Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Article in Keene Sentinel
Family saga mirrors region's [I still haven't figured out what this means!]
Swanzey woman's family project turns into local bestseller
By David P. Greisman, Sentinel Staff - published Monday, July 27, 2009
A local author who had sought to ink a biography of her grandfather for an audience of her family has seen that same book become an area sensation.
"Perley - The True Story of a New Hampshire Hermit" is the first book by Sheila D. Swett. It is the nonfiction tale of Perley Swett, a Stoddard man who lived from 1888 to 1973 and who was known as "The Hermit of Taylor Pond."
The book, published through the Historical Society of Cheshire County, came out in November. Since then, regional readers have turned to the page-turner.
"We're actually on our third printing, so we've sold more than 2,500 and maybe a little less than 3,000," Sheila Swett, 54, of Swanzey said in an interview with The Sentinel.
Most of those sales have come in the Monadnock Region, though there have been orders from as far away as New Zealand.
"A lot of people who like the story, they might send it to friends or relatives who used to live around here, or maybe they might know somebody who they feel is a bit of a hermit and might appreciate the story," Swett said.
The first printing of 1,500 books sold out in about five weeks, with stock running out around Christmas last year.
A second printing of 1,000 came out in February and sold out a few months later.
The third printing of 750 was released a couple of months ago and is still in stores.
"We kept waiting for it to slow down, but it seems to be keeping its momentum," Swett said.
Indeed, employees at a pair of Keene bookstores say the book has been an overwhelming hit for a local publication.
"Last year, we sold 255 copies. And then so far this year, we've sold 270," said Robin D. Matthews, a salesman at The Toadstool Bookshop, giving sales figures for the Keene location. "In the beginning, we had lots of requests for it.
"There are some (local books) that might just sell half a dozen copies. We've got one in the educational department that hasn't sold yet for a couple years. It's all over the map, but this Perley book is especially a standout."
At the Borders bookstore, manager Sara C. Adams said she did not have specific sales figures but described "Perley" as "one of our best sellers."
"I can tell you without even looking that it's our number one local title," Adams said. "We sell several copies a week. We've sold a couple hundred since it's been in the store with us. There's no other local title we can count on to sell as consistently.
"It's a fascinating story, even if you're not aware of the local history, so it's a real easy sell for us," she said. "We sell it to people who are visiting the area looking for a good memento, or people who know the family or the property involved."
Which is a lot more than what Swett had initially intended.
"When I first planned the book, it was just going to be something for my family," Swett said. "As I dug up more and more information and found that it was quite a fascinating story, then I started thinking that maybe it could become a little more."
Swett believes people can relate to the story of her grandfather, that people might identify with his minimalist existence due to "the economy being the way it is and people not trusting the government."
"People start looking for something better," she says. "They look at Perley, and in their minds it just sounds like an ideal kind of situation."
Swett has done book signings, talks with organizations, visits with book clubs and even hikes to Perley's haunts. Those hikes, organized by local groups, each have drawn more than 100 people, Swett said.
Yet a successful debut as an author won't mean a second book, Swett says.
"A lot of people ask me what's the next thing I'm going to write," she said. "I think this is kind of a one-shot thing I felt had to be done. I did it, and that'll be it."
Swanzey woman's family project turns into local bestseller
By David P. Greisman, Sentinel Staff - published Monday, July 27, 2009
A local author who had sought to ink a biography of her grandfather for an audience of her family has seen that same book become an area sensation.
"Perley - The True Story of a New Hampshire Hermit" is the first book by Sheila D. Swett. It is the nonfiction tale of Perley Swett, a Stoddard man who lived from 1888 to 1973 and who was known as "The Hermit of Taylor Pond."
The book, published through the Historical Society of Cheshire County, came out in November. Since then, regional readers have turned to the page-turner.
"We're actually on our third printing, so we've sold more than 2,500 and maybe a little less than 3,000," Sheila Swett, 54, of Swanzey said in an interview with The Sentinel.
Most of those sales have come in the Monadnock Region, though there have been orders from as far away as New Zealand.
"A lot of people who like the story, they might send it to friends or relatives who used to live around here, or maybe they might know somebody who they feel is a bit of a hermit and might appreciate the story," Swett said.
