Final book in Abigail Massey series launches at McAdam Railway Station
When writer Mary O'Keefe was a teenager growing up in McAdam in southwestern N.B., she didn't really like history class.
"I really didn't get it and couldn't understand it," she said. "But I think part of that was the way that it was taught to us."
But all that changed when she started hearing stories about real historical figures. That's when history "came alive," O'Keefe said.
Today, she's the co-author of a series of books about the fictional Abigail Massey, with a new one, called Unclaimed Baggage, launching Sunday at 2 p.m. in McAdam.
In the series, Massey is a chambermaid at the bustling McAdam Railway Station Hotel, where 16 passenger trains and more than 30 freight trains pull in and out daily. The books are about Massey's adventures and relationships.
The character was first created by Mark Walma almost 15 years ago when he first came to New Brunswick and visited the McAdam Railway Station. He started out by writing short stories featuring the Massey character.
Walma wrote 12 stories, illustrated by his sister, and printed a number of copies of the book to give to the railway station to help raise some money for their restoration efforts.
O'Keefe and Walma were colleagues at the Department of Health and one day, Walma walked into O'Keefe's office and saw a photo of the McAdam Railway Station. They got talking about the station and Walma mentioned how he didn't really know what to do with his stories. O'Keefe said she could help with that.
"So I called the village office and spoke to the mayor and made the introductions. And that's how the whole thing got started," said O'Keefe.
Before they knew it, they were at a meeting with the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission presenting their idea for the book series.
"We were going to print 20 copies and instead, the mayor … said 'don't print 20, print 500,'" said Walma. "And that terrified me. But it was also a very exciting moment."
Who is Massey?
When Walma visited the McAdam Railway Station for the first time, he watched a documentary called Backtrack which featured a woman named Avis Boone who applied to work at the McAdam Railway Station Hotel as a chambermaid.
This is where Walma got his inspiration for Massey's stories. He's also had some people make comparisons between his character and a red-headed orphan name Anne. He doesn't mind being compared to Anne of Green Gables.
"I would never dream to think a character I've written, or my writing, could be considered at the same level as those, but in a small way I think there is some truth to that," Walma said.
In the the newest and final addition to the series, written solely by O'Keefe, Massey is over 90 years old. And just to make things interesting, Walma, himself, is a character in the book, inviting the elderly woman back to McAdam for a book launch.
Restoring history
The Massey books keep history alive through the main character and also by helping in the restoration and preservation of the McAdam railway station with proceeds going to support the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission.
Elsie Carroll, chairperson of the commission's board, said the launch on Sunday afternoon will feature both O'Keefe and Walma, along with appearances from some of the book's beloved characters.
She said the books are popular among children and adults and, "they brought the station to life" for a lot of people.
"Abigail Massey books have been a major contributor to our fundraiser," said Carroll.
Walma said the proceeds from the books have always gone toward the commission because of the people in the small community.
"When you get to know the people in McAdam, you're changed forever. They are so committed to their village, they're so committed to the restoration of the station. They're so committed to each other," said Walma.
"Although I will always be an outsider, because you have to be born and raised in McAdam to be a McAdamite, they've embraced this project. They've embraced us, myself, my sister, my partner, everyone involved."
