Classroom Connections: The Four Seasons of Florence Wallace by Kirstie Myvett

Florence Wallace’s bold spirit is as unshakable in her journey of connection as the growing faith that leads her to a greater understanding of herself, her family, and her community throughout a tumultuous chapter of American history. Wholly victorious.
— Rita Williams-Garcia, New York Times bestselling author of One Crazy Summer, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, A Sitting in St. James, and the Gaither Sisters Trilogy

Kirstie Myvett has written a novel that is both unflinching and tender. Middle-grade readers will meet Florence Wallace and go on an epic journey to discover how one can overcome tragedy with courage, tenacity, and faith.
— Alice Faye Duncan, author of The Dream Builder’s Blueprint, Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free, and Yellow Dog Blues

An emotional tribute to the forgotten voices from our past and the healing power of community, family, and love.
— Lesa Cline-Ransome, award-winning author of Before She Was Harriett, Finding Langston, and many other books

Please tell us about your book.

Thank you for having me, Caroline. I’m so excited to be on Classroom Connections again. I adore your blog.

Thank you, Kirstie. It’s good to have you back.

The Four Seasons of Florence Wallace is about a gutsy girl, big sister, loyal friend, and loving daughter who spends a year in the Colored Orphan Asylum during the Civil War. When the unspeakable happens, Florence must be brave to help those she loves.
It’s part of the new American Stories For Gutsy Girls series.

What inspired you to write this story?

Many years ago, I was reading about Black New Yorkers in the 19th century and stumbled upon a line or two about the orphanage. I was stunned that rioters would intentionally attack a place where innocent children resided. I had to learn more about the institution, its children and staff, and the Civil War as it related to New York. This is a story that wouldn’t let go of me.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research and / or share a few interesting tidbits about your writing process with this book?

I relied on nonfiction books about orphanages and orphans to understand how that whole industry worked. Professor William Seraile wrote a book, Angels of Mercy: White Women and the History of New York’s Colored Orphan Asylum, that has been invaluable to my research. He also answered my many questions via email and is someone I admire and respect for his body of work. Google Books and online newspapers were vital in providing information on the war and people’s attitudes up north. I probably overdid it regarding research, but I needed to fully grasp the time and landscape of this period in order to tell the story.

What are some special challenges you faced in writing this book?

There were several challenges, including New York City itself. Most people don’t think of New York when they think of the Civil War, but many, many New Yorkers had a financial investment in keeping slavery viable in the South. So it was important for me to tell the story of Florence inside the orphanage, and to weave in what’s happening on the outside (in NYC) that will directly affect the orphans, eventually. How do I drop these little nuggets of impending danger when orphans were sheltered and didn’t have access to newspapers? It was a challenge for sure, but I’m pleased with how it turned out.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

This book is perfect for the classroom because it touches on many important topics, including orphans, orphanages, Civil War, abolition, women’s rights, racism, etc. There are historical figures featured in the book like Frederick Douglass, Dr. James McCune Smith, and Susan Stanton, to name a few. My hope is that this book will inspire readers to dig deeper into our collective United States history and research the people who were forerunners in the fight for abolition and women’s rights.