Mary Roberts Rinehart - America's "Agatha Christie"

 By Mary Dodge Allen

Mary Roberts Rinehart, (Public Domain)

This amazing woman was the First:

• Best-Selling American Female Mystery Writer
• American Female War Correspondent (WWI)
• Breast Cancer Survivor to go Public and Encourage Breast Exams

Early Life

Mary Ella Roberts was born on August 12, 1876 in Allegheny City (now northern Pittsburgh). She was the oldest of two daughters born to Tom and Cornelia Roberts. Her father ran a profitable business selling sewing machines, and her mother worked from home as a dressmaker.

When Mary was a young girl, her father lost his sewing machine franchise. He tried his hand as an inventor, but his unprofitable inventions only plunged them deeper into debt. The family finally moved in with Mary's grandmother, but the financial stresses continued. 

Mary loved reading and also enjoyed writing short stories. While still in high school, she won a Pittsburgh Press short story contest. After graduation, her Uncle John generously offered to pay her way through nursing school. At the age of 17, Mary began attending the Pittsburgh School for Nurses at Pittsburgh Homeopathic Hospital.

During her nursing training, Mary was distressed by all the disease and death at the hospital. She later described it as "all the tragedy of the world under one roof." Mary's personal life would also be touched by tragedy. When she was 18, her grandmother fell down the stairs and broke her neck. A year later, Mary's father committed suicide.

Marriage

The one bright spot during her nursing training was her relationship with a young surgical intern - Dr. Stanley Rinehart. The hospital prohibited doctors and nurses from socializing, but that didn't stop them. Mary recalled, "How young we were, how secret we had to be."

Mary and Dr. Stanley Rinehart walking down a Pittsburgh street. (Public Domain)

They married in 1896, after Mary graduated from nursing school. The couple established a private medical practice, which they ran together in their home. In between the births of their three sons, Mary spent her free time writing short stories and poems. She earned a small amount of income each time one was published.

Financial Crisis

During 1903-04, the stock market took a severe downturn. Her husband Stan had invested heavily in stocks, and they lost their entire savings. Mary later wrote in her autobiography, "What could I do to help? I thought once more of writing but I was always so deadly tired."

Mary with her three sons. L-R: Stanley, Jr., Alan and Frederick "Ted" (Public Domain) 

Even so, the busy mother of three young sons went to work, "writing fast and furiously" at a card table. In that first year, she write 45 short stories and earned $1,842.50, (amounting to $58,000 today).

Even after her success writing short stories, Mary still had doubts. "I had no confidence in my ability... no desire whatever to write a book. A book was for real writers."

An editor with Munsey's Magazine, who had published one of her stories, encouraged her to try writing books. Her first mystery novel, The Circular Staircase was published in 1908 and became a best-seller.

In 1909, the Saturday Evening Post began publishing many of her short stories, and by 1911, she had written five mystery novels and began writing stage plays. Mary said she could "think faster than she could write, [and] devise plots and put them on paper with amazing speed."

Her financial success enabled the family to purchase a mansion in Sewickley, a wealthy Pittsburgh suburb. They also traveled with their sons to various countries overseas, which later became settings for her novels.

War Correspondent

After the outbreak of war in 1914, Mary expressed her interest in becoming a war correspondent for the Saturday Evening Post. The Post's editor objected, thinking a war zone was too dangerous for a woman. 

Mary then had what she called, "a grave conference with my husband" and obtained Stan's consent to travel to London to attend the opening of her play, Seven Days.

When she approached the Saturday Evening Post a second time, the editor - realizing how popular Mary had become with the Post's readers - agreed to finance her trip to London. He even gave her formal letters of introduction, so she could conduct interviews and write articles for the Post, while safely in England.

But Mary had more ambitious plans. After arriving in London during the Spring of 1915, Mary met with Lord Northcliffe, publisher of the London Times and asked him if she could tour war zone hospitals in Belgium and write articles for the Times. The publisher was impressed by her spirit and determination and arranged for her to travel to De Panne, Belgium and stay at the Red Cross's Hospital L'Ocean.

Red Cross's Hospital L'Ocean, De Panne, Belgium during WWI (Public Domain)

Mary was thrilled. "I am to go to the firing line." - an excerpt from her diary.

