Heroine Interview from Tattler’s Branch by Jan Watson

» Posted on Sep 20, 2013 in Blog | Comments Off on Heroine Interview from Tattler’s Branch by Jan Watson

This week I’m hosting Liz Johnson with SEAL under Siege and Jan Watson with Tattler’s Branch. If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (Sept. 22nd) evening.

Tattler's BranchInterview with the heroine from Tattler’s Branch by Jan Watson:

1.  Tell me the most interesting thing about you. The year is 1913. My name is Lilly Still, and I’m a medical doctor in a coal camp in Skip Rock, KY.

2.  What do you do for fun? My sister, Mazy, is visiting for the summer while my husband is away, and she keeps me laughing—when she isn’t making me pull my hair out that is. I also enjoy my little dog, Kip.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it? I’m not the sort of person to put things off. I don’t like things left undone. I’m particular and precise.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life? I will tell you this even though it is hard to speak of it. I’m most afraid that I will never get to be a mother. I’ve had one miscarriage already. I don’t know why I feel compelled to share this with you. I haven’t even told my husband yet. He was away working when it happened. I suppose I’m afraid he will see me as less of a woman. I fear I am with child again, and I’m not sure I could bear to lose another.

5.  What do you want out of life? I want to have a family. While I was still a girl, I chose names for the three children I was sure I would have: Simon Inasmuch, Julia Verily, and John Cipher. Are they not the loveliest names? I found them in the Bible.

6.  What is the most important thing to you? I pray that I will live a life that is pleasing to God’s all-knowing eye.

7.  Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read? There is little time to read for pleasure. I do read for research purposes. At the moment, I’m studying the malady of cleft-palate. I have a tiny patient who will benefit from a surgical repair if she lives long enough to have it. My sister, Mazy, is reading Elsie Dinsmore,” a novel by Martha Finley. She loved reading about Elsie’s escapades. I fear Elsie will put ideas into Mazy’s head.

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? When I was in medical school I wanted to be a scientist. My dream was to discover a treatment for diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. That dream may yet come about, but for now I’m content to bloom where I am planted.

9.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet? My husband, Tern, travels for business and is away much of the time. Knowing I would grieve his absence, he bought a small dog from a tinker and had it delivered to my door. Kip had been hit by a vehicle of some sort and left by the side of the road to die. My darling husband knew I would be so caught up in taking care of this tiny creature that I wouldn’t have time to miss him quite so much. Kip is now my dear companion. My husband might not be so pleased to learn that Kip has claimed his side of the bed.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why? I like 1913 just fine. I wouldn’t like to go backward. Just short years ago, too many women died of child-bed fever, and babies often succumbed to common diseases. Medicine is making wonderful advances and I’m happy to be here to see them.