The first printing of 1,500 books sold out in about five weeks, with stock running out around Christmas last year.
A second printing of 1,000 came out in February and sold out a few months later.
The third printing of 750 was released a couple of months ago and is still in stores.
"We kept waiting for it to slow down, but it seems to be keeping its momentum," Swett said.
Indeed, employees at a pair of Keene bookstores say the book has been an overwhelming hit for a local publication.
"Last year, we sold 255 copies. And then so far this year, we've sold 270," said Robin D. Matthews, a salesman at The Toadstool Bookshop, giving sales figures for the Keene location. "In the beginning, we had lots of requests for it.
"There are some (local books) that might just sell half a dozen copies. We've got one in the educational department that hasn't sold yet for a couple years. It's all over the map, but this Perley book is especially a standout."
At the Borders bookstore, manager Sara C. Adams said she did not have specific sales figures but described "Perley" as "one of our best sellers."
"I can tell you without even looking that it's our number one local title," Adams said. "We sell several copies a week. We've sold a couple hundred since it's been in the store with us. There's no other local title we can count on to sell as consistently.
"It's a fascinating story, even if you're not aware of the local history, so it's a real easy sell for us," she said. "We sell it to people who are visiting the area looking for a good memento, or people who know the family or the property involved."
Which is a lot more than what Swett had initially intended.
"When I first planned the book, it was just going to be something for my family," Swett said. "As I dug up more and more information and found that it was quite a fascinating story, then I started thinking that maybe it could become a little more."
Swett believes people can relate to the story of her grandfather, that people might identify with his minimalist existence due to "the economy being the way it is and people not trusting the government."
"People start looking for something better," she says. "They look at Perley, and in their minds it just sounds like an ideal kind of situation."
Swett has done book signings, talks with organizations, visits with book clubs and even hikes to Perley's haunts. Those hikes, organized by local groups, each have drawn more than 100 people, Swett said.
Yet a successful debut as an author won't mean a second book, Swett says.
"A lot of people ask me what's the next thing I'm going to write," she said. "I think this is kind of a one-shot thing I felt had to be done. I did it, and that'll be it."
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Me & "Perley"
I needed a "publicity photo" for a talk I will be doing. I had my poor son, Jake, take about 30+ pics to try to get a good one. I finally narrowed it down to this one.Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Let's try again!
It is so exciting to see some "followers." For a while I felt I was writing only for myself and got discouraged. I still have so much information about Perley that I could add but I wasn't sure anyone 'out there' would care to read it. Any suggestions on what I can write about? What you might be interested in reading about Perley?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Neighbors of Perley
Another odd neighbor that became friends with Perley's mother, Elsie Jane Whittier, when she was a young girl was Rosina Delight Richardson Wood. Around 1862 Rosina held the esteemed position of being the "Fat Lady" for the famous P.T.Barnum traveling circus. Perley and his family kept a gold framed portrait of her hanging on the wall of their home for almost 100 years and Perley often recalled his mother telling him that when Rosina came to visit she could only fit through the doorway by turning sideways to enter.
1903 diary
Wednesday, May 6, 1903
44d at 5:30 Clear and Pleasant Wind in the North
We have been fixing fence today. I got a woodchuck in our traps, and see another.
Papa shot at a hawk and hit it.
44d at 5:30 Clear and Pleasant Wind in the North
We have been fixing fence today. I got a woodchuck in our traps, and see another.
Papa shot at a hawk and hit it.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Journals
Perley kept journals most of his life. He started when he was 14 years old in 1903 and kept a daily journal until the day he had a stroke at age 85 and could no longer write. The over 60 journals I have give a detailed description of what Perley's life was like growing up and in his later years. Unfortunately either he did not have time to write during the years of his marriage or those journals were lost or destroyed. The journals I have range from 1903 to 1911 and then again from 1945 to 1973. What has surprised me most in reading through his journals, especially in the earlier years was how busy everyone was visiting their neighbors. When I first started researching for this book I always thought that Perley and his family were totally secluded from the rest of the townspeople but almost every day Perley mentions neighbors visiting, strangers passing by or they go to visit someone.
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