It was in 2009 that Kathleen Ernst received what she calls a momentous phone call. The editorial team at American Girl had decided to do a project focused on the War of 1812, and they thought Kathleen would be a good match. The author had already penned some mysteries for the company, but now she was being invited to create an 1812 character and write six books about her.
Meet Kathleen
Kathleen grew up with an appreciation of both history and historical fiction. Both of her parents were voracious readers and her mother was a librarian. Whenever the family planned a trip, Kathleen would be presented with historical fiction about their destination that she could read before they traveled.
“We often visited historic sites such as Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Plimoth Plantation,” Kathleen told Cracking the Cover. “Because of my reading, those places were alive in my imagination by the time we arrived. Obviously the combination of historical fiction and historic places made quite an impact.”
All that reading also helped Kathleen realize the power of a good book. “Books took me to different times and places,” she said. “Whether I was happy or sad, I could find someone experiencing similar joys or sorrows among the characters I discovered. I realized that if reading books was so much fun, writing them would be even better! I wrote my first story when I was about 10, and my first novel when I was 15. It was never published, but I remain quite proud of it. That historical novel was my first step toward learning how to be a good writer.”
When American Girl released its first books about historical characters in the 1980s, Kathleen was working as a curator and educator at a large historic site called Old World Wisconsin. After the books came out, she began seeing girls visiting with Kirsten dolls in their arms. “They had read the Kirsten series and were excited about visiting restored pioneer farmsteads,” Kathleen explained. “That’s the power of good writing! These girls fell in love with the character, and her fictional adventures inspired them to learn more about history.”
It was during those early years that Kathleen sometimes fielded questions from the research department at American Girl — someone looking for an artifact to model in one of the books or another person reading a passage to make sure specifics were accurate. “During that time I was writing historical fiction, but had not yet published any,” Kathleen said. “I always ended those calls thinking how I’d love to write for American Girl one day!”
In the mid-’90s Kathleen got her chance. Her first historical novels for young readers were published (by another company) about that time. Those books came to the attention of an editor at American Girl just as the company was planning a new line of independent historical mysteries. Kathleen was asked to write one. She ended up writing three. When that series ended, Kathleen was asked to write mysteries about core historical characters Kit, Josefina, Kirsten and Molly.
Meet Caroline
When Kathleen was asked to create a character, nothing had been decided. It would take a while for the story of Caroline Abbott, a 9-year-old girl living near the shore of Lake Ontario during the War of 1812, to develop.
Kathleen dug into research and discussed setting options with her editor and the company researcher.
“We decided to focus on Sackets Harbor, a village on the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York,” Kathleen said. “It was a vitally important region during the war, and I loved the idea of creating a complex character growing up right along the border. The exciting events that took place in Sackets Harbor during the War of 1812 provided lots of plot possibilities.”
The War of 1812 is an important milestone in U.S. history, proving that the young nation could defend what it earned during the Revolutionary War, Kathleen said. “For me, the biggest challenge was the relative scarcity of primary reference material from the era. No photographs exist, of course. I would have loved to find a young local girl’s diary from that time, but alas, I did not. But I must add that the early date provided a real ‘treasure hunt’ feel to the process. The project researcher and I had great fun seeing what we could discover!”
Historical setting was only half of Kathleen’s mission. She also had to create a girl that not only fit into that time period but was interesting to young readers of today.
“One of the things that became apparent as I did research is that boys and girls in this era — especially in rural areas like Sackets Harbor — were often given extraordinary responsibilities at an early age,” Kathleen said. “This gave me the freedom to create a realistic girl who is a fun-loving child, but who also must sometimes scrape up her courage and take direct action in the midst of war. I think of Caroline as a tribute to all the unnamed, unknown girls and women of the time who acted with great heroism and intelligence in the midst of war.”
The relevance of Caroline’s story is more evident than one might expect, Kathleen says. “At the beginning of the series, readers learn than Caroline’s dearest wish is to become captain of her own ship. They also learn that Papa thinks Caroline needs to be more steady and responsible. Most girls today may not dream of becoming a ship captain, but they all have some precious goal. That creates a bond between reader and character. And in a broader sense, Caroline’s struggles and achievements can still provide inspiration for readers who are facing their own challenges — as all of us do.”
Meet American Girl
Kathleen says it’s a huge honor to work with American Girl. “I’m passionate about history, and about writing books to help engage young readers in themes and ideas I believe are important. Working with American Girl has allowed me to do just that, and I’m grateful.”
Human emotion is what connects all historical fiction with modern readers, Kathleen says. “No matter how fast children mature, they all at some time experience joy, pride, and contentment; sorrow, frustration, and fear. American Girl fans expect realistic, complex characters who experience familiar emotions — in books that provide satisfying stories and an introduction to another time and place! That’s quite a potent mix.”
Kathleen says she hopes to honor the vision of American Girl’s founder and first authors, who created something very special. “I wanted to do my very best for the sake of the girls who will read Caroline’s stories. And I wanted to honor historical women from 1812 by creating female characters with strength and spirit.”
“I love to think that my books might inspire young readers today the way authors inspired me when I was a child,” Kathleen said of her audience. “Writing for kids is a privilege, and I enjoy meeting them at schools, bookstores, libraries, and festivals. I meet young people who are excited about reading and fascinated by history. Many are also accomplished writers themselves, and I do everything I can to encourage them.”
*Read the complete transcript of Kathleen Ernst’s interview with Cracking the Cover.
