Hazel is a character in Becoming Hazel and in subsequent books, but it’s important to remember that all of this is based on real events. When you come to the end of Becoming Hazel, you probably don’t think of her in terms of motherhood at all, but I’ve already told you, she’s my great-grandmother so – spoiler alert! – her life was relatively complicated.
Hazel had fought fiercely to become independent, to be well-educated, and to rise to the top of her field as a performing musician, all on her own terms. She also spent time advocating for women’s causes and supporting other suffragists.
She married, but her marriage was destined to be on her terms as well, at least at the beginning. The photo I’ve attached shows her in the oversized wedding outfit she wore in Abilene, and which I described in Becoming Hazel. Here, she has cleverly reused it about six months later, and posed for what would have been a rather shocking pregnancy portrait at the time, because it was not commonly done. Being a practical person, I suppose she assumed it was the only time the outfit would fit properly without being tailored.
Once she had children, it changed her ability to perform the way she used to, but she lost none of her faith or her fire – she simply changed direction. You’ll read more about that in Saints & Deceivers.
Hazel was one of five generations who held my own children. We are blessed with women who live long lives. Sadly, I recently lost my own mother, long before her time, but we still have a great-grandmother who just celebrated her one-hundredth birthday, so hope springs eternal, dear Marion.