While there, she not only toured hospitals, but she also joined male journalists as they traveled to "No Man's Land," the barrier of one thousand feet that separated the weary troops on both sides, who were living in dismal muddy trenches.

From April to June 1915, Mary wrote wartime articles for both the Post and the London Times. She also interviewed Belgium's exiled King Albert, Britain's Queen Mary of Teck, (wife of King George V), and Winston Churchill.

Mary's article appeared in the June 19, 1915 issue of the Post (Saturday Evening Post)

Her Return to America

Mary loved the outdoors, and soon after she arrived home in the late Summer of 1915, she traveled out west to the newly-established Glacier National Park, where she camped, hiked and fished. She kept notes and then described her often humorous adventures in a book, Through Glacier Park, published in 1916.

Mary camping in Glacier National Park (Public Domain)

In 1922, Mary and her husband relocated to Washington, DC, where Stan began working for the Veterans Administration. Mary's prolific writing thrived. Her comedic mystery play, The Bat, (co-written with Avery Hopwood) ran for 867 performances in New York and 327 performances in London.

In the early 1930's, as the Great Depression worsened, the Rineharts lost money on many of Stan's investments. Mary continued earning a steady income writing mystery novels, as well as articles for the Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan and the Ladies' Home Journal.

On October 28, 1932, Mary's beloved husband Stan died of a heart attack. As she dealt with her grief, she decided to spend the winter on Florida's Gulf Coast, with her adult sons and their families. They enjoyed this so much, they returned to sunny Florida every winter.

Mary with her sons, L-R: Stanley, Jr., Alan and Frederick "Ted" (Public Domain)

Mary loved wearing fashionable outfits (Public Domain)

Breast Cancer

In 1935, Mary moved from Washington, DC to a Park Avenue apartment in New York City. The following year, while wintering in Florida, Mary discovered a lump in her breast. She returned to New York, received a diagnosis of breast cancer and had a radical mastectomy. After this surgery, Mary remained cancer-free.

Mary's daughter-in-law, Gratia Rinehart, (Alan's wife), was not as fortunate. She died of breast cancer in 1939.

In that era, breast cancer was not openly-discussed, and this bothered Mary, a former nurse. In 1947, she wrote an article, I Had Breast Cancer, published in the Ladies' Home Journal. Mary encouraged women to conduct periodic breast examinations for early detection. The article generated an overwhelming public response, larger than any in the magazine's history.

Mary later wrote in her autobiography, "It wasn't easy to write this story, but one out of every three cancer deaths is needless... could I continue to be silent? Perhaps I have done some good, as I had hoped."

Later Life

An autographed copy of Mary's photo (Public Domain)

Some have called Mary Roberts Rinehart "America's Agatha Christie."

In 1952, Mary hosted a luncheon for Agatha Christie at her Park Avenue apartment. It's the only time these two best-selling mystery writers ever met in person.

On September 22, 1958, at the age of 82, Mary died of a massive heart attack at home. 

During her life, she maintained a strong marriage, raised three sons and succeeded as a foreign correspondent and a best-selling writer - careers dominated by men. Between 1909 and 1952, Mary wrote 54 mystery novels, which sold an estimated 10 million copies.

Some of her books were made into movies, such as the 1931 early sound movie, I Take This Woman, starring Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard. It was based on her novel, Lost Ecstasy, published in 1927.

1931 movie poster (Public Domain)

After her death, Mary's sons established the Mary Roberts Rinehart Foundation, which presents the annual Mary Roberts Rinehart Award to a woman author of a major nonfiction work.

Mary's novels can still be found online, including her first, The Circular Staircase, available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

______________________________

Mary Dodge Allen is currently finishing her sequel to Hunt for a Hometown Killer. She's won a Christian Indie Award, an Angel Book Award, and two Royal Palm Literary Awards (Florida Writer's Association). She and her husband live in Central Florida. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers. 

Website: www.marydodgeallen.com

Recent release, anthology devotional: El Jireh, The God Who Provides

Mary's story, entitled: A Mother's Desperate Prayer, describes her struggle with guilt and despair after her young son is badly burned in a kitchen accident. When we are at the end of all we have, El Jireh provides what we need. 

Click the link below to purchase on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/El-Jireh-God-Who-Provides/dp/1963611608

Mary's novel: Hunt for a Hometown Killer won the 2022 Christian Indie Award, First Place - Mystery/Suspense; and the 2022 Angel Book Award - Mystery/Suspense.

