While Vera Pembroke is completely from my imagination, I stole elements of her personality from a Roaring Twenties jazz singer. Helen Morgan entertained crowds at a speakeasy hidden in the back of Nixon Theater in Pittsburgh. She’s known for inventing the iconic pose of singing while sitting/lying atop the piano. So naturally, I had to incorporate that into the first scene of the novel. Also during those early chapters, you may have recognized a noir vibe. That was completely intentional as it is a nod to my love of classic movies.
The views displayed in this story concerning Prohibition in Pittsburgh are accurate. Pittsburgh was known as the “wettest city in the dry nation.” Crime bosses and bootleggers unashamedly bribed city officials and police forces in order to run their empires. Sadly, because the law enforcement was heavily corrupt, honest officers were few and far between. Prohibition was only acknowledged on paper because there were over five hundred speakeasies threaded throughout the city. Procuring justice for lawlessness usually came by appealing to state government.
The Allegheny National Forest, where much of this story is set, was purchased by the government in 1923. The 513,175 acres in Northwestern Pennsylvania is the only national forest in the state. This region is particularly special to me because a lot of my youth was spent within its wooded boundaries. The swimming hole, the teaberry patch atop the hill, the open space where Mick taught Vera to shoot are all real places. By the time my family occupied the place, there was running water and indoor plumbing, but I remember playing with the rusty pump, and that weathered outhouse was often “home base” when we’d play hide-and-seek.
Thank you again for reading this story of my heart. If you’re interested in more of my writing and latest news, please visit me at RachelScottMcDaniel.com or on any of the popular social media platforms.
Blessings,
Rachel
The Red Canary Page 28
