The Grafton Boys

I've created this blog to share the wonderful time I'm having writing my first novel, The Grafton Boys. This is a historical fiction novel showcasing the struggle of pioneers in Southern Utah 1861-1920. The story centers around three generations of men and their families, and their struggles to survive the relentless onslaught of the desert environment, hostile Indians, outlaws, and and other ne'er-do-wells while they attempt to settle, survive, and thrive. As the presence of the ghost town of Grafton Utah now attests, The struggle ended. Grafton had been dying for years and finally the end came in 1944 when Frank and Mary Russell left Grafton for a more comfortable existence in St. George. Death has been pronounced on Grafton, but there is this day a tiny blip on the monitor. The Grafton Heritage Partnership Project has come to preserve what is left and restore what they can while informing the public of the wonderful history of this place. As generations of Grafton's citizens peer down from the cemetery above town, they must be pleased to see the town that meant so much to them, where life and death struggles were everyday occurrences, is receiving the care and recognition that it deserves. Preservation activities are keeping my ancestors' town alive. It is my hope that The Grafton Boys brings the lives of my ancestors out of the dust and onto paper where their story can be told.

The Grafton Boys is as accurate an accounting of the above mentioned history as I have been able to document. There are gaps in the research that don't allow me to remain truly factual throughout the novel and still provide an entertaining plot. Journals don't often reflect the personality of the pioneers, and it is often necessary to create fictional interactions between my ancestors, their families, and others. I strive to make these interactions logical and historical, while remembering that this is still a work of fiction.