Click the link below to buy Hunt for a Hometown Killer at Amazon.com:

Hunt For A Hometown Killer: A Novel: Allen, Mary Dodge: 9781952369704: Amazon.com: Books

Link to Mary's Spotlight Interview:   Mary Dodge Allen Author Spotlight EA Book

How Leadville Colorado Stole Georgetown's Title as the Silver Queen, Part 1

By Donna Wichelman

Over the last two years, readers of my blog have learned about how Colorado's rise to statehood came on the heels of vast discoveries of gold and silver deposits found in the territory during the 1860s and '70s. It was because of men like David T. Griffith, one of the founding fathers of Georgetown, Colorado, who had heard about the discoveries, that people came from all over the globe to make their fortunes. The town of Georgetown benefited from its reputation as the Silver Queen and continued to grow and prosper through the latter half of the 1870s.

But almost overnight, Leadville, Colorado, at an elevation of 10,200 feet, overtook Georgetown for the number-one spot as the Silver Queen, and by 1880, Colorado became the number-one mining state in the United States. How did this happen?

Modern-day Chestnut Street, Leadville, Colorado: Donna's Gallery June 2025

Historic Chestnut Street, Leadville, CO: The New York Public Library. (1850 - 1930). Chestnut Street, looking west. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/12960f50-c536-012f-37fe-58d385a7bc34

Initially, Leadville was a mining camp like Georgetown during the Colorado gold rush of 1859 - 1861. Prospectors had discovered placer gold in California Gulch. But surface gold declined, activity slowed, and the area lacked the capital investment to mine for placer gold. For more than fifteen years, nothing much happened in Leadville, while Georgetown grew and prospered.

Leadville, Colorado Mining Camp, April 1879Leadville, Colorado. (Apr. 23, [18]79) Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/0dd74f60-c536-012f-d918-58d385a7bc34

But just as Georgetown became comfortable with its successful title with steady growth and $2 million in production per year at the outset of 1878, miners in the district of Leadville made a discovery that changed everything. A "black sand" they had previously overlooked was actually a high-grade silver-rich cerussite ore, also known as lead carbonate. It contained as much as 77% lead and sufficient silver to be easily extracted during smelting.

Silver Nugget, Silver Plume: Donna's Gallery June 2019

Coupled with the discovery of an immense quantity of the ore, US government policy at the time favored silver, passing the Bland-Allison Act of 1878. Backed by farmers, bankers, and Western Mining interests, the act sought to expand the money supply and reverse deflationary pressures in the economy. Though it was vetoed by President Rutherford B. Hayes, the act passed and required the US Treasury to purchase $2 - $4 million dollars per month. The legislation also led to the US Treasury's minting of the Morgan Silver Dollar, which had high silver content.

Morgan Silver Dollar: ID 1629995 © Robert Fullerton | Dreamstime.com

Leadville's prosperity soared in the late 1870s and 1880s. In 1879, Leadville miners made $11 million in silver. The next year, they produced $14 million. The railroads followed, cashing in on the profits. Leadville had not only surpassed Georgetown in production but had realized the key to expansion and affluence, becoming one of the richest mining districts in the world.

Miners flocked to Leadville, making it a "mecca" for mining engineers who had previously made Georgetown their home. Major investors, like Horace Tabor, Guggenheim, and others made millions. People started talking about making Leadville the capital of Colorado, as they once had Georgetown. The US census recorded population growth in 1880 at 14,280 to 15,185 people, though some sources cite more than 30,000.

Tabor Opera House, Leadville, CO: Donna's Gallery, June 2025

Regardless, the town grew into an industrialized community and became the second-largest in Colorado. Many investors also brought their wealth to Denver, paving the way for Denver to become the predominant town in the Rockies. Leadville's popularity had supplanted Georgetown's reputation for its cosmopolitan and sophisticated aura, having produced far more ore in four years than Georgetown had in two decades. The wealth and investment put Colorado on the US map as the state where people wanted to live.

By 1879, Georgetown noticed the impact on their community. The 1880 census showed the loss of 1,200 people, 37% of their population, as people headed to Lake and Summit Counties. The Courier, Clear Creek County's newspaper, tried to put a positive spin on the circumstances. It would prove to demonstrate the vulnerability of the mining industry in the years to come, as we move into Part II of this series in May.

