“Just finished reading Diana’s Pool. OMG it was so intriguing I could not put it down.”
– Betty B
Like Diana’s previous novels: Singing Her Alive and Jenny’s Way, Diana’s Pool transported me back to beautiful northeast Connecticut. Diana writes from her vast personal knowledge and experience of the people, places, natural and human history of this area.
The story is set in a village where I used to live. In addition to enjoying the unexpected outcome, I found my city starved senses remembering the landscapes, plants, sounds and smells (yup, sometimes it was manure). As I read, it was my hope that these delightful stories would lead many adults and children from the “nature deficit’ of their digital worlds, to a rich sensory experience through the imaginary lives of people who lived closer to the natural world.
– Carol S.
Diana’s Pool is a fictional story created to bring to life the legend of the lovely pool on the Natchaug River in Chaplin, Connecticut. It is a mystery.
Excerpt:
“The church is crowded and smells of wet wool and mothballs. The tall windows are letting in a chilly, dull grey light. Everyone is somber, but the low hum of neighbors murmuring gossip fills the silence as we wait for the pastor and casket to come in. I am sitting towards the back of the church with my family. Fannie arrives and motions for me to move closer to the front. My mother nods in assent. A loud bang echoing through the church signals that the doors have closed, and everyone looks to the back of the church to see who has arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Turner have just come in with their son Jeffrey following. Mrs. Turner, wearing her hat so low her eyes are nearly obscured, leans into her husband, who pulls her close with his good arm. She has a handkerchief over her mouth that she raises to her eyes as Mr. Turner guides his tear-blinded wife down the aisle. Once the Turners are settled in the front pew, the door bangs again and six mill-worker friends of Mr. Turner bear the casket solemnly down the center aisle, followed by the pastor. “
Available at the Windham Textile and History Museum, 411 Main St., Willimantic, CT
(c) copyright 2024 – by Diana K. Perkins