Shannon here: Sharon Wilharm shares how she researched for her book set in 1897 along with some of the customs from the period. Comment or answer the question in any post dated July 3rd – 31st to enter the drawing for an e-book copy of her Historical Fiction title, The Amazing Crab Alley Revival plus 3 other titles. Deadline: Aug 8th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Sharon:
When people find out I’ve written a book that takes place in 1897, one of the first questions they ask me is, “How did you do your research?” I tell them it was easy because I live in a turn-of-the-century house, and I collect old books.
Researching the romance threads in The Amazing Crab Alley Revival was fun because I wanted to play off of the dating and courting traditions back then compared to today’s customs.
Though The Amazing Crab Alley Revival is not a romance per se, it does have four romantic storylines. Lydia deals with memories from her past. Opal struggles with what to do with her husband Johnny who disappeared several years ago and her growing attraction to Hank, owner of the livery stables. And Emily has to choose between two young men—Charles, the wealthy but pompous suitor and Jasper, the revival’s music director.
I have several books that I used as my primary resources. The first was Correct Social Usage. Though I have an original set from the early 1900’s text, it’s actually still in print, which I think is pretty cool.
Each chapter has a specific focus and was written by a different etiquette authority, but so many chapters have useful tidbits that relate to romantic interactions. My favorite is the one on church etiquette and the section on “The Church a Marriage Bureau.”
“One of the several reasons chargeable for the increasing number of unfortunate marriages of the day is that the high-contracting parties do not know enough about one another before taking the step. There are too many impulsive alliances and on too short a probation of betrothal. Under the genial searchlight of a clergyman and his flock it does not take long for many points regarding a young person’s habits and general trend to be observed with an approximate degree of accuracy.”
Rev. C.W. de Lyon Nichols
I thought it was interesting that even though Correct Social Usage has an entire chapter devoted to chaperones, it also explains that they weren’t needed in small towns where everyone knows everyone else and what they’re doing. I was thankful for that, since chaperones didn’t really fit in with my story.
Another book I have in my collection is North’s Book of Love Letters from 1867. I didn’t have any characters writing love letters, but if I did, I would have definitely turned to this helpful volume for advice. Examples of letters include: “A Gentleman of Middle-age to a Lady of the Same,” “Letter to a Lady Stranger Seen at Church,” “Letter to a Lady Seen Through a Store Window,” and “Letter to a Lady Who Advocates Equal Rights for Women.”
I hope that readers of The Amazing Crab Alley Revival will enjoy the romantic storylines interwoven through the story.
Reader Question: Do you wish we could go back to the Victorian dating and courting practices, or do
you prefer modern?
July 2026 Book Bundle
Counting on the Cowboy by Shannon Taylor Vannatter, Contemporary Romance, print
A Light Dimmed by April W. Gardner, Biblical Fiction, e-book
The Amazing Crab Alley Revival by Sharon Wilharm, Historical Fiction, e-book
Freed by the Frontier, by Sherry Shindelar, Historical Romance, e-book
About Sharon: Sharon Wilharm is an author, speaker, Bible teacher, podcaster, radio host, and former filmmaker. The common thread in all her activities is women and storytelling. She loves to tell stories that inspire and encourage women in their walk with the Lord.
She’s the host of All God’s Women podcast and syndicated radio show and author of Women of Prayer, a Bible study about praying women in the Bible. Her debut novel, The Amazing Crab Alley Revival, a Southern story about Victorian church ladies, releases July 15th, on her 60th birthday. Learn more and connect:
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About the book – The Amazing Crab Alley Revival:
Port Royal, Florida Will Never Be The Same After Three Unlikely Women, A Boy, And A Dog Join Forces
The year is 1897 and wealthy widow Lydia Culpepper is evaluating her mundane existence. For sixty-three years, she’s faithfully gone through the motions of fulfilling everyone else’s expectations for her life, but nothing she does is ever enough. She longs for something more. When a young boy comes to her house in search of his missing coon dog, she gets her wish. She meets Emily Reed, a young finishing school instructor, and Opal Jackson, an Irish single mother, and the three women join together on a mission that turns the First Community Church on its head. Suddenly, the town is in an uproar as lives are being changed. When Yellow Fever hits, it looks like their efforts may have been in vain, but the epidemic isn’t enough to thwart the fruits of the Crab Alley Revival.
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Hey Sharon. Glad to have you back. I think dating was much more pure in the days of chaperones and courting. I could definitely go for it. I think our society would be better off if we went back to some of the old ways.