Mabel’s Musings - Not Like Everyone Else

What did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor? A firefighter? A teacher? President of the United States?

I was lucky by the time I had to decide that question for myself I had a lot more choices than the characters in my book. At first I wanted to be the first female baseball player, then I thought I wanted to be a sportscaster, but what I really wanted to do was be an athletic director. Back in the day high school athletic directors came from the physical education department so I decided I wanted to be a PE teacher. This was the best career choice - I could wear sweats to work, I got my summers off and I was able to play sports all day. The fact that it annoyed my parents was just an added bonus. They didn’t mind me becoming a teacher, they just didn’t understand why it had to be physical education.

When Mabel and Bonnie were growing up in the early 1970s there were still mainly three options of careers for women: nursing, education, and secretaries. I wanted explore what it would be like for Mabel to feel like she was not like everyone else, but not have it be centered solely around her sexuality. Mabel is growing up during a time of great change for women. During the time A Scent of Lilac takes place, the feminist movement was at its height, Title IX was passed by Congress which expanded athletic and scholastic opportunities for girls, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in a battle of the sexes and women were given more control over their reproductive choices.

Mabel wants to go to college to study astronomy - one of the science fields. She has been in love with the stars and planets since she was seven years old and her dad bought her a telescope. Her father doesn’t believe girls need an education just to be wives and mothers. Even her high school guidance counselor tried to steer her toward more traditional programs of studies, but Mabel pushed back until he relented. She was accepted to the University of California-Berkeley’s astronomy program and believed her dreams were about to become a reality.

Her friends were happy to stay in Wheatonville and attend the local community college or enlist to go fight in Viet Nam, but Mabel is driven to leave everything she knows behind in pursuit of her dreams. This is why I wanted her to feel different - Mabel sees how her life would become if she stays but she believes she is destined to be bigger than Wheatonville.

Only 42 days left until A Scent of Lilac is released. Stay tuned for information on how to reserve your copy of my debut novel.