Pre-Civil War Novel Set in Lawrence Published
Allegiance Press has released the historical fiction novel, Kate’s Crucible: A Bleeding Kansas Novel by Elmer Fuller. The story follows Kate Collins, a nineteen-year-old single woman who travels to the Kansas Territory to teach school and support the free-state cause. However, nature, romance, and political violence disrupt Kate’s plan. She must confront her feelings and damaged relationships to find her true path.
The establishment of Lawrence, Kansas, serves as the setting. Fuller utilized early histories and the digital archives of the Kansas Historical Society and the University of Kansas Libraries to accurately portray the new town and the political tensions during the summer of 1855 when pro-slavery ruffians intimidated free-state settlers on the streets of the new town.
The book has earned praise from award-winning and best-selling author Johnnie Alexander, saying the main character “isn’t the typical romantic heroine. The author has given her ‘flaws’ that won’t go away and yet make her even more interesting.”
His research for another book unearthed a historical character, Kate Kellogg, who inspired the novel’s main character, Kate Collins. Fuller’s fascination with the motivations that would prompt a single woman to emigrate to the territory provided the seed for his book. Kate’s Crucible is available at Amazon.
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