Eufaula subject of author's 10th book

Author Jacquelyn Cook’s 10th book, Magnolias to be released by Barbour Publishing Company, will again bring positive publicity to Eufaula.

The novel, set in the romantic days of Eufaula’s past, first took shape in 1985 when Cook visited for the April tour of homes.

"I fell in love with Eufaula," says Cook. "I knew there had to be a story here. Douglas Purcell of the Historic Chattahoochee Commission took me to Fendall Hall. In the belvedere, my heroine, Lily Edwards, immediately came to life, daydreaming of a steamboat captain on the river below.

The story revolved around Eufaula’s history in 1854, and most of it is set in Fendall Hall."

Zondervan published The River Between and the sequel The Wind Along the River, which took the characters into the War Between the States and the blockading of the Chattahoochee River.

"They sold 100,000 copies of each" says Cook.

"Then Guideposts Books printed new editions for a national book club. Meanwhile, I continued with the family growing up during the Reconstruction Era in River of Fire. In Beyond The Searching River, a girl orphaned by Sherman’s march through Georgia is reunited with her loved ones, bringing the circle back to Eufaula. Those two were published by Barbour."

Recently when Barbour editor Rebecca Germany called Cook, wanting to buy the first two for a four-in-one-volume collection, Cook was delighted.

Cook burst out, "That's what I always wanted," and then she laughed, knowing that was no way to bargain. "But so many of my readers were unable to find all of the books to read the story as a complete novel. Now they can."

The work is as historically correct as Cook could make it with research at Shorter Mansion and help from many Eufaula residents. The themes are inspirational. The love stories are pleasing to Cook s readers who range from 11 to 90.

"Magnolias" will be available locally at Fendall Hall and at bookstores. For further information, Cook’s website is www.jacquelyncook.com.

The Eufaula Tribune, Eufaula, Alabama  Sunday, September 30, 2001

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