Historical novel’s modern-day echo
WhenNewZealander Robyn Pearce set out to write this book, she never would have expected the relevance of the story right now, with racial riots and the Black LivesMatter movement rocking America. But as she says, “People of colour in America might be free from iron shackles, but they’re still not free of injustice”.
ItHappenedonFifthStreet is based onnew research and a vivid mix of fact and fiction and brings back to life a forgotten story about real people and real eventswho put their lives on the line every day to save others.
Weask Robyn somequestions:
What inspired you to write this story? I’ve always found it easier to learn history through story. Whenan aunt gavemefour volumes of transcribed letters she’d received from another relative, I realised they contained a story that begged awider audience.
Joseph andMary Ann Burnett (distant ancestors of mine) emigrated to Whanganui in 1856. One of the exciting stages of their lives, while they lived in the 1830s and 40s in the US, was the family’s deep involvement in helping slaves escape toCanada.
Were you surprised, once releasing this book, of the relevance of the story to what is happening right now? Yes. It was scarily relevant. The Black LivesMatter movement didn’t occur until this year, yet I’d begun writing three years earlier. Many believe that curse of slavery is the root cause of the currentBLMmovement. Sadly, there are still a significant number of people in the States infectedwith wrong thinking about people of colour, but let’s hope the current focuswill speed up true integration.
What kind of research did you do for this book? Apart from reading the materials I’d been given, I readwidely around the topic and also travelled to Cincinnati three times. I also met Carl Westmoreland, a senior historian attached to theNational Underground Railroad Freedom Center. He said, ‘Cornelius Burnettwas a friend to our people. Heis not forgotten.’ Shivers went downmyspine at his words.
The next twovisits were in 2010 and 2017, when I looked for locations the
Burnetts had lived in, sought out places relevant to the UndergroundRailroad in the surrounding areas, and dug for details that would bring the story to life. Based on the history of this book and what is happening right now, do you feel anything will change for people of colour in America in the near future? I believe it will continue to change, but it’s too slow. Of course things have improved since the days of slavery – America has had a black president, inter-racial marriage is legal, official segregation is illegal, andmany people of colour are in positions of influence and authority. But – talk to any person of colour in theUS and it’s clear there’s a long way to go.
While researching this book did anything affect you deeply? Every time I read another report of cruelty to slaves I felt the drive to get the story out. I was distressed by everything to do with racial hatred, the shocking inhumanity ofmany slave owners, and the fact that laws in a number of Southern states perpetuated the evil.
Are the main characters Alf and Abi based on anyone in particular? Absolutely. As close as I could get him, Alf is as I imagine the realAlfred Burnett was, based on howhis mother talked about him in the family letters. Abi – well, Imust admit to a small degree of autobiographical modelling. I’m certainly not 15, but I could imagine chatting toAlf, based on what I’d learnt about him and his family.
Doyou have another book in the pipeline? Sure do – this current one is only the first of the Freedom Series. Almost every reviewer and reader has said, ‘What happens next?’ so Alf has two more books to feature in. Then I’ll turn to other dramatic tales of peoplewho fought for the right to live life on their terms.