Totally unexpected but it seems to have turned out so great for her, which makes me really happy. Odd, right?
I think it’s also such a good example of how one decision can create ripples in a life. Aimee’s decision to move on from the drama and trauma of her life with Mary Martha opened her up to this fantastic new life and love, and thankfully, she had the courage to embrace it.
Gosh that’s a question I’ve asked often! There’s no way of knowing who gave Aimee or name or when — it could have been Mary Martha, but it could have been someone else, maybe the Ewings, maybe the minister or even a stranger.
In doing some research, I came across a serialized story (Missing — A Young Girl, by Florence Warden)which appeared in newspapers across the US, including the Boston Globe, which featured a little girl named Aimee. Maybe the name came from that?
It seems like a stretch — and likely is — but then Mary Martha went by the name “Mrs Percival” when she was hiding out in Rothesay, and just months earlier the Globe had been filled with the tale of Mrs Percival, a local boardinghouse owner who was involved in a blackmailing case. So…
It was challenging not to connect dots in putting this piece together — Aimee’s name was one of many rabbit holes I fell down lol.
It led me to wonder whether there might be an Acadian connection since she was up in Moncton when the baby was born, right? Aimee would be the way an Acadian would spell Amy. But, then, her world was one of English (or German?) Presbyterians, right? Throughout your story, I kept having the feeling of "intersections." You know what I mean? There's something there to see but it's just out of sightline? Anyway, this was an absolutely fantastic gift to readers, historians, genealogists. Are you considering a novel of this story? Do you have any nefarious suspicions about Martha Mary, given that it wasn't just one "oops" baby?
That's a great question about the Acadian connection, and one I had't considered. I wonder if that offers a clue to who might have given her the name? Interesting! I absolutely know what you mean about the "intersections" in this story, and it was one of the reasons I enjoyed researching it, writing it and just stitching the whole thing together. There were really so many aspects to explore that, ultimately, some had to be set aside or the project would never be finished! (That said, my research is still on-going as there are just so darn many questions!) Mary Martha is a hard nut to crack, for sure. She was exceedingly private, never gave an interview, and left few clues to her motivations. Her attorneys portrayed her as a long-suffering and loving mother committed to 1) providing financially for her illegitimate daughters and 2) making certain no one ever knew about those same daughters. I had and have a hard time reconciling those two commitments, especially based on Aimee's lived experiences. My guess, based on psychologists I spoke with, is that Martha was a love child, and Aimee was a reckless mistake Mary Martha was forced to live with, likely by her father, thus the resentment and cruelty. But again, fascinating dynamics in play, aren't there?
I didn't expect this turn of events. What an interesting twist to her life story. Alaska!
Totally unexpected but it seems to have turned out so great for her, which makes me really happy. Odd, right?
I think it’s also such a good example of how one decision can create ripples in a life. Aimee’s decision to move on from the drama and trauma of her life with Mary Martha opened her up to this fantastic new life and love, and thankfully, she had the courage to embrace it.
Any thoughts on why she was named Aimee (French) rather than Amy?
Gosh that’s a question I’ve asked often! There’s no way of knowing who gave Aimee or name or when — it could have been Mary Martha, but it could have been someone else, maybe the Ewings, maybe the minister or even a stranger.
In doing some research, I came across a serialized story (Missing — A Young Girl, by Florence Warden)which appeared in newspapers across the US, including the Boston Globe, which featured a little girl named Aimee. Maybe the name came from that?
It seems like a stretch — and likely is — but then Mary Martha went by the name “Mrs Percival” when she was hiding out in Rothesay, and just months earlier the Globe had been filled with the tale of Mrs Percival, a local boardinghouse owner who was involved in a blackmailing case. So…
It was challenging not to connect dots in putting this piece together — Aimee’s name was one of many rabbit holes I fell down lol.
It led me to wonder whether there might be an Acadian connection since she was up in Moncton when the baby was born, right? Aimee would be the way an Acadian would spell Amy. But, then, her world was one of English (or German?) Presbyterians, right? Throughout your story, I kept having the feeling of "intersections." You know what I mean? There's something there to see but it's just out of sightline? Anyway, this was an absolutely fantastic gift to readers, historians, genealogists. Are you considering a novel of this story? Do you have any nefarious suspicions about Martha Mary, given that it wasn't just one "oops" baby?
That's a great question about the Acadian connection, and one I had't considered. I wonder if that offers a clue to who might have given her the name? Interesting! I absolutely know what you mean about the "intersections" in this story, and it was one of the reasons I enjoyed researching it, writing it and just stitching the whole thing together. There were really so many aspects to explore that, ultimately, some had to be set aside or the project would never be finished! (That said, my research is still on-going as there are just so darn many questions!) Mary Martha is a hard nut to crack, for sure. She was exceedingly private, never gave an interview, and left few clues to her motivations. Her attorneys portrayed her as a long-suffering and loving mother committed to 1) providing financially for her illegitimate daughters and 2) making certain no one ever knew about those same daughters. I had and have a hard time reconciling those two commitments, especially based on Aimee's lived experiences. My guess, based on psychologists I spoke with, is that Martha was a love child, and Aimee was a reckless mistake Mary Martha was forced to live with, likely by her father, thus the resentment and cruelty. But again, fascinating dynamics in play, aren't there?
Aimee's life certainly ran the gamut of experiences. Teaching in Alaska! I bet it was absolutely wonderful to see such a place.