by Amy Stewart
The story that Fleurette read on page 244 came from Stories of Pioneer Life: For Young Readers by Florence Bass, published in 1900.
The headline “Girl Waits with Gun” (page 258) came from the Philadelphia Sun article that ran on November 23, 1914, but most of the text comes from two similar stories that each ran in the Philadelphia Evening-Ledger, one titled “Oh, for a Chance to Shoot at the Nasty Prowlers!” (November 21, 1914) and the other titled “Girl, Armed, Waits for Black Handers on Street Corner” (November 23, 1914).
“Arrest in Black Hand Letters Case” (page 271) ran in the Bergen Evening-Record on December 3, 1914, although I added a line about the fictional Marion Garfinkel posting bail.
The text of the letter from George Ewing dated December 21, 1914 (pages 278–79) was printed in several newspaper accounts, including one in the Bergen Evening-News on January 23, 1915.
The story of the night watchman beaten to death (page 283) ran in the New York Times on December 27, 1914, under the headline “Held in Murder Inquiry.”
“Says He Was Kopp Black Hand ‘Gang’” (pages 295–96) ran in the New York Tribune on January 23, 1915.
“Saved of Prison Term by Sheriff” (pages 372–73) appeared in the Trenton Evening Times on March 8, 1915.
“Celebrated Kopp Case on Trial Today at Newark” (page 385) appeared in the Bergen Evening-Record on June 3, 1915.
“Kopp Sisters Tell of Death Threats,” from the New York Times, June 3, 1915, is the source of Constance’s quote in the epigraph and some of her dialogue during the trial (page 389).
The headlines Norma cut out of the paper and sent by pigeon post were all actual headlines from Paterson-area newspapers of the day.
Passaic and Bergen County history buffs will notice that I took a few liberties with geography, train schedules, streetcar routes, and other such details. What can I say? This is a work of fiction, and sometimes the story takes over. If my characters started riding over a bridge, I let them, even if no bridge existed at that place.
I’d like to thank the following people for their help with the research: Maria Hopper, genealogist extraordinaire; Jonathan Rapoport; and the staff and volunteers at the Ridgewood Public Library, Paterson Public Library, Hackensack Public Library, Hawthorne Historical Society, Bergen County Historical Society, and the Passaic County Historical Society at Lambert Castle. Extra heaps of thanks go to Inspector Mickey Bradley at the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for an impromptu tour of the old jail and Sheriff Heath’s living quarters, as well as his willingness to preserve and share Heath’s photographs.
Most of all, heartfelt thanks go to Dennis and Deanne O’Dell, John Birgel (father and son), and members of the Heath and Ward families for their willingness to talk about their ancestors with a complete stranger and to share their stories.
My retelling of the Kopp sisters’ story owes its life to four people who believed in it as much as I did: my husband, Scott Brown; my first reader, Masie Cochran; my agent, Michelle Tessler; and my editor, Andrea Schulz. Thanks to everyone at HMH for giving Constance, Norma, and Fleurette a home.
About the Author
AMY STEWART is the award-winning author of six books, including the bestsellers The Drunken Botanist and Wicked Plants. She and her husband live in Eureka, California, where they own a bookstore called Eureka Books.
Visit Amy Stewart’s website
