Tyler County Librarian

Comment:

Good morning! I’m the librarian at Tyler Consolidated Middle/High School in Tyler County, WV, and several of our students just finished reading Shiloh Christmas. I love telling the story behind the Shiloh books to our students and always encourage them to drive out to Shiloh where they can see for themselves where the books began. I knew the Maddens, and remember them as energetic, productive members of our community. My own children loved meeting Clover when the Maddens brought her to school to “pawtograph” their copies of Shiloh.
Thank you again for treating my home county so gently in your books and for giving your readers a glimpse of beautiful Tyler County, West Virginia. I wish you the best!

Phyllis replied:

I’m so happy to know that you felt I did a good job when I wrote about your school (mostly from my imagination).  I do remember that I called your school several times when I was writing the story to find out something I needed (like whether the high school and middle school were in the same building, etc) and everyone I talked to was so courteous and helpful.  I know that one of the paperback editions of “Shiloh” has photographs in it taken of the Madden place where I set my story, and I treasure my visits to Shiloh.  I fell in love with West Virginia when I fell in love with the West Virginian who became my husband, and we had many happy trips back to his home state.