The Dam Novel (W-I-P)
THE IDEA: Most of the time, my idea for a book comes after I have visited a place that intrigues me. Or I discover a little-known historical fact, person, or event that needs showcasing. Here are my latest Works-In-Progress with a few reasons why I chose to tell these stories.
The Dam Novel (no joke!)
This is an aerial view of the tallest dam in the eastern USA. Fontana Dam. 480 feet tall. It was constructed in the NC mountains in Welch Cove during World War II in only 3 years! Notice the tiny building at the base of the dam? That building is 7 stories tall. Huge Fontana Lake was created when water from a river backed up behind the dam and flooded over 7,000 acres, including 7 former towns. ALCOA plants needed electricity produced at the dam to run their aluminum plants – aluminum for war machinery.
10-year-old Joe Welch reluctantly moves to this remote mountain area with his mother and uncle who will work at the dam. Because of an earlier tragedy, Joe has intense fears of water and heights. Can he control his stutter and fit in with his fifth-grade classmates? Can he earn the friendship of Frankie, the outspoken Irish/Cherokee Indian girl whom he admires? Can Joe and Frankie solve a local mystery and help save the lives of men who work on the monstrous dam?
It has been my great honor to spend time at Fontana Dam interviewing Dam Kids – men and women, now in their 80’s and 90’s, who lived as children in Welch Cove during the building of Fontana Dam. They have willingly and unselfishly shared their unique lives and memories with me. I am forever indebted to these friends. Please meet Doris, Homer, Mildred, and Harvey. Yay, Dam Kids!
