For this author,
it is the second book of this kind and it just keeps getting more
and more interesting, she says.
“My curiosity
and interest in local history brought me to the point of writing about
it,” Stevens says. “I believe words can cross time and
distance, connecting people of different generations, ages and experiences.
But the vintage images tell a story that I hope will inspire readers
to preserve their own histories, as well as those of their community’s.”
A native of South
Dakota, Stevens’ interest in our area developed while walking
down an airport concourse. On her way to visit family in the Midwest,
the author spotted the Images of America series on a display
and couldn’t put the book down.
“On the
flight home, I told my husband, ‘Pine Island needs one of these
books. I think I could write it!’,” she recounts. “When
we arrived home, I went online to learn about Arcadia Publishing’s
book proposal process. And before I even unpacked our suitcases, I
had sent off a proposal for my first book, Pine Island.”
Much like in
her first book, the Lee County Islands paperback captures
the colorful history of this area with more than 200-vintage photographs
and information collected from multigenerational island families and
local museums.
Covering the
history of Pine Island, Estero, Useppa, Gasparilla, Captiva and Upper
Captiva and much more, this book was a full time job. Stevens spent
long hours exploring the archives of our libraries, museums, historical
societies and family collections. She met “real characters”
that developed the visual stories she saw in gathered photographs
and answered many questions about the identity of our area.
Information in
the book goes as far back as the 1800s. Tales of Ponce de Leon, the
Calusa Indians, hardscrabble pioneers, famous anglers like Thomas
Edison and Teddy Roosevelt, writers such as Richard Powell and Mary
Roberts Rinehart, and our beautiful beaches abound the pages of Lee
County Islands.
“Vintage
images fill each and every page with intrigue,” says Stevens.
“The biggest challenge for me was to deliver historical information
to the reader in a succinct and entertaining format. But although
brief, the accompanying captions are packed with little known trivia
and facts pertaining to the area.”
Currently, Stevens
is enjoying her days sharing accounts and time with her fans at book
signings around town. She is also thrilled to already be hard at work
on another book, which she says will include more current photos and
a new twist.