She Died of a Broken Heart
The story of Cynthia Ann Parker haunted my heart for a couple of decades. I knew I had to do something about it. So I created a character who was similar to Cynthia. Fingers ready at the keyboard, I started at the moment of crisis and wrote a different trajectory. I couldn’t heal Cynthia’s heart, but I could give Eyes-Like-Sky her happy-ever-after.
Cynthia was taken captive by Comanches at age nine during an attack on her family’s fort in the Texas frontier in 1836. Her father and several other extended family members were killed, and her brother John, her cousin Rachel, and a couple of other family members were captured along with her.
Her Aunt Elizabeth was rescued a couple of months after the attack. Her cousin Rachel, who had been badly abused by the tribe, was recused a couple of years later and died within a year of her return. John adopted the Comanche lifestyle and lived with the tribe for years before eventually leaving the tribe to farm in Mexico. But Cynthia became Comanche and became an integral part of the tribe for over twenty-four years.
She married an influential war chief, Peta Nocona, and had three children with him, including Quanah Parker, a powerful Comanche chief. Several times over the years, Indian agents and traders attempted to ransom her, but she refused to go, and the tribe refused to trade her.
In December 1860, Texas Rangers attacked her village and captured her and her baby girl, Prairie Flower (Topsanah), killing everyone else in the village. (There has been significant historical debate about whether her husband was in the village at the time. Some believe he died fighting to protect her.)
Eventually, one of Cynthia’s relatives claimed her and took her to live with his family, but she refused to accept this new life that was being forced upon her. Several times, she tried to run away to the open plains, desperate to find her husband and her sons. Her uncle eventually agreed to help her look for her people, but they’d have to wait until the Civil War ended.
Prairie Flower died, word came that Cynthia’s son Pecos had passed away, as well, and the Civil War dragged on. Cynthia lost hope of ever being reunited with the two remaining members of her beloved family: Nocona and Quanah. Overcome by sadness and longing, she sank into a deep depression and died of a broken heart.
Cynthia Ann’s story, the story of a woman torn between cultures, has perplexed, intrigued, and haunted me since I read it. My heart aches for her loss, and questions flood my mind. Some stories are like that. They stay with you, and this one was all the more indelible because it was true and filled with unknowns.
Thus, the inspiration for the story of Eyes-Like-Sky and my story Texas Forsaken.
Do you have a story that has intrigued you or haunted your heart over time? I’d love to hear about it below in the comments
10 thoughts on “Stories that Haunt”
Great blog post, Sherry. I love historical fiction, and hearing the true stories that motivate writers. I have one of those unsolved historical puzzles I hope to explore in the not-to-distant future.
When I toured the Texas state capitol a few years ago, I saw a picture of a man named Lorenzo de Zavala (1788-1836). He was born under Spanish rule in Yucatán and later became the first vice-president of the Republic of Texas. I wondered, why would someone so involved with Spain, then later Mexicio, take part in the Texas revolution?
Ah, stories are born of questions!
Marie, that is really cool. Now, you’ve got me curious about de Zavala. If you discover the answer to why his allegiances switched so dramatically, I loved to hear it.
In the fourth grade, I saw a drawing depicting the massacre at Fort Mims, the climax of my current WIP. I’ve wanted to write about that tragic event for a long time — years. I just didn’t know how to go about it and get started on it till recently. The drawing will be in my blog post about it, and it has haunted me for years.
That’s cool that you finally got to write about it:) I’d never heard of Fort Mims until I read your story. Intriguing history!
Hi Sherry, Yours is a hauntingly good story!!! And I’m so glad there’s a HEA!!!! One of the stories I remember reading and left a lasting impression was Blue Willow. A young girl struggles w/poverty, and the only thing she has is a blue willow plate once owned by her great grandmother (or distant relative?). Anywho, I loved it!!! I don’t remember how it ended but I remember the emotions and compassion. I remember I wanted to stop reading it because of this girl’s heartaches but couldn’t put it down.
A good book does that!!! 🙂
eMarie, Thank you! I’m okay with putting my characters through some hardships and pain, but I can’t bear to give them anything less than a happy ending. I’ve never heard of Blue Willow before, but it sounds like a very intriguing story. It makes me want to read it:)
Thank you, Sherry. So sad.
Thank you for stopping by, Kathy:)
I ALWAYS ADMIRED CYNTHIA PARKER. SAD BECAUSE OF HER ENDING.
Yes, I always felt bad that she was never reunited with her sons and husband. Her son Quannah became one of the most famous Comanche chiefs, but he loved and missed his mother for the rest of his life.
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