TINTON FALLS, NJ – Seabrook resident Carol Behrman has written a total of 35 books in her lifetime, including fiction, writing texts, and historical/biographical works. Now she has taken her research prowess and entered a new genre by creating an historical novel just in time for the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.
Freedom Passage is about life at the Jersey Shore during the civil rights struggle and includes time travel back to the days of slavery and the Underground Railroad.
“In writing this book,” she says, “I learned a lot about two significant periods in our history. I hope that readers will gain this knowledge, too, while getting caught up in an exciting, page-turning story.”
The book follows Peggy Gorman, whose family has just moved to the fictitious Jersey Shore town of Bay Point from Manhattan. It is the summer of 1963 when civil rights protests and sit-ins culminate in Dr. King’s March on Washington.
Peggy’s new home is a large, old, sprawling house that includes a mysterious locked closet on the third floor. Peggy meets a new friend, Julia. The teenagers unlock the door and enter a time portal that whisks them back to pre-Civil War times when the house was a station on the Underground Railroad, and the closet itself a hiding place for slaves.
Mrs. Behrman began writing for magazines in the late 1960’s and was also a teacher in Essex County, where she taught a course in journalism for 8th graders. During her summer vacations she would concentrate on writing, producing one book per year.
“I have always written,” Mrs. Behrman said. “When I was a little girl, I had a dresser drawer stuffed with poems and stories. I guess it is just a part of who I am.”
Mrs. Behrman said that the inspiration for Freedom Passage was actually a synthesis of ideas; her husband, Ed, is an avid reader of Civil War history, her daughter moved into a large house down at the Jersey Shore, and Mrs. Behrman herself always had an interest in the civil rights movements.
Mrs. Behrman says that she will continue to write. “I have a passion for writing and when you’re a writer you can be sparked by any idea. I don’t think I will ever stop.”
Freedom Passage is recommended for ages 8 to adult. It is published by Aerodale Press. The book can be ordered at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or Mrs. Behrman can be contacted directly at 732-922-1413 or via the internet at ecbehrman1@verizon.net.
More than 1,400 people live at Seabrook, an Erickson Living full-service retirement community that promotes a vibrant lifestyle. Erickson Living develops and manages 16 full-service retirement communities that provide worry-free living for America’s seniors – the country’s fastest-growing population segment. Erickson Living’s refundable entrance deposit and predictable monthly service fees provide residents across the country financial peace of mind. Comprehensive health and wellness services, integrated into every community, lead to demonstrated resident benefits. For more information, visit www.ericksonliving.com.
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