By Book One in the FAITH Chronicles
An Aspiring Story Based on the Truth from Following a
German Family to Texas in 1840
In the early 1980’s this novel had its beginning preempted by another called the Struss Family History. The author, while wearing tall cowboy boots, trudged through many small country farms in Colorado, Austin, and Fayette Counties and dictated the many small etched tombstones in grown-up weeds. The index to the book had these cemeteries reflected of which my good friend Bill Stein at the Nesbitt Memorial Library in Columbus once told me it was one of the most utilized paperbacks in the archives for people searching their family histories.
One time, I went in to see the book and could not help laughing as it was taped back together from the daily use of it as a reference manual.
Additionally, I spent time weekly turning through the microfilm to follow one particular family from Oldenburg, Germany to Columbus and on to Frelsburg where they settled down near a good friend, William Frels.
The reason I am writing this intro to my blog today is that I have taken the original book, Adversity – Face to Face and rewriting it to be more accurate, better taglines, better descriptions and adding whatever substance I feel might help the reading enjoyment one might get from the novel. It is one of my earlier books, and there is so much more I want to say in the story other than just minor fixes. It will be under Sidney St. James the book will be written for the Second Edition.
So, without further a due, here is what my creative historical fiction novel is all about. (Actually, it borders on historical non-fiction only because of my adding and changing some names that may or may not have been actually involved.)
One would be hard-pressed to fully explain the impact that the Strauss Family descendants had in the State of Texas, as well as thousands of other immigrants from Germany, between the years 1836-1846. They came in substantial numbers and had such an impact on politics, economics, and the social life of Texas that much of the things that were, had begun a dramatic change by the mid 1850’s. Many history books are reflecting this period in history, including some the other has written in earlier works, but many are just that, history books, facts, and figures, so to speak. It is amazing how, as adults, we struggle during our childhood through the date-pocketed courses of history…bored, disenchanted, waiting only for the end of that cobwebbed test of endurance. What we find, in later years, is that history is the most fascinating and stimulating of all areas of knowledge. We can ask ourselves, why this unfortunate paradox? Has “history” really changed? The answer is…No!
What has changed is the presentation and the emphasis. In these Faith Chronicles, the author has chosen to write in creative nonfiction two in the series, while the first in the series is imaginative fiction, bordering on nonfiction. It explores and adds that narrative style to the telling of history, unlike the first five published history books by this author. However essential dates, names, and places may be to an expert understanding of history, they are not history, but only the checkpoints and framework of history. This novel is about people…real people, with blood and bones, loves and hates, strengths, passions, weaknesses and their belief in Jesus Christ, our Lord. History is joys and sorrows, failures and successes, heartbreaks and ecstasies. What is history? History is power, the exercise of power, and the vacuum of power. A relatively new genre too, one that this author has found intriguing in following the Johann Strauss family from Germany to Texas in the mid 1800’s, creative fiction and creative nonfiction takes the writing of history to a whole new level. From over thirty years of family research and the production of numerous history books, creative writing explores the history of people, real people! In this novel, it follows a typical German family through the painful decision-making process to leave Germany and pull up roots from generations and farming on the River Hunte near Rastede, Germany. They fight delays from unfavorable winds traveling through the North Sea, storms that take many lives onboard their vessel, contracting yellow fever and other terrible sicknesses, Indian attacks, and many other adversities. The Strauss Family face one misfortune after another during their ninety day trip from Bremerhaven, Germany to Matagorda, Texas. They do not travel alone as Faith is their most influential ally during their continued struggles against the many adversities. The ups and downs of this novel lean on the truth, and at first, it was considered to be a creative nonfiction attempt since the story has been told by real people. All the events and adversities were experienced by thousands of Germans during this time in history. There is truth in how most held tightly to the Faith in Jesus Christ during the many hardships suffered. This same Faith is contained in the following two creative nonfiction novels in this series, FAITH – Seventy Times Seven, an autobiography of the Reverend Ada Caston Slaton Bonds and THE ROSE OF BRAYS BAYOU – The Runaway Scrape, an autobiography of Dilue Rose Harris.
Galatians 2:20 – I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the FAITH of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Website is also under construction converting from an earlier business blog to an author-blog type of site. Please bear with us. www.SidneyStJames.com.
THE SIDNEY ST. JAMES SHOW 