What is the title of your latest book?
What is the novel about?
It is about a woman who saw things differently in a time when all women were submissive and unimportant. Maggie Lena Walker was the first African American Banker woman, who evolved from a laundry woman to an entrepreneur despite the Jim Crow stigma. She was a maverick during a difficult time. And she was so determined to do what she envisioned would help her community that she broke chains and barriers no one could believe. This novel resonates with men and women of all hues. It is about survival and belief in the supernatural strength of the mind.
What do you love about the setting of the book?
It is about community. It is set in Jackson Ward a striving community with all sorts of talents being produced and sold by those of color. It is a place in which love surrounds the community, however put one foot out of the neighborhood and you were on unchartered territory. And Maggie had a reputation for pushing her way through.
How did your main character surprise you?
Maggie was fearless and it was a very unusual trait for a colored woman in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I really feel hearing the stories her mother told her about a Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew, and watching her mother demonstrate tenacious strength after her daddy’s death inspired her to move forward.
Why will readers relate to the character?
Everyone around the nation have experience some degree of disappointment, however most of it is never the kind an African American experienced post World War I. I am enthralled by how Maggie took something that was unkind and deliberately wounding and transitioned it to something that was rewarding and somewhat miraculous. I believe people will identify with her in many ways, either by their struggles, or just the oppositions. In any circumstance she prevailed, and all of us are seeking some type of triumph in lieu of the situation. I loved writing her story.
What was the biggest challenge writing this book?
This book was not challenging, however at times as I channeled Maggie, it was difficult to believe how she handled herself. I wanted to write the story so everyone reading it could identify in some way how her manner of handling a situation was so much more successful than the routes we choose when we are beaten and tired. I knew if all could understand her struggle and strength it would keep the reader believing in Maggie. And at times inspiriting her demeanor.
Do you look forward to or do you dread the revision process?
Writing is always a learning process, and the revisions are an improvement to me. My aim is to be and write the best book possible and without revisions I couldn’t make my goal.
What is your favorite snack to have on hand while writing?
I drink a cup of coffee to get me started.
Where would you go for an ideal writer’s retreat?
I have been fortunate enough to attend a writer’s artist retreat in Africa, surrounded by the hills in Durban, South Africa. And I loved it. Although I am at my best when I am around the water, like a beach or even a lake. I adored the Indian Ocean and the site of the whales jumping in and out of the water. I think I can find solitude anywhere when I can feel the breath of God around me.
What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
When homing in on your writing skills, do not trust the advice of family and friends. They will most times always say something nice to avoid hurting your feelings. Writing requires practice and skill. We must rewrite sometimes many times to get it right.
Who is the fictional character you want to hang out with the most?
I can’t name just one. All the characters in most books pull me in without hesitation, simply because I am ready to explore. I love all the characters Toni Morrison creates because they are so mysterious and memorable emphasizing the African Diaspora. And John Steinbeck takes his time building you up with descriptions and scenery to a character you never thought would be so deviant. I love their styles in storytelling.
What’s one of your earliest book memories?
I started out with self-help books, nonfiction. My grandma used to read the Nancy Drew mysteries, poetry by Paul Lawrence Dunbar and mainly the Bible. She encouraged me to read any and everything. “An idle mind was a devil’s workshop.” So as a child, I’d write poetry. Later I would pay attention to the grown-ups and write the endings to their conversations in my head.
If you had to write in a different genre, what would it be and why?
I’ve written in children’s, young adult, and historical fiction. I think I would love to delve into a suspense novel. I love the mystery of the unknown and the clues that lead up to the telling.
What song will automatically put you in a good mood?
I can’t really say. I meditate on gospel, jazz and rhythm and blues. All of it has a positive affect on me. Music is therapeutic in all genres. I even groove to rap.
What is your favorite way to practice self-care?
I start my day with meditation and prayer. I like to dance, and I listen to music while taking long hot baths. I might even add a candle for mood. Lately, I have incorporated exercise into my routine.
What can you eat and never get sick of?
I love greens like turnips, mustards, kale, and collards.
Will you share a favorite, recent-ish book you recommend?
I am currently reading The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry. I’m not finished yet, but it is a good one.
Do you have hobbies?
I dip and dab in theatrical productions. I produce when I can. I love the Arts. And I am a great cook.
Are you an early bird or night owl?
This one is hard. I wake up very early in the mornings and start my day. Sometimes I take a cat nap and wake up and stay up into the early morning and go back to sleep. I love it when everything is at peace.
What can readers expect from you next?
Maybe another historical with a suspenseful twist. “I can’t tell it all.” LOL
A RIGHT WORTHY WOMAN by Ruth P. Watson
In the vein of The Engineer’s Wife and Carolina Built, an inspiring novel based on the remarkable true story of Virginia’s Black Wall Street and the indomitable Maggie Lena Walker, the daughter of a formerly enslaved woman who became the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the United States.
Maggie Lena Walker was ambitious and unafraid. Her childhood in 19th-century Virginia helping her mother with her laundry service opened her eyes to the overwhelming discrepancy between the Black residents and her mother’s affluent white clients. She vowed to not only secure the same kind of home and finery for herself, but she would also help others in her community achieve the same.
With her single-minded determination, Maggie buckled down and went from schoolteacher to secretary-treasurer of the Independent Order of St. Luke, founder of a newspaper, a bank, and a department store where Black customers were treated with respect. With the help of influential friends like W.E.B. DuBois and Mary McLeod, she revolutionized Richmond in ways that are still felt today. Now, her rich, full story is revealed in this stirring and intimate novel.
Women’s Fiction Historical [Atria Books, On Sale: June 13, 2023, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781668003022 / eISBN: 9781668003046]
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About Ruth P. Watson
Ruth P. Watson is the author of Blackberry Days of Summer, An Elderberry Fall, and Cranberry Winter. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and son. She divides her time between being a business owner, writer, and educator. She has a master’s degree and is currently working on her next novel, Strawberry Spring, and a documentary. A musical stageplay, Blackberry Daze, is based on her debut novel.
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