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“Remember the Ladies”
I was a “Bicentennial baby,” born in 1976, and I grew up in Bennington, Vermont, a town steeped in Revolutionary War history. In the older part of town, the Bennington Battle Monument stands up the hill from the historic Old First Church (first gathered in 1762). My high-school chamber singers group sometimes sang in the church’s sanctuary, which dates back to 1805, the “first church built in Vermont that reflects the separation of church and state,” enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. As a child I marched in the annual Bennington Battle Day parade, and I learned about the Green Mountain Boys. Wondering about the Green Mountain Girls (because surely there were some!), I eagerly sought out stories about Vermont women of that era, such as Molly Stark, Ann Story, and Fanny Allen. You might say I was determined to “Remember the Ladies,” as Abigail Adams famously wrote to her husband, John Adams, in March 1776, as he and other Founding Fathers were planning to declare independence from Great Britain.
I recently thought of Adams’ famous letter and my lifelong fascination with women’s history when we received a lovely email from a former client, Ambassador Nabeela Al Mulla, quoted at right. I am, indeed, very proud of the remarkable team of women at our business, and I know I speak for all of us when I say that we find particular satisfaction in helping other women tell their stories. But all too often when women are potential clients, we hear them devalue their experiences, wondering if it is “worth it” for them to invest time and money in a memoir project. We take every opportunity to affirm the worthiness of preserving and sharing women’s stories, and I will always be grateful that Ambassador Al Mulla came to us with hers.
I hasten to add that one needn’t be a trailblazing ambassador, or a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, or, of course, a particular sex in order to publish a beautiful memoir or family history book. Dating back to when company founder Kitty Axelson-Berry published her mother’s memoir to start this business, we firmly believe that everyone’s story is worth telling.
With the United States’ Semiquincentennial on the horizon in 2026, I’ve seen many online references to Revolutionary War history. Announcements of books, documentaries, podcasts, exhibits, and celebrations marking 250 years since the signing of the American Declaration of Independence abound. I hope that our country will “remember the ladies,” in all of these festivities. Here at Modern Memoirs, we strive to do so every day.
Huzzah!
Megan St. Marie
President
| | Thanks and Praise from
a Recent Client | |
“As I reflect on the journey we’ve shared in bringing my memoirs to publication, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire team at Modern Memoirs. Your guidance, encouragement, and genuine interest in the manuscript have meant a great deal to me, especially considering that I’m far more comfortable with public speaking than writing lengthy manuscripts.
“Thank you for embracing my story with sincerity and enthusiasm; it truly inspired me throughout this process. Modern Memoirs is a shining example of what determined women can achieve when they come together, shaping a remarkable reputation in the publishing world.”
—Nabeela Al Mulla, author of Breaking New Ground on the Global Stage: Memoirs of Kuwait’s First Woman Ambassador (2024)
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Coming Soon: Genealogy Gifts
by Book Designer Nicole Miller
Imagine seeing your family’s rich history, cherished memories, and enduring legacy beautifully displayed for generations to come. Our Multi-Generation Celebration Package offers a seamless way to honor your past and connect with your relatives today, providing both a stunning online presence and a tangible tribute perfect for any family home or gathering.
Starting this fall, Modern Memoirs will offer:
- Custom Online Family Webpages
- High-Resolution Digital Family Trees
- Stunning, Frameable Family Tree Posters and Prints
Watch upcoming newsletters for launch details!
| | | Featured Blog Posts by Our Staff | | |
The Last “I Love You”: How Memoir Writing Guides Us Through Grief
By Publishing Intern Cecelia Allentuck
“I found my way through grief by walking alongside it, exploring all the caverns of my heart that a loved one left behind, and writing every step of the way…”
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Reflections from Client Stan Clemens
By Genealogist Liz Sonnenberg
Clemens illuminates one of the many advantages of a Modern Memoirs Commissioned (aka as-told-to) Memoir: deeper sharing.
