Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library
Library staff normally spend their days selecting, shelving, and recommending books (among other duties). But for some staff, the proximity to literature leads to a second career, as an author.
Elle Mott's latest nonfiction novel Marie Conner, A Leading Lady released earlier this year in February. It takes readers through the life of its namesake, an ordinary woman working and living in small-town Oregon. The novel starts at Marie’s birth in 1904, weaves through her young adulthood, the beginnings of her own family, and her community activism through the mid-20th century.
Elle wrote the book with the hope that readers, like the biography's namesake, will learn that they have the power to build a legacy of community trust and leadership.
"Marie's journey shows us that we do not have to be flawless or free from personal hardships to make a monumental difference," says Elle, who is a Resource Sharing Adviser at the Downtown Main Library.
Elle accessed information using CHPL’s genealogy and historical resources, notably online newspaper archives, periodicals, and other databases.
"I sifted through many published accounts of her life and accomplishments," says Elle. "Marie... became a great muse as I peeled back the layers of a woman, who, come to find out, had lived a truly remarkable life. As inspired as I was, I knew I had to write her story."
Meticulously researched, Marie Conner, A Leading Lady is perfect for nonfiction fans who want to experience history through the eyes of an everyday, upstanding person.
Coworkers helped Elle through the writing process; she says Janet Martin Rush, line assistant in the Cataloging & Processing Department, was by her side from the beginning.
"She read through many rough drafts," says Elle. "I especially loved our regular get-togethers where we would talk about Marie, and how we can apply her message in our own homes and work lives, and how best to bring her story to life."
Of the book, Janet wrote: “With passion, drive, creativity, vision, and care…. this book is a true account of Marie Conner, one of the many brave citizens who refused the words ‘No’ and ‘You cannot.’”
The title itself came from research. In Chapter 12, community members — including the mayor — referred to Marie as their "leading lady." The cover image is a historic photograph of Lebanon, Oregon in the 1940s taken by the late Dot Dotson.
The idea for Marie Conner, A Leading Lady grew out of Elle's first book, a memoir: Out of Chaos. Published in 2018 by Boyle & Dalton, she says she wrote it to show that you can make peace with your mistakes.
"Marie's extraordinary impact shows that strength can coexist with compassion," says Elle. "Her strength has proven to be everlasting and is celebrated through commemorative plaques on display in her community today, in the 21st century."
By the novel's end, readers of Marie Conner, A Leading Lady will also find a surprise connection between Marie and Elle, making the story even more impactful. Along with Marie Conner, A Leading Lady and Out of Chaos, Elle also authored People Helping People: Volunteer Ideas and Resources to Make Positive Impact in our Communities.
"This guidebook shares my personal experiences with volunteering, including my time at foodbanks. Like with my memoir, it shows resiliency, advocacy, and the strength of the human spirit. Those characteristics I carry over into Marie Conner, A Leading Lady."
Elle was also accepted as a contributing author for Notes from the Future: What I Would Tell My Younger Self, a book releasing on Oct. 6 by When Women Talk. She is one of 10 women co-authors sharing stories from their life.
"Writing this book taught me that you just have to finish the draft, even when it feels challenging," says Elle.
Learn more about Elle and her writing at ellemottauthor.com. Elle is a member of the Nonfiction Authors Association, the National Women's History Alliance, and the Ohio Library Council.
Mackenzie Manley is currently reading "The Last House on Needless Street" by Catriona Ward.
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