Merry Farmer | Have Romance, Will Travel
June 19, 2014
Romance readers are often accused of giving in to escapism. You’ve heard those
critics, the ones you want to roll your eyes at. They don’t get it. They seem
to think that escapism is a bad thing! In fact, reading a Romance set in a
place or even a time far, far away from your own is the next best thing to
taking a long trip and immersing yourself in a different culture. I first started reading Romance in high school, when I was definitely trapped in
one spot. My daily fantasies of running away from the mean girls and
indifferent boys, hopping a ship, and going to England, where I would hide in
the countryside until a handsome aristocrat noticed me met their imaginative
match in romantic stories of Regency pirates. The freedom that I found in
reading about pirates (the ultimate gateway drug to the world of alpha heroes
and feisty heroines) carried me through a difficult time in my life. It also
peeked my curiosity about the times and places I was reading about. Traveling the world is a prospect that most of us can only dream about, but just
because we might not ever be able to ride across the Scottish Highlands or visit
Mayfair in London or even see the wide, sprawling prairie of the American west
doesn’t mean we can’t travel through the pages of a book. Romance novels in
particular are rich with detail about the sights and sounds of worlds we would
visit if we could. More importantly, through Romance novels we learn about our world in ways that
we never could sitting at home and watching tv. In the Historical Romances I’ve
written, both The Noble Hearts medieval series and the Montana Romance
historical western series, I’ve worked hard to capture the essence of times and
places that may have been glossed over in history class. What did a day in the
life of a medieval village look like? What would you have seen if you had
walked up and down crowded streets lined with taverns and booths selling
everything from vegetables to baskets to the latest quills and inks to write
illuminated letters? What would the wind have felt like on your face as the
train pulled into a distant frontier station in 1895? What wonder would you
have experienced when you saw a light bulb shine for the first time? Just how
cold was a Montana winter when you had to ride a horse through a blizzard to
warn friends of coming danger? You don’t find those sorts of things on The Travel Channel. There is a level of
deep involvement in books, a level of emotional commitment in Romance, that
carries us right out of tour everyday lives and takes us as far as our
imagination can go. By escaping into the world of these love stories, we aren’t
just indulging in brain candy, as the critics mistakenly like to think. We’re
voyaging. We’re learning. We’re committing these places and people, these
times and these venues to our hearts and minds and imaginations. What a
blessing to be able to travel the world, now and then, while lounging on our
sofas at home! Romance readers may very well be some of the most well-traveled
people in the world.
Comments
12 comments posted.
Re: Merry Farmer | Have Romance, Will Travel
I have always loved reading historical romance because it is a great way to escape into a different world and to learn about life in the past. (Bonnie H 10:14pm June 17, 2014)
I always learn something new when I read historical romances. (Marcy Shuler 12:53pm June 18, 2014)
i love historical books i always learn new things i love to read about different times and excape the real world for a while (Denise Smith 1:24am June 18, 2014)
I always assumed that one of the reasons why we read was to be taken away from our everyday lives, and to be taken away to another place in time, to live our lives through the eyes of the characters in the book!! I've gone through so many experiences, both good and bad, and wouldn't change it for the world!! (Peggy Roberson 8:08am June 18, 2014)
I love romance novels and the escapism. But I think pretty much any book genre is a form of escapism. (Pam Howell 9:25am June 18, 2014)
I love historical romances and look forward to reading this one! Thanks so much!!! (Bonnie Capuano 10:02am June 18, 2014)
I enjoy historical romance stories and this one sounds really good and one I could truly enjoy! (Linda Luinstra 6:07pm June 18, 2014)
I love traveling through the pages of a book! Thank you for the chance to be a winner! (Britney Adams 5:08pm June 19, 2014)
I love to escape into a good book. Its one of my favorite times of the day! (Denise Austin 6:10pm June 19, 2014)
Connecting to my native American roots is easier when I can read of the struggles my ancestors have endured. Keep up the great work!! (Teresa Miller 9:30pm June 19, 2014)
great to take my mind off problems and learn new stuff too (Debbi Shaw 10:32pm June 19, 2014)
Instead of "Calgon, take me away!"' It is a wonderful historical romance that can take me away. People and places I have never met or been to are contained in page after page. Oh, how wonderful! (Melanie Backus 6:52am June 20, 2014)
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|