Jamie's Muse by Bonnie Lee Black; A Reflection

When I was a community college teacher in northern New Mexico I discovered a deep and sad truth in my students: they frequently felt they had no story to tell, nothing worthy to describe… and because they felt that way they were afraid and felt invisible. Afraid of being who they were. One young woman shared with me that she wanted to write about a grandmother figure in her extended family, but her husband admonished her against it. He told her that she didn’t have a right to tell the stories from the past - that in effect she didn’t have a story of her own. I remember feeling heartbroken for her because she thought she needed to stay in the shadows and not tell the story that was important to her, so I encouraged her to forge ahead and write from her heart, her imagination, and her experience. Happily she did this … wrote a piece she was proud of.

All of us, whether we are writers or not, walk through life with our various unformed stories stored inside us, and characters in our history that beg to be recognized. I want to applaud author Bonnie Lee Black for acting upon her dream of unearthing her great grandmother’s story, and with much time and research bringing that story to light so that this unique woman in her past could become visible after all. Her book is called Jamie’s Muse and it was published by Nighthawk Press in 2018. It is a compelling blend of history and invention which reaches back over generations to create an intimate narrative for the undocumented Helen Black from Scotland whose life story seemed to have been erased.

The book’s heroine, Helen, grew up in Kirriemuir, Scotland, fell in love with a creative young man called Will whom she married and subsequently followed to Africa. Black paints a picture of a sparky and strong willed young woman (her great-grandmother) who was also loved from afar by the elusive J. M. Barrie, who later became the renowned author of Peter Pan. Helen took a pretty big leap of faith and agreed to follow her young husband to South Africa when he took a job with the Natal Government Railways. The novel takes us on quite a journey, moving from Scotland to Natal, to Taos, New Mexico, (Bonnie’s former home), back to Scotland and England, and ultimately to America. A steadfast love becomes clear early on in some of the love letters written by newly married Will as he awaits his young wife in Africa. From Will’s last letter to his wife: “Soon I will see your lovely face again, hold you in my arms, bask in your glow, and drink in the dulcet sound of your voice and the fragrance of your skin and hair. My heart races at the thought of embracing you again!” Such sweetness. This couple’s reunion and beginning of their new life is sadly short-lived… There is a fire and an untimely death, followed by the adoption of their young son by the local Zulu tribe. We ultimately follow the young boy, John, when he is transported back to Britain by those who think they know best — away from the only “home” he has known with his Zulu family

Africa is a land that Bonnie Black knows well. She worked and lived there earlier in her life (Peace Corps, Gabon, and later Mali), and has published`two books about her experiences, How to Eat a Crocodile, and How to Make an African Quilt (You can discover more about Bonnie and sign on for her wonderful blog “WOW” by going to www.bonnieleeblack.com).. She offers us a close up portrait of the humble and proud Zulu people in this book. Here she describes the presentation of the little white baby who was rescued by a Zulu woman, Amma, when young Helen and her husband died: “The chief raised his bracelet arm to signal silence. He had allowed his brightest daughter, Amma, to work for the ghost-people because he’d wanted her to learn their language and tell him of their mysterious ways. Why were so many coming to his land? What did they want? What were they willing to give in exchange? Now this. The ghost baby in Amma’s arms began to cry a hungry cry. Amma put her thumb in the baby’s mouth to quiet him …… ‘Father, she said, ‘the baby is here now. Great-Great has brought him to us. We can care for him until we are shown another plan.” Black places us in the midst of the tribe’s struggle with the terrifying responsibility of protecting an orphaned white child. The boy grows in their care but ultimately conditions change for him. Bonnie Black’s skill at rendering place, cultural traditions, and deep emotions (compassion for the young “Tande”, otherwise known as “John”) shines in this particular section of her book.

In this haunting narrative we accompany the author on her journey to bring a meaningful and vibrant life to her great grandmother, watching as she strips away mystery and reveals a multi-faceted love story: Helen’s love for Will, Jamie’s distant love for Helen, Will’s newly discovered love of painting and his new home in Africa, the Zulu’s love for the blond headed boy, and yes, Black’s own love for her romantic, adventuring great grandmother. It’s also about love of the land, whether that be the vastly different landscapes of Scotland or Natal, or finally, finally …. America where young John ultimately traveled to discover his own home.

I love that this story has all the twists and turns as we navigate through a landscape of historical record and the creative imaginings of the writer; we follow her around those turns but never get lost. I have long believed that really good stories are not necessarily linear sagas complete with traditional climaxes and resolutions, but rather an intersecting of mosaic pieces that come together over time to form a rich picture that is in fact a melding of “truth” and fiction. Bonnie Lee Black’s book feels like such a mosaic and it reminds me that we can mine the various mysteries that are present in our lives and fashion authentic, moving, and layered narratives to share with the world.

My thanks to Bonnie for reminding me what is possible in storytelling.