Donna is an Angel-award-winning author of Historical fiction for A Song of Deliverance. Book Two in the Silver Singing Mine series, Rhythms of the Heart, was released in November 2025. Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of Donna's love of travel, history, and literature as a young adult while attending an international college in Wales, U.K. She enjoys developing plots that show how God's love abounds even in the profoundly difficult circumstances of our lives. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, belonging, and forgiveness.

Donna was a communications professional before becoming a full-time writer. Her short stories and articles have appeared in inspirational publications. She has two indie-published romantic suspense novels, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor, in her Waldensian Series. 

Donna and her husband of forty-one years participate in ministry at their local church in Colorado. They love spending time with their grandchildren and bike, kayak, and travel whenever possible.

A Room with a View and the Beginning of Freedom

Did you ever consider the volume of people and events contributing to our freedoms? So many partook in helping to develop our current state over the years. Why the ride of Paul Revere popped into my mind at this moment, I do not know. I read an article recently about a young woman who also alerted townspeople of impending danger. The reality is, we may never know of each piece and parcel that built this foundation. In addition, we may not stop to investigate those who stood together to ensure a future of opportunities. As children, we heard about founding forefathers. We learned presidents’ names. We studied various details of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Did we ever once think about where and how these individuals lived? 

Perhaps as we age, our appreciation deepens and then we embark upon understanding. Alas, that is where I find myself. Today I would like to share a peek into a family with multiple members who gave so we could be free. The Rutledge Family who lived in Charleston, South Carolina, or could I say clan as they herald from Scotland. 

Have you ever stayed in a B&B, a Bread and Breakfast establishment? A dear friend of mine found the John Rutledge House Inn. Imagine this... John wrote multiple variations of the United States Constitution in this very house. Yes indeed. See photo below of the room where guests now partake in meals and fellowship on the second floor. This is where John pondered words that would later allow us to live as we do today.   

Steeped in history, this beautiful home allows us the opportunity to envision life in earlier days when times were slower, simpler, and the nation took its first steps. The photos infused here amongst details of some Rutledge family members' lives are from our stay last year. If you have the chance to go to Charleston, I highly recommend at least a few nights in this lovely house.

       .  .

Photo at left above features the front view of the John Rutledge House Inn. To the right, the back of the home with courtyard offer an entirely different facade. Below left, notice the view of the courtyard from an upstairs hallway window. Below right shows the ornate staircase and detailed landing. Look at the intricate carvings after the brick, approaching the stairs. Such craftsmanship throughout the house.

    

         

The concierge offered us this photo below of the original home. Not much has changed on the exterior over the years. The next photo depicts the plaque designating the John Rutledge Home, where John Rutledge lived and served as President of South Carolina and the first Governor of the State of South Carolina.

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I am often fascinated in imagining who stepped across thresholds and climbed stairs. The number of feet crossing and to whom they belonged. What were their lives like? Whom did they love? What did they do?

       

This room below at right is named the Signers Ballroom. Artifacts from the era encircle the room. The photo below offers a view of the house across the street.

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Here are some notable timeline entries of the lives and service of a few Rutledge family members:

John Rutledge

1761 began practicing law

1762 provincial assembly

1774 Delegate to the First Continental Congress

1775 Delegate to the Second Continental Congress

1776-1778 president and commander in chief of South Carolina

1779-1782 served as governor

Signed the U.S. Constitution

1789-1791 Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court

1790-1795 Chief justice of South Carolina

Edward Rutledge

1773 Career began as a lawyer

1774 Delegate to the First Continental Congress

1775-1776 Delegate to the Second Continental Congress

Signed the Declaration of Independence

Revolutionary War - captain in Militia of South Carolina, specifically the Charleston Battalion of Artillery

May 12, 1780 after British capture, prisoner at St. Augustine through July 1781

1782, 1786, 1788, 1792 member of the South Carolina state house of representatives 1790 member - South Carolina state constitutional convention

1794 offered appointment of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court in by President Washington, but did not accept

December 6, 1798 elected governor of South Carolina

Hugh Rutledge

Practiced law

Veteran of the American Revolution

1783 Served as Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives

Incidentally, Edward Rutledge was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence at 26 years of age. Other relatives also participated in government and the formation of this nation. 

