Julia Park Tracey is an award-winning journalist and author whose work shines a light on women’s voices throughout history. Her latest novel, Silence, is a powerful story of grief, resilience, and female strength inspired by her own ancestor, a Puritan woman punished for speaking out in 1720 Massachusetts. To celebrate the release of Silence, What We Reading sat down with Julia to talk about the inspiration behind Silence, her journey as a writer, the themes that drive her work, and the importance of reclaiming women’s stories—both past and present.
Thanks for speaking with us, Julia! First off, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the world of writing.
This is a big question! I started writing poetry in high school but was pressured by my parents to study something that would earn a living. No daydreams for me! So I took up journalism for my college major and went on to have a 40-year career in journalism (and am still writing for publication in various places).
Talk to us about Silence. What is it about, and how was the process of writing it?
Silence is about a young Puritan mother named Silence who loses her own mother, her husband, and her newborn baby in a short period of time in 1720, and is deeply in grief. She wails aloud in the meeting house, questions how God could have done this, and she is punished for this outburst with a year of silence. During that year she continues to grieve, but she also learns to make peace with her life, until the cry of witchcraft stirs in the little Massachusetts town; Silence is stuck between breaking her punishment of silence and speaking up for an innocent accused.
Silence is based on the real life of my 7th great grandmother, SIlence Nichols Greenleaf (1702-1762).
It took me about 5-6 years to write it, but I knew who she was and what I wanted to say about her. There is an undercurrent, a subtext, of female rage at being silenced, that is reflected in today’s world, not just in long-ago Puritan times.
What is the number one goal you want your work to have with readers?
I want it to resonate how women have been continually silenced for decades, for centuries. And it is still happening today, if you see, for example, how the Speaker of the House regularly tries to silence Rep. Jasmine Crockett or AOC.
What do you think makes you stand out as an author?
I don’t know that I stand out, but I have been writing for a long time and I feel confident in my ability to tell a story with emotion, with historical accuracy, with sensory detail and a story arc that seems unlikely but brings it all together by the end.
What would you say has been your biggest success so far?
Two of my historical novels were given the Kirkus starred review, and then selected for the Kirkus 100 Best Independent Books of the year (The Bereaved in 2023 and Silence in 2024). I didn’t expect that and was very pleased with the announcement.
If you could go back in time to one book you read for the first time, what would it be and why?
The nonfiction book that slayed me was Slaves in the Family, by Edward Ball. I loved how he delved into his ugly family history and built drama from facts. I found his book chilling–because my family also has slavery in the past–and inspiring, on how a person can write about it today.
Fiction that slays me includes Into the Forest by Jean Hegland; Longbourne by Jo Baker, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, and anything by Jane Austen.
What’s one tip you would give your younger self if you had the opportunity?
I would advise my younger self – from my mid-teens to my mid-thirties – that I was already a writer. I did not need someone to bestow the title on me like a knighthood. I did not need anyone’s permission to call myself a writer. I was writing. I got paid for my writing. It was good enough (and would only get better). I suffered so much wondering when I would become “a real writer.” It’s very much like the Wizard of Oz – I had the power all along, if only I had known it.
And finally, what do you hope the future holds for you and your writing?
I love writing historical fiction and have at least three more works slated to write in the future. I love the research. I love creating characters. And I love intertwining my female ancestors into my fiction. I can’t wait to bring the stories of my grandmother, my great-aunt, my 8the-great-grandmother, and my other ancestors to life.
Follow Julia Park Tracey and all of her work on her website, Facebook and Instagram
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
