GETTING HISTORY RIGHT

One of the chat rooms for writers is having a heated - well, lukewarm, anyway -- discussion about how historically accurate a writer of historical mysteries should be. (It's agreed that sci-fi and fantasy act under no such restrictions.) One writer was caught using a food that hadn't been introduced until 50 years later. My friend Susanne Alleyn writes riveting mysteries set during the French Revolution period. She changed a year because another year had the weather she needed for the story.

Call me a history snob but I couldn't do that -- at least I don't think I would. For one thing, I have a pretty accurate weather forecaster for my time period -- the 1690's in Colonial America -- in Samuel Sewall, who kept diaries and dutifully recorded each rain drop or snow flake that annoyed his Puritan existence. Sam was something of an old fuddy-duddy. He wouldn't even buy a coach so that his lady-friend could ride in style. She dumped him. Re: changing history to accommodate my story; I guess I have the fear that the entire Puritan Elect would come down on me with plagues of frogs or warts or something. (Repent, Friend Susanne, Repent!) As for the food issue, I don't think I would get that wrong. Fans tell me I write alot about food! Well, that's my favorite research. The amounts of food and drink the Puritans imbibed were prodigious. We have tavern bills to show what good times the ministers had when they convened! The average Puritan minister could drink our best lushes under the table. Forget your delicate appletinis or strawberry dacqueries; how about downing a Sparke's Secial: rum, beer molasses and bread crumbs! Iron men in wooden ships? How about iron stomachs on pewter plates?

How could I fail to do such basic research as what people ate? (Check elsewhere on this site for Hetty's Apple Pie.) And there's no excuse for me to get the clothing wrong, either, except perhaps for some confusing names for the same article of clothing. Puritans dressed well -- early in the settlements women defied any attempt make them dress like dowds -- they declared in no uncertain terms they would dress to match the grand ladies of London and Paris. There are many books out on clothing for the period. Customs are a bit dicier. For instance, funerals were merry affairs! There were no grave-side services because everyone was back at the house for the cakes and gifts of gloves or rings and exchanging gossip. Huge amounts of liquor had to be provided, rather like an old Irish wake. And Christmas? Forget it. Puritans did not believe in Christmas -- only Church of England people kept Christmas. Puritans worked as usual. But they had rather a sweet custom of "riding out" for a few miles with a friend who was leaving on a long trip. Wouldn't that make your trip more pleasant if you had a few friends to keep you company for those first few miles? I chose my period because I believe American history is as bloody and colorful as Medieval Europe. I try my best to show it the way it was. In doing so, I hope I change the picture we have in stereotype to a more realistic look at out Puritan ancestors. After all, if it weren't for them we wouldn't be here!