Engage Canastota: Local History Inspires a New Novelist
Known nationally for her leadership in economic development, Marilyn Higgins recently decided to make Canastota her home. Having spent much of her 30-year career working to revitalize neighborhoods and communities in Upstate New York, Marilyn’s latest project combines her passion for the rich history of Central New York with her talent for writing. She has just published her first book, titled Dreams of Freedom: An Irishwoman’s Story of Love, Justice, and a Young Nation Coming Apart.
In a recent interview with WRVO’s Grant Reeher, Marilyn described the book’s main character as “a young, dark Irish woman named Aileen O’Malley. Aileen comes here to find her indentured father and her kidnapped half siblings and she knows they’re along the Erie Canal corridor. She’s sort of imperious, was raised as a pretty privileged person in her grandmother’s home in Ireland. She comes to America with some real strict Catholic beliefs with a mission in mind. Aileen learns about America bit by bit by traveling along this canal. And it changers her, and it create’s drama.”
Marilyn also talked about her love of Upstate NY and her belief that more of the momentous historical events that took place here should be memorialized: “The women’s movement was born here at Seneca Falls, the abolitionist movement. This was the hotbed of abolitionism in the whole nation.The largest founder of the Underground Railroad lived nine miles up the road from me here in Peterboro, NY. Massive things that changed the country forever, along with penicillin were invented here. Water impermeable cement was invented here. The things that happened in this corridor during that time changed not just America, they changed the world.”
Marilyn’s years of volunteer work at the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor helped to inspire her book. She has long been dedicated to preserving and celebrating the legacy of the Erie Canal. She also has an interest in “novel tourism”, encouraging her readers to walk in the footsteps of her characters and explore the Erie Canal region. She has created a comprehensive guide on her website that maps out immersive experiences in places including Canastota, Seneca Falls, and Oswego. With the map to guide them, visitors can attend historical reenactments, see famous landmarks, and become familiar with the places that shaped the plot of her novel.
Marilyns book, Dreams of Freedom, is available at many local bookstores. Also check out Marilyn’s Facebook page for information about her upcoming appearances and book signings.