Karen Halvorsen Schreck | The Family Story—A Book In Itself
September 18, 2015
When I was a child, my father told me stories. He was a good storyteller
with a great
voice (like Rose, the main character of SING FOR ME, my dad was a singer), and many
nights after
dinner, he used his gift to regale me—an only child—with tales of his
boyhood in Oak
Park, Chicago, and Wisconsin. He came of age during the 1920’s and ‘30s,
and besides the
influence of that time period, his stories also held many references to his
Danish
immigrant heritage.
Jump to 1995, and me in my early thirties, in the middle of my doctoral
program in
English and Creative Writing. As I started to focus on my doctoral exams, I
suppose it’s
no surprise that I chose as one topic of interest “Literature of the
Immigrant
Experience.” As I read novels, stories, poetry, and literary criticism
drawing from
diverse experience, I remembered my dad’s after-dinner ritual of
storytelling. He’d just
retired to Florida, and my times with him were rare. When I visited him, I
was ever more
frequently asking him to tell those old stories again—and others as well.
Inspired by
long conversations on his sun-filled porch, I wrote The
Slaughterhouse, the story
upon which SING FOR
ME is based.
To say that the characters, settings, and plot have changed from that
original story to
this novel is an understatement. (So much older now myself, my mother and
father years
gone from this earth, I’ve changed too.) The Slaughterhouse was told
from the
perspective of an elderly woman, reflecting back on her early years. SING FOR
ME is set
in the Depression, right in the thick of that experience, and Rose, the
central point of
view, is twenty-one. There are other shifts, as well—including the
integration of an
interracial relationship and the world of jazz—all that have to do with my
evolving
understanding of human nature, my own experiences in life, and where my
imagination takes
me.
It took me such a long time to write this novel; believe me, I tried between
1995 and
now. I wrote other books and stories during that time, but I couldn’t get
the words down
right. It was as simple as that. But though the wait and the effort were
sometimes
challenging, I’m glad SING FOR ME came into the world. To everything its
season; all fruit
in good time. This kind of perspective coursed through my dad’s stories,
and I believe
it courses through SING FOR ME, as well. And it certainly courses through my
forthcoming
novel, BROKEN
GROUND (Simon & Schuster May 2016), which is also set in the Depression,
involves
immigration and diversity in these United States, love against all odds, and
is based on
another set of family stories . . . this time from my mother’s side.
GIVEAWAY
Do you have a family story that you feel is a book in itself? Comment
below and you’ll
receive a free, signed copy of SING FOR ME!
Karen Halvorsen Schreck’s latest novel, BROKEN GROUND, will be published by
Simon &
Schuster’s Howard books in May 2016. Her most recent novel, SING FOR ME
(Spring, 2014)
was called “Impressive . . . a well-wrought and edifying page-turner” by
Publisher’s
Weekly (Starred Review). Her other novels include While He Was Away, a
Finalist for the
2012 Oklahoma Young Adult Book Award, and Dream Journal, a 2006 Young Adult
BookSense
Pick. Her published short stories and articles have received various awards,
including a
Pushcart Prize and an Illinois State Arts Council Grant.
Karen received her doctorate in English and Creative from the University of
Illinois at
Chicago. She works as a freelance writer and editor, teaches writing and
literature, and
lives with her husband, the photographer Greg Halvorsen Schreck, and their
two children
in Wheaton, Illinois.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog
When a good church girl starts singing in a jazz club and falls for
the music —as
well as a handsome African American man—she struggles to reconcile her
childhood faith
with her newfound passions.
Raised in the Danish Baptist Church, Rose Sorensen knows it’s wrong to sing
worldly
songs. But Rose still yearns for those she hears on the radio—“Cheek to
Cheek,” “Smoke
Gets in Your Eyes”—and sings them when no one is around.
One day, Rose’s cousin takes her to Calliope’s, a jazz club, where she
discovers an
exciting world she never knew existed. Here, blacks and whites mingle,
brought together
by their shared love of music. And though Rose worries it’s wrong—her
parents already
have a stable husband in mind for her—she can’t stop thinking about the
African American
pianist of the Chess Men, Theo Chastain. When Rose returns to the jazz club,
she is
offered the role of singer for the Chess Men. The job would provide money to
care for her
sister, Sophy, who has cerebral palsy—but at what cost?
