Julia Park Tracey honored for mesmerizing work of historical fiction
Former Alameda poet laureate Julia Park Tracey’s historical novel, The Bereaved, has been named to the Best Indie Books of 2023 [1] by the editors of Kirkus Reviews, one of the book industry’s most respected review publications. Thousands of books are considered for the honor each year, but just 100 books make the list.
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The Bereaved is based on Tracey’s research into her grandfather’s past as an adopted child, resulting in a mesmerizing work of historical fiction illuminating the darkest side of the Orphan Train.
“Tracey does a masterful job in this novel, developing Martha as a relatable narrator,” Kirkus wrote in its starred review [3]. “Readers will find that their spirits rise and fall with hers.” The review called the book “an often painful but uplifting novel by a writer at the top of her game.”
Sibylline Press [4] published The Bereaved in August 2023, the first of six titles in its first season. The book was called the “holy grail” of stories by the Orphan Train Museum [5] for its role in illuminating the mothers who lost their children, until now a little-known aspect of the Orphan Train legacy. The Orphan Trains ran from 1854 to 1930, siphoning children out of New York to homes where they were either adopted or indentured. Approximately three million people descend from these “orphans.”
[6]In addition to being Alameda’s poet laureate emeritus, Tracey is a career journalist, having served as founder and publisher of the former weekly newspaper, the Alameda Sun and continuing to serve as a founding board member of the Alameda Post. She now lives in Grass Valley, California, and is the author of seven books so far. She is on social media @juliaparktracey on all platforms.
The Bereaved is available at Books Inc. [7] and wherever books are sold at stores and online.