The Heart and Legacy of the Thousand Islands in Historical Fiction
Susan G. Mathis shares the inspiration behind her novels and the challenges of writing historical fiction set in the Thousand Islands.
Susan G. Mathis is an internationally recognised author whose novels bring to life the rich history of the Thousand Islands. Raised in upstate New York, her childhood surroundings continue to inspire her captivating stories, which delve into the lives of those who shaped the area during the Gilded Age. Mathis, a multi-published author, has written numerous full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction works, earning multiple prestigious awards along the way. In this exclusive interview with Reader’s House Magazine, Mathis shares her insights into the historical accuracy behind her fiction, the inspiration for her ‘Love at a Lighthouse’ series, and the challenges she faced while writing her debut novel, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy. With a passion for both storytelling and history, Mathis reflects on the timeless appeal of the Thousand Islands and the women who lived there, offering readers a glimpse into the heart of her literary journey.
A captivating storyteller whose historical fiction brings the Thousand Islands to life with heart, hope, and historical accuracy.
How has your upbringing in the Thousand Islands influenced the settings and characters in your novels?
I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands—the setting for all my stories—in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. I spent every summer and more exploring the beautiful region. I’ve stayed on several of the islands and camped and rented cottages there. After I wrote my debut novel about the largest island, Wolfe Island, I was hooked. There are so many fascinating stories to tell.
Now, I take an annual Thousand Islands Book Tour to the islands where I meet with fans, friends, and family. I’ve stayed in Singer Castle, Casa Blanca, and other places that are the settings of my book. I’ve talked with the owners of the islands, local historians, and researched in the Thousand Islands archives.
All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge.
All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age, when the wealthy came and scooped up the islands and built lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles. It was an era of economic growth. Since wages were higher than Europe, massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores.
Could you share the inspiration behind your ‘Love at a Lighthouse’ series and the development of the Row family characters?
When my publisher asked me to write a lighthouse series, I couldn’t wait to write about three of them. I have visited Tibbetts Point Lighthouse and Rock Island Lighthouse a number of times, and I’ve passed by Sister Island Lighthouse wishing I could visit there, too. They’re along the St. Lawrence River shipping channel and have wonderful stories. Emma Row was a real person, but her nieces, Libby and Julia, are created from my imagination. Smiles.
What challenges did you encounter while writing ‘The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy’, and how did you overcome them?
My debut novel, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, is loosely based on my family story. I traveled to Ireland (four times now), explored Wolfe Island, and cruised the St. Lawrence River for research. The story is also loosely based on my story, and it was challenging, at times, to write about such an intimate reality.
Here’s a little about the story: After struggling to accept the changes forced upon her, Margaret Hawkins and her family take a perilous journey on an 1851 immigrant ship to the New World, bringing with her an Irish family quilt she is making. A hundred and sixty years later, her great granddaughter, Maggie, searches for the family quilt after her ex pawns it. But on their way to creating a family legacy, will these women find peace with the past and embrace hope for the future, or will they be imprisoned by fear and faithlessness?
How do you balance historical accuracy with creative storytelling in your ‘Thousand Islands Gilded Age’ series?
I’m hooked on the wonderful world of historical fiction, and especially the Thousand Islands Gilded Age history. But technically, the sub-genre I write in is called “faction”—factual fiction.
The setting and owners of that castle, mansion, or resort are all real characters and stories, and then I overlay fictional servants who tell the story. It’s rather complicated, but oh so much fun.
This gives me so much “scope for the imagination” as Anne Shirley would say.
I begin researching online, in books, and with interviews. With all the details I collect, I weave a story that is visceral, interesting, and I think, memorable. I write historical fiction with a huge dose of romance. I focus on character growth. But I’m a sucker for happy endings, so if a relationship is part of my main character’s storyline, all the better!
Because I write about real places and people, I want to be as accurate as possible, so I have a Thousand Islands historian who reads my story for accuracy. I also like to incorporate as many historic details and have experts check to make sure my details are correct, so each book takes a lot of research. Though it’s extra work, it always helps to check with the experts.
“I write historical fiction with a huge dose of romance. I focus on character growth.” – Susan G. Mathis
Why do you depict the Gilded Age era in your novels?
The American Gilded Age was a time of rapid technical advances, industrialization, and thousands of new inventions from about 1870-1910. Mark Twain coined the term in his 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today that satirized the era of social problems that were masked by a layer of thin, gold gilding. It’s a fascinating time in history, especially in the Thousand Islands.
All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age, when the wealthy came to purchased the islands and build lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles. It was an era of economic growth. Since wages were higher than Europe, massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores.
Unfortunately, it was also a time of unequal distribution of wealth where the rich got richer and the poor working class suffered. Many young women worked as servants until they married, and that’s what my stories are about—those nameless, faithful women who cooked and cleaned and served tables for the rich and famous. These “downstairs” women had fascinating stories to tell, and I plan to tell many of them. I write Thousand Islands Gilded Age stories to share the rich heritage this era gave us and better understand what it was like.
How do you approach character development to ensure your protagonists resonate with readers?
I love the excitement of writing. I plot my stories, but my characters take on a life of their own and do things I didn’t expect. Writing can be such a fun experience, especially when a character grows in their life. My characters often surprise me, make me giggle, cause me to question their actions, and more.
Since all my novels are based on the true stories of the owners of that island, those characters are generally true. Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story.
What do you hope readers take away from your stories set in the Thousand Islands?
All fourteen of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. I also want readers to fall in love with the beautiful Thousand Islands!
Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.
I’ve been to fifty-seven countries and hope to visit several more in the next year. I LOVE the UK and have visited a half-dozen times but hope to visit again soon! I grew up very Irish, so Irish characters and sayings are in all my books. And tea is my favorite drink, especially British Blend!
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors aiming to write historical fiction?
I love to encourage writers but also caution them to never, ever stop learning and growing in the craft of writing. Too many writers think they can just magically pop off a book without sufficiently learning the craft or doing the hard work of having it edited it well. I also encourage them to have thick skin—this is a tough market and they have to let go of their ‘little darlings’ and sometimes much more.