Can you think of another family with multiple members who contributed to the birth of the United States of America?

The John Rutledge House Inn has insightful drone footage from outside the property right through the front doors. You can take a virtual tour of sorts and then perhaps book at stay. You'll be glad you did.

Rebecca and her husband share a townhouse with their rescued dog named Ranger, who is not spoiled in the least. They are enjoying a new season nestled in a quaint southeastern US city. She is a proud mom of an American soldier and an Aerospace grad student. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers.

Connect with Rebecca: Facebook Goodreads Instagram Pinterest X/Twitter

 

Weird Inventions That Saved Lives: The Morrison Shelter

Blogger: Amber Lemus

Hello friends!

Today we are starting a new series on Weird Inventions That Saved Lives. I post on the 2nd of each month, so be sure to check back for the next article in the series on May 2nd!

Take a look at this contraption. Upon first glance, it looks very strange to see a couple sleeping in what appears to be a cage. I did a double take the first time I saw this photo. But this odd invention actually saved thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of lives during WWII. This is a Morrison Air Raid Shelter. 

We are very familiar with the photos of WWII showing families entering cellars or bunkers or huddling in underground tunnels. But especially in Europe, not every family had a backyard with a cellar, or access to an underground tunnel. The British government noted that thousands of lives were being lost, not from the actual impact of the bombs, but from the surrounding destruction. Walls would cave in or blow out from the blast and then the entire roof would collapse on top of innocent civilians, killing many. So they did what any good government would do, they brainstormed ways to keep their population safe. 

The Morrison Shelter, also known as the Table Shelter, was designed by John Baker and named after Herbert Morrison who was the Minister of Home Security at the time. The device was designed with all functionality and practicality in mind. During the day, it could be used as a table, thus the nickname 'table shelter'. But during the night, or during air raids, it could be used as a shelter. The top was a 3mm steel plate and the frame was also steel with wire mesh. Even the bottom of the shelter was made with a metal lath "mattress" type of design. 

A couple demonstrates the use of the Morrison Shelter
Photo By Ministry of Information Photo Division Photographer
Imperial War Museums, Public Domain.

The government tested the shelters before they began distribution. In this photo, you can see how the shelters would function as protection during the air raids. This photo is from one of the said tests with dummies inside the shelter. 

Test of the Morrison Shelter with dummies inside.
Photo By Ministry of Information Photo Division Photographer
Imperial War Museums, Public Domain.

The next step was to distribute some of these shelters to see them working in real time. The British government provided these shelter kits free to low-income families and at a price to wealthy families. The shelter came in a box, and the families were required to assemble the shelter themselves. The kit provided three tools and three-hundred-fifty-nine parts which they would then bolt together inside the home. Half a million of these shelters were distributed by the end of 1941, and another round of one-hundred thousand by the end of 1943.

In one examination, the British government observed forty-four houses that had been damaged in an air raid. Inside those forty-four houses were one-hundred-thirty-six people. Three people were killed, thirteen seriously injured and another sixteen were slightly injured. The three that were killed were directly hit by the bomb. And of those thirteen who were seriously injured, some of those had not sited the shelter properly. The result was that the shelters did indeed save lives. Those 44 homes had suffered severe damage from the attack, and yet one-hundred-twenty of the one-hundred-thirty-six escaped without severe injury. 

While the Morrison Shelter may be a weird or strange-looking contraption, it was invaluable during WWII. 

Have you ever heard of the Morrison Shelter? How would you feel about sleeping inside a metal cage to keep your family safe?

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  

She lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with her prince charming and three children. Between enjoying life as a mom of three littles, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/  and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Echoes of the Ancient New Testament Cities: Corinth

Matthew James Elliott

Ruins of Corinth

One of the most surprising aspects of writing for Heroes, Heroines, and History has been the opportunities it has given me to dive deep into research mode and discover fascinating stories that have been woven together throughout history. Has something you discovered when you were in research mode ever surprised you?

A great example of this is the city of Corinth. Being a Biblical Studies major, I already knew a lot about the city, but the focus of my knowledge was, “What does scripture say about the city?” In preparing to write The Hope of Inheritance, I needed a central location to host the council gathering that led Paul and his companions to Rome. Since I also needed to send characters to other locations, Corinth seemed like the logical place. 

