In 1887 in the mountain resort of Hot Springs, North Carolina, a young housewife finds a strange artifact among her husband's belongings. It's a striking medallion, and fueled by an innocent curiosity, Alice begins to investigate its origins. But as her quest advances, her horror grows.
The relic she uncovered had cut a bloody swath through her husband's ill-fated ancestral family tree. As the medallion's evil history intensifies its grip on Alice's every thought, she begins to question her own tenuous hold on sanity and grows desperate to save those she loves from the lingering malevolence that threatens their future.
The Relic, from Holly Harbin, follows Alice's obsession and entanglement in the mysterious history of a tainted bloodline. Packed with historical relevance to the Victorian age, The Relic reveals past horrors through the eyes of an unlikely witness: the relic itself.
Harbin expertly weaves multiple story lines that will keep readers guessing and turning pages until the very end. Will Alice's desperate attempts to save her family succeed, or will an unfathomable history repeat itself?
I had a chance to interview her to learn more.
What was your inspiration for the book? - I was initially intrigued by the idea of an inanimate object with long memories. Her having an agenda-- and good reason-- came later as I fleshed out the flashbacks. I love history and wanted to give the reader little peeks into the lesser-known corners of the past. So many people tread the ground of their neighborhoods and hometowns with no idea of what may have occurred on that soil before. How exciting to realize that many events which may seem so foreign and far removed happened RIGHT where we stand.
How have views on mental illness changed since Victorian times? - Fortunately, our society has made great strides. Our minds are so immeasurably complex. Even those who might not be diagnosed with a mental illness can and do cope with their own emotional and mental struggles. Everyone has some burden to bear, so whether your issue be short-term or chronic, it is terribly important to be able to seek help. That help is more available today than ever, and the best counselors, therapists, and psychiatrists will be able to show their patients how to cope and thrive, rather than clandestinely bury their pain or allow it to render them victims.
What was something you learned while you were writing this book? - While researching each of the vignettes-- or flash backs-- I constantly discovered something new. I've made an obsession of southern Appalachia, and even so, had never heard of the South Carolina cult trials which are the sort of lurid, scandalous historical tidbits one usually stumbles across in casual perusal of documentaries and anthologies. And I learned a good bit about the plight of the Huguenots and Iroquoian history which hadn't been on my radar before. It was a pleasure to glean so much information, and I hope the readers enjoy the history behind the tale as much as the story.
Author Holly Harbin is an armchair historian and Appalachia devotee who lives with her family on the outskirts of Atlanta. The Relic is her first novel.
To follow Harbin on Facebook, please visit https://www.facebook.com/therelicnovel/.
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