Phyllis Wheatley was the first African American and enslaved person to publish a book of poetry.  No jokes here, her story is fascinating.

After watching the History Channel's miniseries Sons of Liberty I was drawn to the idea of writing an American Revolutionary War story.

Because of this I had to create some new characters to fit into that world.

Every story has a character who knows exactly what is going on.  In my Revolutionary War manuscript, that character is Miss Libby.

She's not the youngest person in the room and not the wealthiest.  She doesn't hold any political office, command soldiers, or deliver dramatic speeches.  Yet, she possesses the most wisdom.

Miss Libby has spent a lifetime observing people and understanding what many others don't: most problems begin long before anyone notices them.

Nathaniel, for example, may be good at rally round the flag and earn the respect of his community, but Miss Libby has known him since the day he was born.  She knows when he's worried, when he's stubborn, and when he'll make a decision he will later regret.

Which is unfortunate for Nathaniel.

He rarely gets away with anything.

One thing I like about writing Miss Libby is that she sees through people without judging them.  She recognizes Abigail's fears long before Abby has the courage to speak them out loud.  She understands Nathaniel's strengths and weaknesses.  She can spot trouble coming from half a county away.

And yet she remains remarkably patient...most of the time.

Miss Libby is the type of woman who history would over look due to her skin color, her gender, or her not being the loudest person in the room.  However, her influence is woven through every chapter, every conversation, and every life she touches.

History is full of people like that.

When we read about the past, we often focus on generals, politicians, and famous men.  (Dead White Male Syndrome as my college professor called it.)  Yet every family had someone who held things together behind the scenes.  Someone who offered advice, settled arguments, cared for children, preserved stories, and reminded people where they came from.

Those individuals rarely appear in history books but it doesn't make them any less important.

In many ways, Miss Libby serves as the heart of the story.  She provides perspective when emotions run high and common sense when everyone else is making life unnecessarily complicated.

A role she performs frequently.

Especially when Nathaniel is involved.

One of my favorite things about their relationship is that Nathaniel may be a grown man, a husband, and a respected Patriot, but Miss Libby remains completely unimpressed by all of it.  To the rest of the world, he is Nathaniel.  To Miss Libby, he is simply Nat.

And there is something wonderfully grounding about that.

No matter how much he accomplishes, no matter how many responsibilities he carries, there will always be someone who remembers the little boy underneath.

Miss Libby reminds me that wisdom is not always loud.  Sometimes it arrives with a knowing smile and a gentle piece of advice.  Other times it tells you exactly what you need to hear.  Other times  it spends years cleaning up after Nathaniel's decisions.