Althea Interviews Sylvia About Her Historical Fiction of a Wombtwin Survivor

Althea and I (Sylvia) did an interview recently about my latest book just out called A War Of Her Own the story of a young woman during WWII who is a womb twin survivor. Although fiction, this story is loosely based on my mother and her family during that time period. I asked for the privilege of posting the interview here in case the story might strike a chord with our blog readers.

Althea:  Hallo Sylvia.  I am delighted to see that you have included a womb twin survivor in your novel. As someone who works with womb twin survivors I am always pleased when someone mentions it. How did this idea come to you?

Sylvia: Hi, Althea, and thank you for allowing me to talk about my newest book A War Of Her Own.  I do believe this story will speak to womb twin survivors—it spoke to me, and I am one, too! Actually, the writing of the work greatly facilitated my healing.

A War Of Her Own is set in my hometown of Orange, Texas. For those of you who don’t know Texas, Orange is just a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico—where hurricanes are want to blow and mosquitoes—lots of mosquitoes—grow as big as dragonflies. Not really, but at times they seem like they're that big, but a lot more ferocious. The Sabine River separates Orange, Texas from southwest Louisiana—Cajun country.

A War Of Her Own is set during a fascinating period—World War II, when the small town’s population exploded 700% almost overnight when local shipyards gained contracts with the Department of Defense to build warships such as destroyers, destroyer escorts, landing craft, tugboats and the like. 

People still suffering the backlash of the Great Depression flooded the town for the jobs there, now for the taking. Soon, all hell broke loose. Society and culture changed right before people’s eyes. Women took jobs previously performed by men--and did them well! Many families slept in rented “hotbeds”—beds still warm from the body of the person who just arose and went to work at shipyards working around the clock. War housing was built over night on river sand pumped in from the river bottom.

Before I started the book, I knew it would be a story told through the eyes of a woman. The title, A War Of Her Own came to me before the plot. The rest of the story unfolded as I wrote the first draft.

Althea: Did you imagine one of your characters as a womb twin survivor right at the start or did it kind of creep up on you as an idea?

Sylvia: It crept up on me. I’ve always been fascinated with that period of history, particularly the effects it had on my hometown and my family. My parents lived in Orange during that time period and I remember so many stories I’ve heard over the years about what life was like. I’d tuck those ideas away, pull them out and work on the project for a while. Then I’d stall over the hook and put it aside. I knew my character, I knew my setting, but I didn’t know why she was so sad. Many stories revolve around family secrets, but I didn’t know hers. Then several elements in my life clicked and the whole idea of writing a story about a womb twin survivor cemented itself in my psyche. I picked up the story again and didn’t stop until I completed it.

Althea: Fascinating. Now do you think that (your main character) was molded by this early experience in any way?

Sylvia: Oh, absolutely. I think that because I believe I am a womb twin survivor. I was born many years before there was such a thing as ultra-sound. However, I spent many years crying myself to sleep at night, feeling like I lived in a half-empty womb—a womb both a graveyard and a birthing chamber.

Then, several years ago I stumbled on your website and recalled hearing my mother talk about one day during the early stages of her pregnancy with me. She stood at her ironing board ironing when a gush of blood poured down her legs and into her shoes. Another day, my sister told of once when she, Dad and Mom went to a local carnival and as soon as they stepped onto the fairway, blood again started pouring down Mom’s legs and they had to go home. Both times, my mother thought she had miscarried. Either that, or her period had just been late. She did not go to a doctor, which was common in those days. Later, she realized she was still pregnant.

When I learned about womb twin survivors, my life fit the model. I knew then why I had always felt the way I had. I was a surviving twin—or triplet. When I told my older sister, it rang true with her. (She remembered all those nights when she lay beside me while I cried, feeling so unlovable.)

Althea: Did you have to do much research to make sure you got it right or did you draw your ideas from your personal experience of being a womb twin survivor yourself?

Sylvia: Yes and no. My research about womb twin survivors is told from personal experience, confirmed by what I’ve learned from you and other websites on the topic. My research included the historical aspect of the era. What it was like for women who went to work as a riveter. For the symptoms of the womb twin survivor, I worked from personal experience. I know there is much more to the effects of being a womb twin survivor—much more than my experience. But I wanted to keep this simple and clear as an introduction to the subject. I know many people have never heard of it, and many could benefit from an introduction. Nice, slow and easy. I also wanted to show how insidious the syndrome can be and how it can effect our lives in subtle, yet still overpowering ways that end up making us dysfunctional without realizing the grief we carry--sometimes at an unconscious level.

Althea: Now that you have started on this topic do you have any ideas for further stories that may involve womb twin survivors?

Sylvia: Actually, a fan suggested I continue with this story, making it a series. The suggestion was to write the next step in Bea’s life—A Life Of Her Own and the third, A Love of Her Own. Who knows? Depends on my muse. I do know this topic will continue to grow. I have been encouraged by those who read the advance reading copies, and of their interest in the topic. My hope is this tale opens up the subject for common discussion. It is a syndrome that impacts our lives more than many realize. Hopefully WT members will read this work and learn from it, and refer the book to others.

Also, Althea, because of my commitment to Womb Twin Survivors and the work your organization does to help other, for every book sold through Womb Twin connections, I will make a $1.00 donation to the organization. All a buyer need do is to let me know when and where they purchased the book. I can be reached at sylvia@sylviadickeysmith.com. 

The book is available or can be ordered online and brick and mortar bookstore. Folks with a U.S. shipping address can order an autographed copy of the book for my website at A War Of Her Own.

It is available on in the U.K. at  Amazon.com/uk 

And in Canada at: Amazon.com/ca

Althea: Thank you, Sylvia, for your generous contribution. We wish you good luck.

Sylvia: Thank you for letting me share a part of my healing journey here on the blog and for all your effort at helping others.