Jodie Wolfe is our guest today.
She wrote a book called To Claim Her Heart.
Today, Jodie will share the story behind her story.
In 1893, on the eve of the great race for land, Benjamin David prays for God to guide him to his Promised Land. Finding property and preaching to the lost are his only ways of honoring his deceased fiancée. He hasn’t counted on Elmer (Elsie) Smith claiming the same plot and refusing to leave. Not only is she a burr in his side, but she is full of the homesteading know-how he is sadly lacking.
Obtaining a claim in the Cherokee Strip Land Run is Elsie Smith’s only hope for survival, and not just any plot, she has a specific one in mind. The land’s not only a way to honor her pa and his life, but also to provide a livelihood for herself. She’s willing to put in whatever it takes to get that piece of property, and Elsie’s determined to keep it.
Her bitterness is what protects her, and she has no intentions of allowing that preacher to lay claim to her land . . . or her heart.
Learn more and purchase a copy.
What inspired you to write this book?
September 16th will mark the 125th anniversary of the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893. It was our nation’s last great race for land. 115,000 people showed up to race for 42,000 plots. I can clearly picture that day. It was hot and dry. Folks gathered along nine different starting places located along the Kansas border and south of the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma Territory.
All manner of conveyances could be seen—people on foot, horseback, buggies, wagons, bicycles, trains, etc. I can easily imagine the chaos as all those assembled awaited the gunshot that would signify the start of the race at noon. People were desperate. The country had undergone an economic catastrophe with the plummet of the New York Stock Exchange due to the overinvesting in the railroads. Many businesses that depended upon the railroad were forced to close their doors. Quite a number of banks either closed or called in loans.
Such is the backdrop for my new novel, To Claim Her Heart. This book is special to me because it was my dear mother-in-law who introduced the history of the land run. She had several relatives who completed in the land race and found claims. I wove some of the family stories into the book as a way to honor her.
I vividly remember the summer of 1997 when we stopped off in Oklahoma to see one of those original properties. My sons and I tromped over the land and saw the homestead that was built in 1894. The first home had been a soddy that didn’t last longer than a year.
The rock home I saw was partially built into the side of a hill and in a state of disrepair. A stream gurgled nearby and within a couple of miles, the Gloss (Glass) Mountains cropped out of the landscape. It didn’t take much for me to start imagining characters tromping through the area and choosing to settle there.
What an amazing story! Thanks for sharing.
Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA) and has been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests.
A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at Crosswalk, Christian Devotions, and Heirloom Audio.
She’s a contributor for Putting on the New and Stitches Thru Time blogs.
When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie.
Follow Jodie on social media:
Website: https://www.jodiewolfe.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jodie-Wolfe-553400191384913
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JodieAWolfe
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/JodieAWolfe
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15220520.Jodie_Wolfe
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2JZZcqw
Jodie is giving away a copy of To Claim Her Heart. Follow the directions below to enter.
It must have been amazing visiting the old homestead. My mom and I drive through the countryside where she was raised and she points out where houses she grew up may have been. Nothing there and she can’t remember exactly but it’s fun to hear her stories. Thanks for sharing!
I can imagine that’s interesting to hear your mother’s stories, Linda.
Interesting never heard of it.
It’s such a fascinating time period, Kim. 🙂
Thank you for having me here, Liz.