Lacy Fewer – On Writing Yankeeland

I always knew I was going to write. As a young child, I was fascinated with how a book could transport you to a world where everything worked out in the end. I dreamed of being able to bring my love of storytelling to a wider audience. Writing is the lens through which I understand the world—and myself. 

I am privileged to have lived in Ireland, a proud Dubliner with access to a wealth of literary and cultural heritage on my doorstep. To truly appreciate Yankeeland it is important to understand that Irish identity is deeply rooted in history, resilience and an enduring sense of belonging. Emigration has shaped generations of Irish families—whether by choice or necessity—yet the connection to home remains strong. The Irish carry both the weight of the past and the hope for a better future, which is central to Brigid’s journey. There’s also a cultural nuance to how we express emotions—often through storytelling, with quiet endurance rather than open confrontation. While Yankeeland is a story of immigration, it’s also a story of identity, sacrifice, and the unseen costs of chasing a dream—something that transcends borders.

I firmly believe that Brigid and Molly’s letters, which were the inspiration for Yankeeland, found me in 1993. When I first read those letters, sent across an ocean and penned a century ago, I was both humbled and ecstatic. I was the first person to read them in decades and some for the first time since they had been penned. Time stood still for me that morning as I sat on the floor, piecing together their journey with the excitement of an avid sentimentalist—until I began to uncover the depths of the tragedy and the secrets within. I realized how many lives had been affected, never to understand the truth in their lifetimes, the agony of it all consumed me. I have no doubt that the secrets in Brigid’s story were kept out of love—but isn’t truth the greatest act of love? Information is power and confronting secrets offers liberation from the shackles of the past, allowing humanity to move forward. Over the years, I found myself asking—why had the letters endured? Why had those who knew held onto the darkest of correspondence, innermost thoughts laid bare? I believe that the letters were cared for—preserved as if waiting for their destiny, waiting for me to tell this story and illuminate a dark time in our history.

I saw a lot of myself in Brigid, she too had dreams. Brigid did not get to realise her dreams in her lifetime. I felt it was my responsibility to undertake this journey—not just for Brigid, but for every woman who has walked this path. Giving a voice to the voiceless of our shared histories. When writing historical fiction there is no doubt that letters are far more down to earth and honest. Most research from the period reflects a male perspective drawn from sources such as newspaper archives, medical reports and various journals. As a result, it offers an unbalanced view of women’s lives. Finding the letters provided a more direct and unfiltered account of events from a female perspective. From the moment I first opened the letters the story began to take shape in my mind. With the onset of the Internet, it became easier to access the level of research needed to give this story the depth it required. I have felt the characters with me over the years, guiding and goading. On-the-ground research was important so I travelled to Lagunitas in California where Brigid and her husband Ben purchased and ran the Lagunitas Grocery Store from 1921. Meeting with members of the community who remembered them fondly provided a deeper insight into how I would form their characters. Walking in their footsteps, sitting by their graveside in quiet remembrance. Seeing their Irish heritage acknowledged on their gravestone, stirred a sadness. To have lived their adult lives in a country, far away from their place of birth, a place that they would always call home. All those years of living a life in secret and unequivocal pain. 

Writing Yankeeland, I wanted to provide a lyrical, immersive and deeply evocative experience for the reader. To achieve this, I blended rich historical detail with intimate character exploration. I wanted to ensure the narrative moved fluidly between past and at times, present weaving together, personal letters, internal monologues and vivid scene setting. The style is heavily character driven with an emphasis on inner turmoil, quiet resilience, and the struggles of women. I would say that I am a literary writer who likes to explore rather than explain, weaving the detail in allowing readers to internalise the story through their own experiences. My greatest wish is to evoke emotions that resonate uniquely with each reader, making the story feel both intimate and universal.

As someone with a keen interest in the teachings of stoicism, I believe that Brigid surely embodied some of these qualities during her life to enable her to exist in her world. In a piece I wrote on my website, titled ‘Secrets’ I explore how lives that are lived in pain do not allow for awareness. Existing, quite often, is the sole occupation of the sufferer. In today’s world we can avail of modern technologies, medicines and a somewhat better understanding of life’s struggles. In the early 1900’s women experienced systemic oppression living with patriarchal control and medical injustices. Brigid’s story is about reclaiming her agency in a society that sought to silence women. The roles and expectations placed upon women as much by themselves as by their peers. As a woman who has played many roles in life, focusing on female characters in my story allowed for me to explore and reveal, through my research, the many challenges women have faced—challenges that, unfortunately many of which remain unchanged.

I had the ability to draw on lived experience, which proved invaluable in detailing some of the more profound moments in this story, offering a thought-provoking insight into the perception and treatment of mental health. Yankeeland tells a story that I hope will resonate and spark honest public debate in this area. My words are lived, they are experiential in the way of family trauma that is passed down through the generations. We cannot change the past however we can influence future generations. I believe at some level as human beings we have an inherent knowing and by taking the time to connect into this sense of knowing we can bring light and healing.

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Lacy Fewer is an award winning author and a native of Dublin Ireland. A graduate of University College Dublin, she has enjoyed a career in banking and finance. Following her passion for storytelling she has shifted her focus to writing. Yankeeland is her debut novel and was inspired by the discovery of her grandaunt’s letters, which haunted her. There is a cultural nuance to how Irish people express emotions—often through storytelling, with quiet endurance rather than open confrontation. She lives in Meath with her husband and children.

YANKEELAND

Fiercely independent and passionate, Brigid feels hindered by her family and the strict society of her small Irish town in the early 1900s.

Brigid and her cousin Molly, who is more like a sister, dream of a new life in the seemingly unlimited land of opportunity they call Yankeeland-America. Brigid gets her chance when she emigrates with her husband Ben and her brother James, while Molly stays in Ireland.

But when Brigid’s quest to have a child leads her to seek unconventional help, her mental stability is questioned. She is soon caught up in a patriarchal medical establishment she has little power to fight.

The new life in America Brigid dreamed about takes a drastic turn. Decades later Brigid’s grandniece discovers a sack full of letters between the two cousins. She unravels the story and vows to tell the tale of what really happened to Brigid in Yankeeland.

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Find more about Lacy on her website https://lacyfewer.com/

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing