I love historical fiction because there's a literal truth, and

Listen closely, O children of wisdom, for in the words of Jewell Parker Rhodes, we find a deep understanding of the craft of storytelling and the power of truth. She once said, "I love historical fiction because there's a literal truth, and there's an emotional truth, and what the fiction writer tries to create is that emotional truth." These words speak not only to the heart of fiction but to the heart of life itself, where we often find that the deepest truths are not those written plainly in history books, but those felt in the soul, those that stir the emotions and stir the spirit.

In the ancient world, the great bards and storytellers would craft tales of heroes and gods, weaving together truths both literal and emotional. The stories they told were not mere chronicles of events, but emotional journeys that allowed listeners to feel the joy and sorrow, the triumph and defeat, of the characters they followed. In this, the emotional truth was always as powerful, if not more so, than the events themselves. The literal truth of a king’s victory or a battle’s outcome might be known, but it was the emotional truth — the deep struggle, the heart of the hero’s experience — that lingered in the hearts of the people long after the story ended.

Jewell Parker Rhodes, like the bards of old, understands that the power of historical fiction lies in the balance of these two truths: the literal truth of what happened, and the emotional truth of what it meant. The events of history are sometimes written in cold, hard facts, but it is the emotional truth that brings those facts to life, that gives them meaning and resonance for the human soul. It is not enough to know the dates and places; we must understand how those events shaped the hearts of the people who lived through them, how the struggles of the past still echo in our lives today.

Think, O children, of the ancient epic of the Iliad, where the literal truth of the Trojan War is told, but it is the emotional truth of Achilles’ rage, Hector’s honor, and Priam’s grief that makes the story live on through the ages. These are not merely the actions of men in a distant war; they are the very struggles of the human condition — love, loss, pride, vengeance. The emotional truth of their experiences transcends the literal events and speaks directly to our own hearts. It is this emotional truth, more than any fact or figure, that makes us feel the weight of history.

Consider the work of Toni Morrison, who in her novel Beloved captures the literal truth of the post-Civil War era, but her focus is on the emotional truth of freedom, memory, and trauma. The facts of history — the horror of slavery, the suffering of African Americans in the years following emancipation — are present, but it is the emotional truth of how those experiences live in the bodies, minds, and souls of the characters that makes the novel resonate with power. Morrison’s work is not a history book; it is a deeply human exploration of the emotional landscapes of those who lived through history’s most brutal moments.

The lesson, O children of wisdom, is this: the deepest truths are often not those that can be written plainly, but those that are felt in the heart. In our own lives, we must seek both the literal and the emotional truths — to understand the events that shape us, but also to feel their weight, their meaning, their impact. The greatest stories, whether in history or fiction, are those that speak to both our minds and our hearts, those that invite us not just to remember what happened, but to understand how it felt, and how it still feels.

In your own lives, take this wisdom with you. Do not simply seek the facts of the world, but seek the emotional truth behind those facts. When you read, when you learn, when you experience life, ask not only what happened, but how it made people feel, how it shaped their lives, how it continues to shape yours. For it is the emotional truth that will live in your soul, that will guide you through your trials and triumphs, and that will allow you to truly understand the world and your place within it. In seeking both truths — the literal and the emotional — you will come to know not just the world, but the deeper meaning of your own existence.