historically accurate, realistic, and always hopeful
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Katherine P. Stillerman
Kathy Stillerman is the author of Hattie’s Place and two other historical novels in the Barton Family series, In the Fullness of Time and Over the Mountain. Stillerman has also published a memoir, Retirement: A Journey not a Destination.
“My love of Southern literature and background as a teacher of American history, drew me to the genre of historical fiction.”
“My grandmother was a strong and independent woman whom I loved and admired as a role model. I wanted to write a story based loosely on her life. “
The Barton Family
historical fiction series
Rising Above It: A Novel Of Love, Loss, And Survival
Hattie Barton’s life changes forever on October 24, 1929, the historic day of the New York Stock Market crash. She is suddenly forced to leave her palatial home in Calhoun, relocate to an apartment in her hometown in Greenville, and find work to support herself, her two young daughters Pauline and Alice, and her trusted housekeeper, Georgia.
When she takes a job as secretary in a small insurance firm, a potential romance develops between Hattie and her boss, Seth Snoddy However, an unexpected turn causes her to reevaluate whether she can ever settle for a marriage of convenience.
Hattie learns that the only way she will rise above her misfortune is to remain true to herself. It is this insight that empowers her to regain her hope in the future and move on. As she does, new possibilities arrive in the form of a letter from her first love, Will Kendrick.
The fourth book in the Barton Family Series, Rising Above It, continues the theme of love and reconciliation running through the previous novels.
Hattie’s Place
Hattie’s Place, is a coming of age story, set in rural South Carolina in 1906. The main character, Hattie Robinson, is a first year teacher boarding in the home of a wealthy businessman. Hattie must find her place in her new school and community, while recovering from a broken engagement.
IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME
In the Fullness of Time begins in 1913. Hattie is now a married woman, struggling to reconcile her responsibilities as a wife and mother with her passion for women’s suffrage.
“Women from wealthy and prominent families led the suffrage movement in South Carolina. I imagine if my grandmother had grown up in one of those families, she’d have been an outspoken suffragist.”
OVER THE MOUNTAIN
Over the Mountain is set in the sixties, during the Cold War and civil rights era. The main character is Harriet Oechsner, Hattie’s granddaughter. Harriet must make new friends and adjust to a new school when the family relocates to Mountain Brook, Alabama–their third move in as many years!
For the Love of Writing
When Kathy retired from public school teaching and administration, she began a second career as a writer. She created a blog, For the Love of Writing, to share her writing journey, and to connect with other authors and book lovers. Kathy welcomes input from readers and is always anxious to know how she can improve her content!
Kathy posts on a regular basis and in a variety of categories:
- Authors as Readers
- Book Reviews
- Bits and Pieces
- Empowered Women
- Health and Fitness
- Indie Publishing
- Learning by Doing: Self-Publishing
- Making a Difference
- Marketing and Promoting a Novel
- Meddling in Politics
- NaNoWriMo
- Nonfiction
- Publishing a Novel
- Writing Historical Fiction
Testimonials
If you like historical fiction about ordinary women who do extraordinary things, you’ll love my books!