“I feared that my writing style might mask important emotions and decided that an ‘as-told-to’ approach would encourage more open sharing with my family…”
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A Line A Day: The Diary of Louise Clisby Wise Lewis, 1914–1919 (publ. 2012) |
A Diary: A Window into a Life
By Director of Publishing Ali de Groot
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As an avid journal writer, I was thrilled when this project came across my desk. I’d never seen a 5-year diary before, but since then I’ve occasionally spied a blank one in a bookstore. Unlike a common 1-year diary, where the day/date is at the top of the page and you write down the lines to the bottom of the page, a 5-year diary has the month and day at the top of each page, while the year markers (5 of them) run vertically down the page, roughly 5 blank lines per year. So, each day of the first year, you write in the top few lines on each page, and then at the end of the year (end of the book) you turn back to page 1 to start on the second year, farther down on the page. There is space enough for only a few lines of writing for each year, very practical and manageable!
As with most handwritten journals that are turned into books, these entries were typed up and laid out in a clean design for legibility, grouped by the year. We always love to include a few scans of the original pages with the actual handwriting—so personal, intentional, intriguing.
| | | | Scan of original handwritten page | | Retyped, formatted page in book | | To top it all off, our designer created a dustjacket simulating the foil stamp of the original leather diary (see below). A Line A Day is all we have, but it is enough for a precious, rare glimpse into the life and times of a 19th-century Southern woman. | | Photo of original diary cover (brown leather), at right, with gold foil stamping | |
Église Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, depicted in a 1618 map of Paris by Claes Janszoon Visscher II |
Memory Lane Stroll
We’d love to hear your brief personal reflections on the question of the month. Write your response for a chance to be featured in the next edition of our e-newsletter!
Response to the June question: Have you had a birthday (as a child or adult) that was especially memorable?
When I turned 8, my parents attempted to throw a surprise party at my favorite Mexican restaurant. The surprise never happened because George, a mischievous 3-year-old who lived a few houses away, decided it would be fun to lock his parents’ car keys inside their car. The entire neighborhood rallied help, delaying friends’ arrival at the celebration. So, instead of getting a surprise, I stood at the restaurant door and welcomed the slow trickle of neighbors as they made their way to the party. Even so, I remember how fun it was greeting everyone at the front door like a maître d’. They all handed me presents as I walked in, and also the food was great.
—Robert Gustafson
| | July Question: Who is a woman from your family history whose life fascinates you? | |
Staff responses:
Megan St. Marie: My 8x-great grandmother, Élisabeth Aubert, who emigrated from France to Quebec in 1670 as une fille du roi and married the first ancestor of my father’s surname to live in North America. I recently discovered she was baptized in 1648 at St-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, the tower of which still stands in Paris. Yet another reason for me to return to the City of Lights someday!
Sean St. Marie: My godmother and aunt, Honora “Betty” Elizabeth Sheridan, who earned two master’s degrees and was a nun with the Sisters of St. Joseph. She lived into my adulthood, and looking back, I wish I’d learned more about her life while she was still with us.
Ali de Groot: I know very little about my mother’s paternal grandmother, Henrietta Leowus, but would love to learn more about her Jewish background and her life.
Liz Sonnenberg: My great-grandmother Theresa Barbara (Gaunt) Patch McMillan, who endured so much hardship, and yet found beauty and maybe even solace in her flower garden.
Nicole Miller: My maternal grandmother, Ettie Liberty, passed away three years before I was born. From what I’ve been told, she had a wonderful sense of humor and a kind heart. She was also a prolific artist, and I’m fascinated by the creative spirit I wish I could have known.
Cecelia Allentuck: My Nonnie was the granddaughter of Italian immigrants, and her life has always fascinated me. She began her career as a journalist, but grew bored of only writing society columns (women weren’t often allowed to write hard news then!) and left to follow her passion of teaching.
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Stop by to see us in person or online:
417 West Street, Suite 104
Amherst, MA 01002
www.modernmemoirs.com
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