The Great Plains (50 page)

Delving into the American West was both mesmerising and daunting. Firstly, I am indebted to my mother, Marita, who accompanied me to Texas and Oklahoma in the July and August of 2013. No-one could have a better companion nor a more adept helpmate. I must thank the people of these two fine states who went out of their way to assist us, whether seeking directions (a frequent occurrence, especially once I started driving – ‘Stay on the right hand side, Nicole!'), historical information or when I was simply in need of advice. In particular I would like to thank the following institutions: in Dallas, the Dallas Historical Society; in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Centre and the
must-see
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum; and in various counties, the Fort Sill Museums, Southern Plains Indian Museum, Chisolm Trail Museum and Governor Seay Mansion (on which the Wade Oklahoma City residence is based), and Broken Arrow Historical Society Museum. In the Australian section, I have made great use of the Alexander Family Archives, as well as numerous works from the period.

Australia has many rich and vibrant Aboriginal cultures, each with its own astronomy. But there are common threads. As
The Great Plains
is a work of fiction, I have drawn on a number of different beliefs from different tribes. Many have stories of a female sun who warmed the land and a male moon who, once a slim man (the waxing crescent moon), grew fat and lazy (the full moon). After his death (the new moon), whether at the hands of his tribe for having broken the law or by his wives, for example, he rises again after three days and continues doing so till this day. The Yolngu people of Northern Australia have a particularly wonderful belief that when people die they are taken by a mystical canoe to the spirit land in the sky. Similarly, the great Emu in the Sky is the subject of songs and stories in many parts of Australia.

Thank you, as always, to my family and friends who have supported me throughout the writing of this novel, especially David and my parents, Ian and Marita. (All those John Wayne Westerns must have sown a seed, Dad). To Random House – my publisher, Beverley Cousins, and managing editor, Brandon VanOver – and my agent, Tara Wynne. Thank you for your professionalism and guidance.

Lastly, to the many libraries and booksellers here and abroad, my friends and readers, old and new, thank you.

 

I am indebted to the following texts and recommend them for further reading:
Geronimo's Story of His Life
, taken down and edited by S. M. Barrett;
The Americans
by Gerald A. Danzer;
Kingfisher and Kingfisher County
by Glen V. McIntyre;
Broken Arrow & Me, Growing Up Together
by Paul Showman;
A History of the United States
by Philip Jenkins;
Oklahoma: A History
by W. David Baird and Danney Goble;
Broken Arrow
:
City of Roses and Pure Water
by Donald A. Wise;
Dictionary of the American West
by Win Blevins;
The Great Chiefs
(Old West Time-Life Series) by Benjamin Capps;
The Dust Bowl: Men, Dirt and Depression
by Paul Bonnifield;
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
by Timothy Egan;
Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild
by Michael Forsberg;
Bad Land: An American Romance
by Jonathan Raban;
Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques
by C. H. Wendel.

© Natalia Fogarty

In the course of her career, Nicole Alexander has worked both in Australia and Singapore in financial services, fashion, corporate publishing and agriculture. A fourth-generation grazier, Nicole returned to her family's property in the early 1990s. She is currently the business manager there and has a hands-on role in the running of the property.

Nicole has a Master of Letters in creative writing and her novels, poetry, travel and genealogy articles have been published in Australia, Germany, America and Singapore. She is the author of four previous novels:
The Bark Cutters
,
A Changing Land
,
Absolution Creek
and
Sunset Ridge
.

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