Researching and Writing Historical Fiction

“The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Researching and Writing Historical Fiction”

M. P. Barker is a writer, editor, historical consultant, and time traveler. She got a firsthand taste (sometimes literally!) of 19th-century New England rural life when she was a costumed historical interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village. There she milked cows, mucked out barns, and found inspiration for her historical novels, A Difficult Boy and Mending Horses, which have been honored by organizations ranging from the Massachusetts Center for the Book to the International Reading Association. Made possible thanks to the Friends of the Library and the Lyn Keating Programming Fund.