and finished it in four days. I just wish I brought another one of your books with me! …
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In addition, I'm thrilled when I hear from readers or organizations who start their emails with: "My friend suggested I read your book..." or "I know the person who organized your event at [fill in the appearance location], and she recommended that I contact you to speak to our group..."
For all the marketing strategies, and press releases, and reviews, this book / author business remains, at its core, a word-of-mouth endeavor. I want to thank all of you who have recommended one of my books to a friend or neighbor, suggested an organization have me as a guest speaker, urged a colleague to join my mailing list, or shared a social media post. These gestures are very much appreciated!
You can always contact me at spuleo@aol.com to set up a speaking appearance. If you're reading this, you're already on my mailing list, so I'd urge you to forward the newsletter to friends. They can join my list by either emailing me directly, or simply visiting my home page, scrolling down, and at the bottom right, fill in their email address and click the "GO" button (it's very easy).
Thanks again for spreading the word!
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My writing workshop is next week for
veterans and seniors at “The Room to Write!"
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I’ve taught many writing workshops during my career as an author, and I’m especially excited to work with “The Room to Write” to conduct writing presentations for the non-profit’s veterans and seniors writing groups. The first of these will be April 30 in Wakefield, MA. (with another coming in the Fall).
The Room to Write’s mission statement reads: “We work to provide those who want to write, love to write, and need to write with a quiet, communal, and supportive space within which they are able to thrive…to connect and support writers of all ages, abilities…to help them express themselves more effectively for academic, professional, and creative purposes.”
The veterans and senior group includes many writers of memoirs, fiction, and poetry, and focuses on the value of personal stories and histories as a means of expression and a way to improve the writing craft.
You can learn more about the workshop here.
I'm looking forward to working with this dedicated and enthusiastic group!
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As Always, a Few Books (besides mine)
for Your Reading Pleasure..
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Those of you who have received my e-blasts before know that I like to recommend nonfiction books (with an occasional fiction title thrown in, like this issue) from other authors that I think you'll enjoy. Many of you have let me know that you appreciate this, which I'm glad to hear. I love talking about books, so consider this our online conversation.
For previous books I've recommended, you can always go to my "What I'm Reading" section of my Website (this issue's selections will be added shortly).
My suggestions for this issue:
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LONGSTREET: The Confederate General Who Defied the South, by Elizabeth R. Varon
I made notes throughout this excellent book, which focuses on Confederate General James Longstreet's course change after the Civil War. Longstreet was always considered "Confederate # 3" behind Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee. He fought tenaciously for the Confederacy, including side-by-side with Lee at Gettysburg. After the war, though, Longstreet moves to Louisiana and makes one of the most remarkable about-faces in American history. He supported black voting, led the interracial state militia, embraced Reconstruction, and became an outcast in the South. Many white southerners subsequently blamed him retroactively for the South's defeat in the Civil War. Varon recounts this amazing story in a strong narrative way, including Longstreet's ongoing battle to save his reputation amidst withering criticism -- particularly with a narrative that he undermined Lee at Gettysburg.
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THE FORGERS: The Forgotten Story of the Holocaust's Most Audacious Rescue Operation, by Roger Moorhouse
Anytime I start to think I know all of the major story lines about the Second World War, along comes a compelling book to prove me wrong! The Forgers is one of those, dramatically (and for the first time) recounting the story of a group of Polish diplomats exiled in Sweden who, between 1940-1943, engaged in a wholly remarkable humanitarian operation. Working with Jewish activists, they mastermind a brilliant program of forging passports and other identity documents that were then smuggled into German-occupied Europe to save the lives of thousands of Jews facing extermination in the Holocaust. I knew nothing of this effort, perhaps not surprising because this is the first book on the topic. I hope you find this book as engrossing as I did!
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THE IRISH ASSASSINS: Conspiracy, Revenge, and the Phoenix Park Murders That Stunned Victorian England, by Julie Kavanagh
Call this a story of "historical true crime" told in a gripping narrative, another compelling story in the long saga of Irish-English bitterness. Disrupting a tentative moment of hope between Ireland and Britain, the impact of the assassinations of British officials was cataclysmic -- it destroyed a tentative peace pact, almost brought down the government, infuriated the Queen, shaped Irish politics for decades, and involved officials in Dublin, London, Paris, New York, and Cape Town, South Africa, among other locations. A long book, but fast-moving and definitely worth your time!
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(Fiction Special): DEAD OF NIGHT, by Simon Scarrow
I loved this book! What happens when, one bitterly cold night in Berlin, an SS doctor is found in his study from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound? The official determination of the Reich is suicide -- but the doctor's wife doesn't believe it, and at the risk of arrest from the Gestapo, neither does Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke. OK, that's all I can say -- except that the real-life history that is interwoven within the story narrative will shock you. Pick up this book as soon as you can, and clear your calendar for some reading time!!
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I'm concluding my message the same way I began -- by offering my profound thanks to you for all of your encouragement and support.
Thanks for your attendance at my author appearances, your emails, your visits to my website, your responses to my social media posts, your book purchases, and your general well wishes.
I'm truly honored and grateful that you're on the "Puleo team" -- those of you who have been with me for the entire 20 years, and those who have been kind enough to join along the way!
I hope you enjoy THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST -- please let me know your thoughts, and share your reviews at your favorite online sites (Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, etc.). Reader feedback is the most valuable feedback of all!
And please continue to reach out with your opinions and suggestions.
I'll be back with one more e-newsletter before summer, likely sometime in the latter half of June to give you a recap of THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST speaking tour, plus other pertinent news.
With much gratitude,
Steve
www.stephenpuleo.com
www.facebook.com/stephenpuleoauthor
https://www.instagram.com/puleosteve
spuleo@aol.com
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