To schedule a program or book signing, contact Diana Ross McCain at dianamccain@comcast.net.
The Lymans of Lyman Orchards: Historical Fiction as a Portal to the Past
How well-researched historical fiction can not only entertain, but inform, is explored by Diana Ross McCain. McCain provides an overview of the turbulent years between 1741 and 1871 covered by her novel Thy Children’s Children, discusses how it accurately conveys the realities of life in Connecticut in that era, and highlights Lyman family members’ role in events such as the American Revolution and the abolition movement. Copies of Thy Children’s Children will be available for purchase and autographing.
Fee: $150
Fleshing Out the Facts: A Revolutionary Soldier’s Trials Brought to Life in Fiction
Author Diana Ross McCain recounts how she used research in manuscripts, personal journals, newspapers, and other sources as a foundation for re-creating the wartime experience of a real-life Continental Army soldier in her new historical novel, Thy Children’s Children.
The soldier, Elihu Lyman, was wounded in combat and endured nearly two years as a British prisoner of war. To breathe life into his experience, while remaining as faithful as possible to history, McCain used contemporary sources and sometimes even the soldier’s own words, as when Lyman reported that upon being captured he “was stripped naked by the Enemy,” who not only confiscated his weapons, but also robbed him of personal possessions including a silver watch, and five silver dollars.
Copies of Thy Children’s Children will be available for purchase and autographing.
A perfect program for DAR and SAR chapter meetings as well as other hereditary organizations.
Fee: $150
“This Thing You Call Law, We Will Not Obey”: The Lymans of Middlefield, Ardent Abolitionists and Underground Railroad Activists
Members of the Lyman family were early and outspoken advocates for abolishing slavery in the United States, risking controversy and even physical danger. Beginning in the 1830s, William Lyman led the family’s abolitionist activities, including assisting fugitive slaves on their journey to freedom via the clandestine, illegal Underground. Diana Ross McCain will describe the Lymans’ courageous participation in the movement to end slavery in America, and the perils they and others in the North faced for supporting that cause.
Copies of Thy Children’s Children will be available for purchase and autographing.
Fee: $150
Diana Ross McCain 