PHOTO: Irene J. Steele, author of faith-based fiction for adults and children, drawing inspiration from her Chicago upbringing and spiritual journey.
Chicago Roots Childhood Wonder And Christian Faith
Author Irene J. Steele shares her inspirations, from Chicago’s West Side to award-nominated children’s books, highlighting the importance of faith, community, and history in shaping her deeply personal storytelling.
Irene J. Steele writes with a quiet power rooted in experience, memory, and faith. Her stories do not shout, but rather unfold in steady, resonant tones that echo long after the last page is turned. Whether through the richly drawn inner city of Chicago in her adult novel Some Glad Morning, or the gentle theological musings of a child in Timothy Talks to Jesus, her voice remains clear, compassionate, and purposeful.
Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, Irene’s first passport to the world was her library card—a prized possession that opened windows into lives and landscapes far beyond her own. Today, she repays that gift by crafting stories that do the same for her readers. Her work celebrates community, uplifts spiritual connection, and honours the profound legacy of those who came before. In her worlds, relationships transcend biology, faith grounds even the most difficult journey, and history is not merely remembered, but felt.
Her characters, from wide-eyed children to determined grassroots activists, are ordinary people navigating extraordinary moments. And in telling their stories, Irene serves not simply as author but as witness, conduit, and guide—inviting us to see the divine in daily life and the sacred in our shared struggles.
How did growing up on Chicago’s West Side and your love of literature influence the themes in your debut novel, Some Glad Morning?
Growing up on the West Side of Chicago was a beautiful experience. My Library card was my ticket to the outside world.
The themes of Relationships, Faith, and the Past stand out in the novel.
Growing up in the inner city of Chicago fostered relationships. Mildred and her Aunt Rose have a unique relationship that is not biological. This is probably more so in inner city African American communities where relationships often extend beyond families. I say this because in my neighborhood, as a child, any adult had the right to discipline me. My parents had complete trust in them.
The theme of faith is paramount in the novel. Faith rooted in the church, but primarily faith in God. Rose’ faith in God sustained her through her experience in leaving Clayton, Tennessee, under horrific conditions, raising Mildred, and ultimately, returning to her roots.
The importance of History. I had the privilege of being taught, by my parents about my history and the history of African Americans in the world. I wrote a paper on the Apartheid system in South Africa in the third grade. My parents taught me about what was going on in the world and the importance of literature that was outside of my community.
Some Glad Morning explores 1950s voting rights protests and grassroots politics – what inspired this historical backdrop and how did it influence Mildred’s character arc?
The novel is based loosely on the campaign of Mayor Harold Washington. Harold Washington ran for mayor of Chicago in 1982. What makes this unique is that Harold Washington was African American and the city of Chicago has been called by many, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as one of the most racist cities in America. Of course, now we have African American Mayors, Hispanic Mayors, Women mayors, as well as an African American President. But in 1982 – things in Chicago were very different.
What stood out to me during this election process was the coming together of people from different walks of life. You would go to rallies and see blue collar workers, white collar works, domestics, young, old, and people from every ethnicity and culture. You were able to witness people from different walks of life connecting with each other and finding a commonality between themselves. This was the story.
Mildred said, in the novel, that being involved in the campaign of Raymond Williams made her feel powerful, connected, a part of something that was bigger than herself.
In Timothy Talks to Jesus, Timothy seeks a direct conversation with Jesus – how did you approach capturing that childlike spiritual longing?
What I love about children is their innocence. Their questioning. Timothy has been taught to pray to God, and it was very natural for him to want to hear God talk back. I wanted to keep it simple.
Timothy Shares His Faith deals with bullying and expressing love – why was addressing kindergarten faith and friendship important to you?
Bullying is real. In schools, social media, the workplace, etc. I wanted to show how a child of faith handles it. It doesn’t always end up positively, but I wanted to show that it can. I also wanted to show what “walking out your faith” looks like.
Both Timothy books are richly illustrative and faith centred; can you share your collaboration process with the illustrators and how illustrations enhance the message?
I loved working with Jason Langford. It is so important to have an illustrator that “gets” what you are trying to say. I spoke with several illustrators and immediately connected with Jason.
I shared my vision with him, and he was able to see it. I remember him reading the story and stopping and saying, “I feel this.” I knew then that I had the right person.
It was important to me to have children who were not yet literate to be able to follow the story with pictures.
Having books across both children’s and adult Christian fiction, how do you adapt your writing voice for different age groups?
I pray before writing anything. I try to keep the age group in mind.
With children’s fiction, it’s a bonus that I have young grandchildren. Watching them experience life through their lens is wonderful.
Timothy Talks to Jesus was a National Indies Excellence Awards finalist in 2022 – how did that recognition affect you and your future writing direction?
I was so excited. Thrilled, stoked. To have an objective audience read the novel and “connect” to what I was trying to say was awesome!
The recognition was wonderful. However, it really doesn’t affect the direction of my writing.
What advice would you offer aspiring authors hoping to write faith based and historical fiction that resonates as deeply as your works?
When I wrote my novel, “Some Glad Morning,” I was part of “The West Side Writers’ Guild.” The guild was interested in having work that featured stories, poetry, and prose from the west side of Chicago.
The benefit of that organization is that we met monthly and critiqued each other’s work. So having your work critiqued by someone outside of your normal circle can be beneficial.
If you’re writing historical fiction, you really need to make it authentic. A reader living in the area should be able to relate to the atmosphere, environment, etc.
Make sure that you’re telling “your story.” Your story is unique to you, to your experiences, etc.
For me, with the Timothy series, I wanted to inspire children to feel comfortable talking to God. I wanted them to have that foundation so that when they grow and mature, they are comfortable talking to and hearing from God.
