Using her critically-acclaimed historical fiction The Unlocked Path as an example, the author will present An Examination and Celebration of Family History: How the secrets of our past can surprise, delight, educate, and inspire the writing of a novel.

Also, in support of Women’s History Month, Ms. Daly has curated a list of 31 titles – one for each day in March – of suggested reading in historic fiction by and about diverse women. The library will be displaying most of these books during March.  #31titleswomeninhistory

Janis Robinson Daley grew up outside of Boston and remained in Massachusetts, graduating with a B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College – at the time, an all-women’s college. At Wheaton, she developed a fond appreciation of the supportive relationships established among students, faculty, and alumnae, and a heightened awareness of female-centric issues. Both directed her writing of The Unlocked Path.

The springboard for writing the book was her genealogy research on her great-great-grandfather, William S. Peirce, Esquire. From FamousAmericans.net: “He took an active part in founding the Woman’s Medical College in Philadelphia”.

Inspired by that line, more research ensued, and a story and characters formed. She felt that the early graduates of the Woman’s Medical College have remained in the shadows and their stories needed to be told. With a love of history, she has balanced a need for authenticity and details with a flair for creating emotional connections to fictional characters.

This program is made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Walpole Public Library.