Tell Me Your Story

Have you ever stood in a historic building and tried to imagine what the people who lived or worked there experienced? Or wondered how many other faces a clouded mirror has reflected? Perhaps you’ve looked at a museum display and wished the objects could tell you how they came to be there. Eight stories and poems, inspired by family heirlooms, museum collections, and local history, explore the tangible connection objects and places create across time and the power of passing down stories through the generations.

Author Lindsey Wood envisions the stories behind everyday objects, from the cross-country travels of a family quilt to the conversations around a spinning wheel. Short stories bring to life the eight-year-old Hugh Morrison, caught in the crossfire in the battle of Fort Montgomery, and Sybil Ludington’s devotion to both the Revolutionary cause and her family. Newspaper articles and local lore weave together to form the stories of people living in New York City’s Gilded Age and rediscovered appreciation for Peekskill’s rich history.