Library hosts book reading by local author
Littell described how her book was based off of her hometown, which just happens to be in an area near Waynesburg University: Connellsville, Pennsylvania. Littell said that her inspiration stemmed from multiple home invasions in the early 2000s.
“In the early 2000s, a group of intenerate thieves descended on Connellsville and the surrounding towns and they committed a series of home invasions,” said Littell. “Everyone called these Gypsies, even though there was no real evidence that they were.”
In her book, a group of traveling people descend on a sleepy small town in Pennsylvania named Shelk, which she explained was based off of the town of Connellsville, and the Gypsies coming to town.
The book takes its audience on a roller coaster ride, as they learns about these characters and how their town got turned upside down in what seemed like a night. But, for Littell, it brought back memories from first hearing about what was going on in her hometown.
“I was living in New York City when these robberies took place,” said Littell. “I heard about the Gypsies during a phone call with my mother and this was exactly the story from home that I relished.”
In the book there are two main characters, Zaccariah Ramsey and Stella Vale. Littell said that she had always had these two characters in mind, and would write stories with them multiple times, but something was missing. After beginning the story, Littell said it all fell into place.
“I was writing a novel at the time with the two characters, Ramsey and Stella, who filled my every waking thought,” Littell said. “I loved them but I couldn’t get their story right.”
When writing the book, the ideas did not come right to Littell. It took multiple attempts and lots of revision to get it right.
“It took a lot of years, and a lot of drafts to transform the idea of the Gypsies into the rich material that nourished this book,” said Littell. “Also, it took many years to write vividly about southwestern Pennsylvania. I had to leave home to do it.”
Littell is currently working on another novel, but it is still in the early stages. She said that by the end of the year she hopes to get to the point where she will let her husband read the piece. She commented on the story line.
“The key for me was that the characters were so alive, it took fifteen years for me and then even longer to get published,” said Littell.
Her book “Each Vagabond by Name” is now available