The characters are fiction but the history is real in peninsula author Linda B. Myers’ ninth novel, “Dr. Emma’s Improbable Happenings,” released last week.
The story begins in 1902 Seattle, when a murderous outlaw intent on stealing her gold tracks young Dr. Emma Prescott from the city to the ferry SS Clallam — which sank in the Strait of Juan de Fuca — and from Port Townsend to Port Angeles. The story resolves at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Ore., in 1905.
“The Clallam County Historical Society was a gold mine of old documents and photographs, as was the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society,” Myers said.
The Port Angeles author said she is attracted to telling stories of strong women who pioneered areas such as the Olympic Peninsula.
“Port Angeles in 1904 was a rugged frontier town, feeling its muscle and on the grow,” she said.
The book is available as a paperback locally at Port Book and News and at One of a Kind Gallery. It is also available as ebook or print on Amazon.com.
“It’s early days, but fingers crossed, reviews are good,” Myers said. “Local history with a touch of murder and romance, plus missing Klondike gold and a huge, goofy dog … what’s not to like?”
Myers worked in Chicago in marketing before trading in snow boots for rain boots and moving to the Pacific Northwest.
She’s lived in Port Angeles since 2005, is a founding member of Olympic Peninsula Authors, and writes articles for the Sequim Gazette.
She can be reached at myerslindab@gmail.com.