In scripture, Corinth was a place where multiple cultures found safety from the tyranny of Rome. It became a melting pot of faith, political tension, and opportunity. The city was a crossroads for so many things, and the ideal place for believers to gather in secret to figure out what their priorities in mission were. As a bonus, it had two harbors that experienced constant movement. It meant that I could plausibly use it to move the story to Rome. 

Here is where things became interesting for me. As my research continued, I discovered this ancient ship road called the Diolkos. I am sure you’re wondering what that actually is, so I’ll tell you. The Diolkos is a stone road that enabled ships to be moved from the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea on land. It was built on the Isthmus of Corinth and was even used during times of war to speed up naval campaigns.  

Rendering of Priscilla and Aquilla for my Stories

While this made for an interesting opportunity to use as an arc point in the Hope of Inheritance, I ended up using it in another story entirely. I am building an entire world for my historical fiction stories, after all. The Diolkos became a connective link between stories. This alone gave me reason to use Corinth, but the research continued. The city was a place where a fountain of ideas, religions, and yes, even temptations collided. 

Knowing all this only confirmed what I already knew: Corinth had value, and it was worth it to research more. These ideas had already shaped a good portion of Paul’s purpose in writing 1st and 2nd Corinthians, and there is relative proof that he wrote to them more than twice throughout his ministry. When you add in the stories of figures like Priscilla and Aquilla, Apollos, and others, the connective ideas for The World of Kedoshim become something more. 

Some historical records and scriptures already clearly document stories about these figures and others, but these stories also reveal that Corinth became a city of refugees. Those coming from Rome after Emperor Claudius banished them found a renowned purpose and opportunity to live their desired lives again. But you are probably asking yourself, "When is he going to get to the historical aspects?”

How about Nero’s attempt to build a canal in 67 AD? It was meant to be built along the Isthmus of Corinth. Yep, that historical marvel I was talking about earlier could have been destroyed completely. I’ll save you the wait; his project failed less than a year after Nero struck the first rock with his personal pickaxe. Why? 

Well, Nero killed himself shortly after the project began, and when his successor took the throne, the project never got picked back up. It was a good thing, too, because Nero had already shipped around 6,000 Judean prisoners of war to the city to build the canal.  

Map of the Isthmus of Corinth

Access to the Isthmus of Corinth positioned the city as a towering connection to the rest of the world. It was a beacon of power and wealth in a world overshadowed by fear of Rome. The city was renowned for its luxury and prestige. Nero knew this and wanted the power to build his canal there. When Nero abandoned the project, its failure significantly contributed to the rebellion that followed during the Great Jewish Revolt, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Now, I don’t capture all of this in my stories, but the history is there, and it matters. Corinth’s history teaches us that empires rise, but they also crumble and fall. It teaches us that even during global tribulation, victories don’t always happen in big and flashy ways. Sometimes, they come in failed attempts to build a canal or a stone path that carries ships from one sea to another. 

In a fractured world, Corinth stood as a safe harbor for those Rome tried to destroy. It was a city saturated in darkness, but hope still rises in places with broken histories. I do my best to illustrate that in my stories, not because it’s a great plot point, but because history matters, and so does what it struggles to teach us all. 

Other cities teach us similar lessons, and next month we are heading to Colossae, a city that holds a special place in my heart. It’s where my stories began. But what about you? Is there a place in history that has that honor for you? Where does your story begin?

See you in the pages, 

M.J.E.

~ Biography ~

Matthew James Elliott (M.J. Elliott) is a passionate writer who loves to encourage and inspire others. He served in various ministry roles for over 15 years, which gave him a unique perspective on people and Biblical History. Matthew holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, with a focus on Pastoral Care, Christian Education, and Worship.

Matthew is married and has three wonderful children who bring him immense joy and inspiration. One of his favorite things to do with them is to share stories they can someday learn from. When writing a story, he aspires to minister to others with love, equip them with encouragement, and use the gift God has given him as a writer to help readers experience God in a real and meaningful way.

Find Matthew on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, BookBub, and His Website. He has written Devotionals, An Episodic Series, Novellas, and even Commentaries for The Gospel Daily.

~ Highlighted Release ~

My Newest Biblical Fiction Novel, The Hope of Inheritance, came out on Father's Day and has received a ChristLit Book Award for excellence in Christian Literature. Grab it via Amazon. If you enjoy it, please let me know by posting a review.

