Homeland Lost
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Book One (excerpts) Chapter ‘In a Land Called Masovia’:
In a land called Masovia lived Emilia Ramien, a young girl coming-of-age who was full of life and love and dreams. The land had once been the resident possession of Masovian princes and her homeland, the tragic yet fascinating place of her birth.
Emilia sat quietly with her hands neatly tucked inside a white muff made of soft rabbit fur. She was an exceptionally beautiful young woman riding in a Phaeton, an open carriage being driven by her father, the distinguished Andreas Ramien.
Emilia’s father had hastily greeted her upon arrival and then had quickly gathered up her travelling trunk that housed her school uniforms and other toiletries, plus her scholarly books and novels. He speedily loaded and latched this onto the back of the carriage. He was taking her home to his manor in the German colonized village of Maschewo, located on the beautiful banks of die Weichsel River.
The decision had been made by the head mistress of the private school, allowing her an early leave of absence, only as an exception to the rule, in this case a family tragedy. Emilia silently pondered the season of spring and how harsh a summer this could be. It was usually a time of hope but was now quickly turning into a season of despair.
The brief hug from her father at the charabanc station had been fleeting; he had cupped her face in a loving gesture between his hands and kissing her on both her cheeks, he hastily relayed the tragic news from Amerika (America) of her brother Jakob’s untimely death by murder. Her father’s voice sounding raspy and broken carried the scent of Zigarre (cigar) smoke.
Andreas’ carriage horses loped along methodically, their heaving mouths biting the bits. Emilia almost blankly stared at their blinders that were positioned high on a chamfrain, a head to bridle horse harness. The blinders were intended for the purpose of assisting the horses to concentrate fully on their task at hand, obliterating all else except to carry their passengers quickly and briskly along the roads that lie ahead of them to their destiny. She wished she could wear blinders now as the horses did, to keep herself oblivious of her surroundings, to allow no one, especially her father, to see her moist lashes, as she felt as though every thought in her mind had become ‘durcheinander’ (chaotic) or topsy-turvy ever since she had received the horrible news. The quickness of her father’s message that he had been so reluctant to relay, came gravely from his moustached mouth. The news had left her feeling numb, disbelieving, and then his reticent attitude thereafter left her feeling even more detached…
BOOK TWO (excerpts):
Chapter ‘Land of Blizzards’:
Elyssa woke up from the comforts of her sleep by the sound of wind whistling through the cracks in the cabin, wailing like that of howling mad dogs. She buried her head deeply inside the large feather tick to keep away from the cold drafts. The huge quilt was wrapped around her body along with a tangle of legs and arms from her younger sister Elyna. On the other side was another younger sister Marta, who was equally nudging up against her back in an attempt to gain more body heat. Elyssa had just had her eleventh birthday a couple of weeks before and was glad her tenth year had finally been over. She felt she could not grow up fast enough. …
Then the only door to the cabin burst open. Her papa Edriech came stomping in, kicking the snow off his boots and looking at Elyssa, he said, Ella, komm hier!” (Ella, come here!) Ella was her papa’s pet name for Elyssa. She felt as though she had been papa's favourite, especially when it came to helping him with outdoor work; there was only one older male in the family to help him, this being her brother August. …
Edriech’s eyes were a blazing crystal-blue as he stood there staring, waiting, the smell of snow on him, rising in a steam from the heat of the cabin. He clapped his gloved hands as a mist of melting flakes rose off his back. He unsnapped the band from his black Ushanka fur hat he still wore from the Old Country. …
As much as Ella loved being with her papa and doing things with him, she dreaded this moment that she knew was going to be a time of facing drastic chores. The blizzard had been so severe that it had caused many of their livestock to drop dead in the snow one-by-one because there had been no shelter for them. There had been no time to construct one. There had simply been no warning, as though the blizzard had blind-sided them. Her papa had not been prepared for such a time as this. He had not realized the powerful storms that could hit northern Alberta. …
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About the Book
A true story inspired by true events, author GJ RACHAEL PATTERSON narrates in a creative nonfiction genre a story based on twelve years of genealogical research of her ancestral roots--a three-generational saga filled with perils and triumphs.
“Rachael uses a unique and non-traditional style to preserve her family heritage and history through exploring the personalities and situations of her ancestors.”
--Jerry Frank, author/conference speaker/webmaster, SGGEE (The Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe), Calgary, Alberta, Canada
“Rachael gives us an intriguing study in relationships and life through her intense research and insight in HOMELAND LOST, her first novel. She has meticulously followed historic events while entwining human qualities and capturing our interest in her characters and their futures. HOMELAND LOST is a most informative and enjoyable read.”
-- Hazel Sheppard, author/publisher, Sheppard Publishing LLC, Rockport, Massachusetts, USA. Writer of the children’s trilogy The Inchy Books & Big Red’s Greatest Find
“Homeland Lost is written in a sharp, crisp, virtually real style that truly puts the reader right there in the present moment. One feels all of their senses acutely heightened transporting us directly into the story, as a participant not only accompanying the characters, but having the feeling of sometimes being them. A romantic, historical adventure, a special, highly detailed treasure that the author has so lovingly and earnestly shared with the reader.”
-- Wayne James Sheppard, author/screenwriter of Burden of Privilege: The Secret Life of Geoffrey Collins
About the Author
Rachael Patterson narrates a three-generational saga based on twelve years of family genealogical research. She spent two-to-three years writing an inspirational story of her ancestors in a creative non-fiction genre. Rachael is accomplished in a Bachelor of Arts English Literature / Fine Arts from the University of Calgary and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Counselling. She has been a member of the SGGEE (Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe) for many years and gives credit for some of her research material and the writing of this book to the assistance of her genealogical colleagues. She has been a speaker from time-to-time at the SGGEE conventions. Rachael currently resides in her hometown of Calgary, Alberta, CANADA.