As Rose gets to know Theo, their fledgling relationship faces prejudices she
never
imagined. And as she struggles to balance the dream world of Calliope’s with
her cold,
hard reality, she also wrestles with God’s call for her life. Can she be a
jazz singer?
Or will her faith suffer because of her worldly ways? Set in Depression-era Chicago and rich in historical detail, Sing for Me is
a beautiful,
evocative story about finding real, unflinching love and embracing—at all
costs—your
calling.
Comments
15 comments posted.
Re: Karen Halvorsen Schreck | The Family Story—A Book In Itself
I was captivated with your beautiful post today and the emotional tribute to your dad and his stories and singing. It resonated with me since my parents were raised during the Depression and strived to succeed in life. My father used to listen to opera every Saturday afternoon on the stereo and was self educated and sang beautifully. I listened to the records and his songs which were Mario Lanza's, Caruso's and Jan Pierce. Your books sounds unique and interest me greatly. Wishing you happiness and success. I have many family stories which would be enthralling to read about. (Sharon Berger 1:36pm September 18, 2015)
Perhaps the near miss events around my life. Train derailment evacuation, tornoda the hit the town I live, a serial killer around DC/MD/VA, of course 9/11. (Marissa Yip-Young 5:20pm September 18, 2015)
What a great looking story!! I cannot wait to read it!!! (Shirley Bennett 8:49pm September 18, 2015)
To be told stories of your Parents childhood are priceless memories, that help tell you a bit of who you really are. Your story was quite interesting!! My Parents were also children of the Depression Era. My Grandfather was injured while working in the factory, and since Workman's Comp didn't exist during that time, and my Father was one of a family of 13, he had to drop out of school at 9, and find work. He started out by finding rags and scrap metal in the alleys, which were quite a commodity in those days. Not long after that, he got a job in a bakery, around the corner from their house. Before he turned 13, he was driving a bakery truck, and was already baking bread!! After he grew up and got married, he would take us there when we went to visit our Grandparents, so we could buy our rye bread, and other items. My Sisters and I always got a big cookie from the owner. It was nice going in the Winter, because my Sisters and I would fight over who would hold the hot bread on our lap for the ride home, just to stay warm. As you know, heaters didn't work well in the cars back then!! The smell of that bread made your mouth water, too!! I'm looking forward to reading your latest book. It's going to be like reading a flashback in time, even if I didn't grow up in the Depression era. I was raised that way!! (Peggy Roberson 8:40pm September 19, 2015)
Oh my goodness Karen, what a beautiful story. Yes, I do have a family story that I feel should be in a book. Especially, my Grandmother's story she was raised in a Residential school, stuck to her faith, and stuck to her family. (Holly Loch 2:47am September 20, 2015)
I come from a family of 13 children.All born at home. Most delivered by my father.They never lost a child even though they went tathrough the depression and the ression. They never complained and they loved us all. There are alot of stories in this family! (Debby Creager 8:12am September 20, 2015)
I love these stories - as a child I would ask my grandmother (my mother's mother) time and time again "Grandmom tell me again about how you met grandpop" - "Grandmom, tell me again about how your father chased you through his store because you wouldn't come inside". My mom talks about her father playing mandolin on the Italian-language radio programs and the visitors to their house when she was young. We have stories for several books, I think! (Felicia Ciaudelli 8:13am September 20, 2015)
Yes, I too have a story that could be a book . Seems like most of us could. I'd love to read this book .Thanks for this chance to win . (Joan Thrasher 9:00am September 20, 2015)
Sounds like a cool story in a cool city! (Richard Burr 10:07am September 20, 2015)
I cannot think of anything interesting in my life (so far) that would make agreat reading (Timothy Younger 8:28pm September 20, 2015)
love these tales of old days too (Debbi Shaw 10:34pm September 20, 2015)
I loved your comments today - and your book sounds great. I LOVE hearing stories of family history/lore. I have delved a little into our family history but, unfortunately, don't have the gift to create and spin those tales into a book. That is a true talent. Thanks for sharing yours with us. (Nancy Reynolds 10:05am September 21, 2015)
I love hearing family stories---sadly, our family was very secretive and didn't tell many stories about itself. (Sue Farrell 10:38am September 21, 2015)
My grandparents journey to this country would be an interesting story. (Nadine Stacy 6:34pm September 21, 2015)
I've got a million stories to tell, but this little comment square is quite small to tell them all. (Faye Gates 7:27pm September 21, 2015)
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