Historical Lessons in Fiction: A Look at Rosemary Simpson’s What the Dead Leave Behind

I read fiction for entertainment, don't you?

So what better way for a history (and mystery!) lover to be entertained than through a Gilded Age Mystery series? I jumped into Rosemary Simpson's series with book 1: What the Dead Leave Behind. And I'm not sorry.

I'll start with the quick bit: my review and recommendation. But then I'll drop historical lessons from the book - the bits I highlighted because I wanted to dig deeper.

More than entertainment, a book like What the Dead Leave Behind can be a staircase to step back into the past.

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Click here for the book.



Steps off the Duke of Gloucester St., Colonial Williamsburg.

Synopsis of Rosemary Simpson's Gilded Age Mystery: What the Dead Leave Behind.

This book kicks off with a death in an epic snowstorm. It's atmospheric and most definitely generates a bit of anxiety. This death sets into motion a series of events with the storm and its impact consistently referenced.

Very quickly, Ms. Simpson's story dives into a family whose past is complicated. As you get to know all the characters, the author's understanding of historical context is clear.

Effectively, the characters themselves embody historical significance as well as an association to daily life in New York at the end of the 19th century.

The main character is Prudence, a young woman navigating a new lot in life. Her support system is revealed and vital to the plot. So is the value of her father's legal background.

You'll meet characters like Roscoe Conkling, blurring the lines between fiction and fact, as you'll see later in this blog post. You'll see how laudanum and legal documents can steer the destiny of women in 1880s America.

But the end, this book is a mystery. Getting resolution to what may or may not be murder, as well as finding clues to ensuring a safe and secure future for Prudence and those around her is a path you'll take, chapter by chapter.

I loved it. And will be reading more of the series!

You can purchase the book by clicking here. When it arrives, steep the tea and get started on a cozy night in.

But for now, keep reading this post... because next comes the historical lessons bit.

Nighttime photo taken in Colonial Williamsburg.

Historical lessons from What the Dead Leave Behind.

I've got three notes about the Gilded Age in New York City I'm dropping here. But let's be honest, I could list many more.

Books like What the Dead Leave Behind are filled with fascinating events, people, objects, art, and insights into daily life worth a deeper dive.

Historical Lesson 1: There was an epic snowstorm in New York City.

What the Dead Leave Behind kicks off almost 140 years ago: on March 12, 1888, in the midst of what The Weather Channel references as one of the "top five recorded snowstorms in New York City."

It was a 4-day storm that truly paralyzed a city in a time before snowplows. The frigid temperatures caught an unprepared public in a predicament that took what was estimated to be hundreds of lives.

Personally, although I lived most of my life in Michigan and have seen piles of snow dumped onto my surroundings over the years, I cannot imagine how this looked to 19th century Americans.

On the cusp of a new century, technology was improving. That said, horses and carriages were still the preferred mode of transport. A storm of this magnitude must have instilled fear in New Yorkers for days.

• No plows to clear roads.
• No trusty meteorologist to help you navigate and prepare.
• No cell phones to know if your loved one made it through.

Click here to dive deeper into the details of the storm on the New York Public Library's website.

And here to purchase a book by historian Mary Cable. It's dedicated to telling the story of the storm that seized not only a city in the 19th century, but swept throughout the northeast.

Historical Lesson 2: Prominent New Yorkers moved uptown.

Rosemary Simpson describes the Dakota Building in What the Dead Leave Behind. In context, it's an example of not only the architecture found in 1888 New York City, but also to offer an understanding of who lived where.

The Dakota Building was "uptown," where Simpson explains that prominent New Yorkers were living during this period. So of course I looked into it. And she's right!

Let's start with this: the Dakota Building is a real place. It's located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Built between 1880 and 1884, it was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who was also the architect credited with the famous Plaza Hotel in New York City and the famous Willard in Washington D.C.

One other bit of history to note: John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived in the Dakota Building. In fact, it was on the steps of it that Lennon was gunned down at the entrance.

From Lauren Bacall and Judy Garland to Cher and Leonard Bernstein, many famous names have graced the mailboxes of this iconic building, designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Click here to learn more about the Dakota Building.

Click here to learn more about Henry Janeway Hardenbergh.

Historical Lesson 3: P.T. Barnum is linked to the Brooklyn Bridge and he knew the REAL Roscoe Conkling.

In the book, Roscoe Conkling is a main character in What the Dead Leave Behind.

He's introduced as a Senator and attorney. Turns out he was! In fact, P.T. Barnum, who really did parade circus elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge, knew him. How do I know? Researching letters from P.T. Barnum to close this post led me to find out Conkling existed in 19th century New York.

First: the elephants.

Imagine what the Brooklyn Bridge would've signaled to New York residents in the early 1880s. Opportunity yes. But also... fear? It had taken about 14 years to build and was massive. Unlike anything the city had ever seen.

Was it steady? Was it safe? P.T. Barnum set out to prove it was. He brought 21 elephants (and some camels!) across that bridge in 1884.

The Brooklyn Bridge was created by a German immigrant named John Augustus Roebling. This wasn't his first bridge, although it was set to be the first steel suspension bridge of its kind.

Unfortunately, Roebling died before the bridge became a reality.

Click here to learn about Roebling and his Brooklyn Bridge.

Read about P.T. Barnum's efforts to appease the public fear by clicking here.

Second: Senator Roscoe Conkling.

It turns out Roscoe Conkling was quite the character during the Gilded Age.

He was:

• born in Albany, New York October 30, 1829
• studying law at age 16
• elected to Congress in 1859
• married but described as super-attractive by the ladies he met
• an abolitionist who "favored President Lincoln’s idea of compensated emancipation – paying slaveholders to free their slaves." (as written in the National Park Service's article linked below)

Click here to read more about Roscoe Conkling on the National Park Service's website. Why there? He's listed as a story related to the James A. Garfield National Historic Site - because of their adversarial relationship!

And I love this particular article because it includes President Lincoln's words describing Conkling. As well as the descriptions by ladies.

The most valuable lesson that was clear with this Gilded Age Mystery.

The most valuable lesson: reading historical fiction offers history lovers a peek into ideas, events, and the daily life of another time and place.

When something catches your attention while reading historical fiction, especially a book as engaging as What the Dead Leave Behind, take the time to dig deeper.

Closing words from history.

Nothing groundbreaking on the surface, but the excerpt that introduced me to the fact that Roscoe Conkling was real, not fiction.

P. T. Barnum

Barnum

Museum New York Feb 20/69

My dear [Illegible]

I have just met

Hon Roscoe Conkling He says the

eyes & hopes & fears of all our

statesmen are centered & fixed

upon Connecticut & that there

will be no trouble in getting

all the Congressional & other

speakers we need.

(letter continues- click here to read it in full, on Illinois State University's Milner Library's digital collections site)

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There is a huge practical disclaimer to the content on this blog, which is my way of sharing my excitement and basically journaling online.

1) I am not a historian nor an expert. I will let you know I’m relaying the information as I understand and interpret it. The employees of Colonial Williamsburg base their presentations, work, and responses on historical documents and mainly primary sources.

2) I will update for accuracy as history is constant learning. If you have a question about accuracy, please ask me! I will get the answer from the best source I can find.

3) Photo credit to me, Daphne Reznik, for all photos in this post, unless otherwise credited! All photos are personal photos taken in public access locations or with specific permission.