Glen Ebisch Explores Love in the Time of Emerson & Thoreau with Historical Romance Dearest David

WESTFIELD, Mass. - Feb. 20, 2018 - PRLog -- New England mystery author Glen Ebisch announces the release of his historical romance, Dearest David (ISBN 978-1625267450), the story of a young girl, Abigail Taylor, who leaves her family farm fifteen miles outside of Concord, Massachusetts, to take a position as a servant in the home of transcendentalist lecturer Ralph Waldo Emerson.

In Dearest David, after seventeen-year-old Abigail Taylor turns down a proposal from a well-off but uninspiring suitor, her impoverished parents feel that she must go out and make her own way in the world. Self-sufficient and bright, Abigail decides to take a position as a servant in the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson, rather than work on her family farm.

Abigail only spends a few months during the year 1841 as a kitchen maid and part-time nanny to the Emerson children, but she experiences life in the Emerson household at the peak of both its intellectual and emotional intensity. She falls in love with the free-spirited but emotionally ambivalent Henry David Thoreau and learns that she must share her fascination with him with both Emerson's wife, the prophetic and frightening Lidian, and the children's governess, Ms. Ford. She also meets the charismatic radical journalist, Margaret Fuller. And she learns to respect but also to recognize the limitations of Emerson himself. Eventually, Abigail is forced to leave her employment in the Emerson household, but only after realizing the magical nature of her time in this special place, where discussions about the principles of self-reliance, feminism, and abolitionism flourished.

Based on true events, Dearest David possesses a unique authenticity and creates a tale of intriguing mystery and romantic suspense, while introducing the reader to the contradictory and uncertain world of women's rights in the transcendentalist era. Through the character of Abigail Taylor, Ebisch is able to capture the spirit of hard-headed realism and romantic longing common to young women of that time. Dearest David is a must-read for historical romance lovers who crave rich, evocative details, engaging characters, and sociological themes that are still relevant today.

"I have always been fascinated by Emerson and Thoreau," said Ebisch, "and wanted to develop a story that would allow me to explore each of them at a personal level. I wrote Dearest David after creating the main character, Abigail, who moves into the Emerson household and learns much about herself as she interacts with the many complicated individuals who live there. Abigail encounters a variety of values and issues, which forces her to examine her own feelings about love, education, marriage, and being a single woman in a world that is just beginning to experience the rise of feminism. It is a complex and captivating period in time, and I enjoyed being able to discover more about it while I wrote this book."

Glen Ebisch was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Clifton. He received his B.A. in political science from Rutgers University, an M.A. in government from Cornell University and, after a tour of duty with the United States Army in Vietnam, he attended Columbia University where he earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy. He taught philosophy at the university level for over thirty years, and during the same period of time wrote over thirty novels, first for young people, then for adults.  Glen is a long-time member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and an associate member of Sisters in Crime. He lives with his wife in western Massachusetts.

For more information on the author or Dearest David, please visit www.glenebisch.com or www.amazon.com.

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