Excerpts from The Oak Lovers
by Kim Bullock
After the Carl Ahrens Day event I have been asked several times about the book I am
writing, and as so many people are interested now, I am electing to post a few small excerpts of
the chapters I have completed thus far.
While The Oak Lovers is a work of fiction, each character, from Carl and Madonna Ahrens down to Carl's one-legged rooster, is a real historical figure. I have researched them all meticulously over the last ten years. Each setting is a real place, most of which I have visited in person. The main events in Carl's life are well documented, due to an unpublished biography written by Madonna, numerous newspaper articles, and over a hundred family photographs. I have felt no need to fabricate his story, as the truth is compelling on its own, and I have also not included anything in the book that I know to be false. Writing the book as a novel has merely freed me to fill in gaps, to lend voices to characters whom would otherwise be unfairly depicted (particularly Carl's first wife, Emily), and to honor my ancestors by creating a tribute I am certain they would approve of: a painting with words.
As a writer who is always trying to improve her craft, I do welcome feedback. I won't always use suggestions, but I will consider them carefully.
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