'Mara' goes to press 60 years after written in a harvest truck

The cover of “Mara” was painted by Spangle artist Nona Hengen. Copies of the book are available in Spokane, Colfax and Rosalia.

Beverly Mader Wilson

A book which was started during harvest in the Clear Creek area more than 60 years ago has finally gone to press. Beverly Mader Wilson came across the first draft during a cleaning operation at her place between Rosalia and Spangle and decided to have it published earlier this year.

The book “Mara” is a historical novel which gives a young woman’s narrative of events in the last decade of the 19th century. Wilson said episodes on the novel derive from real events, relayed from accounts from both sides of her family. None of the tales are intended to be actual renditions of the early-day tales, but Wilson promises it will take readers back to the early days of the Palouse country.

The daughter of Fred and Lucille Mader, she started writing the novel on spiral notebooks while helping her father with harvest. The book was launched in 1956 after completing her first year of studies in piano performance at the University of Washington.

She wrote it while waiting in the field to haul loads of grain to the Glenwood Elevator. Beverly was a harvest hand at her parents ranch for several years, and she added to the book during subsequent harvests.

She married Bill Wilson, a nuclear physicist, and they resided in the Seattle area for 30 years and then moved to a home they built east of Moscow.

After Mr. Wilson retired from Washington State University, they decided to move north and built their new place between Rosalia and Spangle.

The spiral notebooks and loose leaf notebooks with the draft for “Mara” were stored in the bottom drawer of a desk for years while the Wilsons were busy with home, careers and raising a family.

Early this year, Beverly had to undergo a hip replacement and was unable to get out and do yard work. She found herself once again looking at “Mara” after it surfaced during an interior cleanup project.

She credits her friend, Spangle artist Nona Hengen, with inspiring her to go back to work on the draft and have it published. Hengen, who has written similar early-day accounts, encouraged Beverly to write in the same mode, and she remembered “Mara” has been awaiting publication for more than 60 years.

Hengen even offered to design a custom cover for the book.

The book was printed by Gray Dog Publishing in Spokane. Beverly said they had one run of 50 books, and after one of her friends read it and found 18 minor errors she ran off 50 more copies.

The front and back covers of the book have paintings of the Clear Creek area. Hengen’s painting on the cover depicts Mara standing in front of the former James residence in the Clear Creek area. That house has been torn down, and Hengen did the painting from a photo.

A similar house has been remodeled by the Rick McNannays, and that house at one time was the residence of Wilson’s maternal grandparents.

The back of the book features a landscape painting of Steptoe Butte which was painted by Minnie Bannister. The painting depicts the view of the Butte as seen from the Bannister residence along Highway 272. Wilson now has the painting in her home.

Wilson has sent copies of her book to her long-time friends in the Clear Creek area. Copies of her book are now available at Aunties in Spokane, Main Street Books in Colfax and Pat’s Books in Rosalia.