The Protagonist Speaks

Dear readers, tonight with us is a college professor with a gift for logic. She believes that if you dig long enough, the truth will rise to the surface. She’s hear to speak about what happened when she turned her relentless curiosity toward her own family, and unearthed more than she bargained for: a web of secrets her mother carried silently to the grave.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in the town of Cherry Creek, New York, right outside of Lindsborg, New York. It is a lovely little village with a stop light and four corners and sits right on beautiful Owanka Lake. Most of the families there were working class, although there were some professionals and other small businesspeople whose lives were a little more upscale.

Did you have any favorite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

My favorite memory of childhood was the summer when my family would live in a trailer on Owanka Lake right next to my aunt and uncle and some of my parent’s friends. There was always something to do, including hiking, swimming, or going out on somebody’s boat. My parents let us come and go as we pleased, and it was really the best place to grow up as a child.

What do you do now?

I’m a college professor at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. I teach Math.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

My adventure began with some unsettling news about my background, and I’m still processing these changes. It would appear that everything I was told growing up was a lie, and what’s worse is that my entire extended family was in on it. I found this extremely difficult to process, as well as frustrating.