Forever and Forever (Historical Proper Romance) (39 page)

1875:
The Masque of Pandora and Other Poems
is published.

1876:
Poems of Places
is published.

1878:
Keramos and Other Poems
is published.

1880:
Ultima Thule
is published.

1879: Henry writes
The Cross of Snow
in tribute to Fanny. It is not published until after his death.

1882:
In the Harbor
is published.

March 24, 1882: Henry dies at Craigie House in the same room and in the same bed where Fanny had died twenty-one years earlier.

March 26, 1882: Henry is buried at Mount Auburn cemetery alongside his two wives and his daughter, Fanny.

1883:
Michael Angelo: A Fragment
is published.

Bibliography

Calhoun, Charles C.
Longfellow.
Boston Massachusetts: Beacon Press, 2004.

Irmscher, Christoph.
Public Poet, Private Man; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow at 200.
Boston Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press in Cooperation with the Houghton Library, Harvard University, 2009.

Tharp, Louise Hall.
The Appletons of Beacon Hill.
Little Brown and Company—Boston-Toronto, 1973.

Wagenknecht, Edward, editor.
Mrs. Longfellow: Selected Letters and Journals of Fanny Appleton Longfellow 1817–1861.
London, England: Peter Owen Limited, 1959.

Discussion Questions

1. Prior to reading this book, were you familiar with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, his poetry, or his courtship of Fanny Appleton? If so, were there things about their story that surprised you? If not, what elements of their story touched you the most?
   
2. Have you ever traveled to Boston or Cambridge? What are your impressions of those two locations? If you could travel to any European country, which one would it be and why?
   
3. How do you feel about Henry having sent the body of his first wife, Mary Potter, back to Boston unattended after her death? Should he have ended his Grand Tour early to tend to his family?
   
4. In America, many colleges and universities require two years of foreign language training. How does that factor into Henry’s feelings regarding the teaching of language? Do you feel that learning another language is worthwhile? Do you speak a foreign language?
   
5. Do you enjoy poetry? What is your favorite poem or poet? Do you feel that poetry—as opposed to prose—is more successful in touching our hearts and minds?
   
6. Fanny undergoes a substantial change of heart regarding her feelings for Henry. Have you experienced or seen a similar change in modern relationships? What, in your opinion, might change someone’s mind regarding how they feel about a person?
   
7. Henry and Fanny’s seven-year courtship is certainly unusual by today’s standards, where the average courtship lasts between two to three years. The Longfellows went on to have six children and enjoyed nearly twenty years of a very happy marriage. Do you think that a longer courtship can result in a happier union?
   
8. Fanny embarks upon a spiritual journey to find God’s path for her. Have you had a time in your life when you have undertaken a similar pursuit? What motivated you to do so, and what was the result?
   
9. Was there a particular scene or sentiment expressed in this book that stood out to you? Why?
   
10. At the time this story takes place, men tended to form very deep friendships that in today’s culture might almost seem romantic. Henry maintained many of these close friendships throughout his life. What do you think has changed in our culture regarding male friendship? Or has it?
    

Acknowledgments

In December 2014, Heidi Taylor and Lisa Mangum from Shadow Mountain asked if I would be willing to write a different kind of love story. They wanted a historical romance novel based on a real person—preferably a literary figure. It was an exciting prospect for me, and we talked about their expectations. I told them that my biggest concern was that I’m not a “literary” writer. I have read exactly one Jane Austen novel—though I watch the movies over and over—and I relied on CliffsNotes to get through my high school English classes. I doubted I could answer the $200 question in a “Literature” category on
Jeopardy
. Still, they were sure I was the right choice.

I spent weeks trying to find a person who was well-known and had a beautiful love story. It was a much harder prospect than I expected it would be, but then I discovered the amazing seven-year courtship story of Henry Longfellow and Fanny Appleton. The research was intimidating and trying to recreate these people authentically was overwhelming at times. Two things proved very helpful. First, I was able to visit Boston and Cambridge with my daughter, Madison, and my good friend Jennifer Moore—the trip made a huge difference. Second, Henry was mindful of his legacy while he was alive and preserved a lot of information. By the end of this project I was absolutely in love with Henry and Fanny, and I am humbled to have had this chance to try to bring them to life.

Thank you to Heidi and Lisa, who gave me this invitation and then made the final version prettier than I could ever do on my own. Big thanks to Jennifer and Madison for traveling with me to Boston and letting me geek out over the history there. Jennifer also read through the finished manuscript on a very short timeline.

Thank you to my writing group: Nancy Allen (
My Fair Gentleman,
Shadow Mountain 2016), Becky Clayson, Jody Durfee (
Hadley Hadley Bensen,
Covenant 2013), and Ronda Hinrichsen (
Simply Anna,
Covenant 2015).

Big thanks for the readers who have followed me into a new genre—historical romance—and who have been so kind and encouraging.

This book also marked a change in our family dynamics: my husband, Lee, moved his office home so that I could write nearly full-time while he took on more responsibility at the home front. I don’t know how I could have written this without being able to immerse myself into the project. I thank him with every breat>h in me for all the support and sacrifice he gives me. Thanks to my kids for their continued support as well, and for my Heavenly Father, who has put so many opportunities in my path.

About the Author

Josi is the author of twenty-five novels, one cookbook, and a participant in several co-authored projects and anthologies. She is a two-time Whitney award winner—
Sheep’s Clothing
(2007) and
Wedding Cake
(2014)—and the Utah Best in State winner for fiction in 2012. She and her husband, Lee, are the parents of four children. You can find more information about Josi and her writing at josiskilpack.com.