One Story Still Untold. Four Unlikely Authors.

Together, their Message will speak to Many.

The city of Rome was a vast and beautiful place-- on the surface. That is, until a great fire burned and destroyed most of it. Deep in a world hidden from those who would strike against them, four unlikely men work together to share a message of truth. This truth was spoken by those who were cut down because of the calling to go forth and preach. 

The message has always been clear: The hope of our inheritance is Christ living within each of us. In the echoes of persecution, sorrow, and even death, this message still reigns supreme, but will the people listen? Only time will tell, but before anything, these four men must come together and unite a church separated by fear and suffering.

The Olive Oatman Story by Nancy J. Farrier

In August, 1850, the Oatman family joined a group traveling from Independence, Missouri to the juncture of the Colorado and Gila Rivers near Fort Yuma, where they wanted to start a new town. (At this time, Fort Yuma was called Camp Yuma, located in what would be Arizona today.)Following months of difficulties and disagreements, in 1851 the nine members of the Oatman family found themselves on their own in Southern Arizona Territory, which at that time still belonged to Mexico. After much debate, on the advice of a solitary traveler, they set out for Fort Yuma, almost 200 miles west across an unforgiving desert.

Over the next ninety miles, they struggled with exhausted animals, roads washed out making it necessary to carry goods by hand when the oxen and mules were exhausted, and discouragement. The Oatman parents were at a low point, their only choice to carry on. At the half way point, they spent the night on a sand island in the middle of the Gila River where the wagons mired.

The next morning, they hitched the oxen to the wagon again to finish crossing the river. The road led up a steep hill with the team so weakened they had difficulty pulling the empty wagon up the grade. 

The family members had to carry their goods up by hand. At this point, Mr. Oatman, who had always been very hopeful and positive became downcast and feared something bad would happen. 

Once they all made the crest of the hill, they discovered more hills to come and stopped to rest. They were approached by nineteen Indians, who expressed friendship. Mr. Oatman shared a pipe with the men, who then asked for food. Although their stores were dangerously depleted, Mr. Oatman gave them some bread. The Indians wanted more, but were turned down. After consulting among themselves, the Indians, with fierce cries, attacked the family. 

Olive Oatman, a young teen at the time of the attack, watched with horror and confusion as her family members were beaten with clubs and struck down. Olive fainted and when she came to only her seven-year-old sister, Mary Ann, was alive and unharmed. Their captors ransacked the wagon, left the dead and dying family members, and rode away with Olive and Mary Ann. 

Unknown to Olive, Lorenzo, her fifteen-year-old brother, survived the attack, but didn’t regain consciousness until the next day. After a harrowing trek, which included an attack by wolves, he made it to safety. Lorenzo vowed to never give up searching for his sisters.

One year later, Olive and Mary Ann were sold to the Mojave Indians as slaves. During their first year of captivity with the Mojaves, Mary Ann contracted an illness and died. Olive spent four years with the Mojaves. During that time, she received a tattoo on her chin, one that all captives were required to have, but some reports say the Mojave women all received a similar tattoo.She made friends and adapted well to their lifestyle.

Five years after the deaths of her family, Olive’s release was negotiated. The Chieftan’s daughter, Olive’s good friend, accompanied her to Fort Yuma. Olive’s brother, Lorenzo, heard of her release, but said he wouldn’t believe it to be true until he saw her for himself. Imagine the excitement of both Lorenzo and Olive, since Olive thought her brother died in the attack.

Olive Oatman after captivity

 

Olive proved to be an incredible person. After watching her family die, she adapted to life with the Yavapai Indians and then to the Mojave Indians. After her rescue, she once again had to adapt to life with a brother she thought dead and a culture far removed from Indian life. Many times Olive would weep as she longed for her friends in the Mojave camp. Olive later married a cattleman. They adopted a young girl and lived on their ranch in Texas. Olive died in 1903.

There are many interesting books and accounts of Olive’s capture. The first written account is the Captivity of the Oatman Girls by R.B. Stratton. Another book that might be of interest is The Blue Tattoo by Margot Mifflin.

Have you heard of Olive Oatman? I love how adaptive she was to whatever life gave her. I was happy to learn of her marriage and that she adopted a daughter. An amazing story.

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.