Bibliography A Foundation of Research
Writing From the Drop of Heaven required far more than imagination—it demanded a foundation of research.
To bring 16th and 17th-century Salm to life with authenticity, I delved into cultural beliefs, daily rituals, and political tensions of the time, uncovering how religion, superstition, and isolation shaped the lives of people like Catherine Cathillon.
Every detail—from the herbal remedies to help with snakebites and birth control, to what is in a midwife’s pouch, to what might have helped a plague victim, to what sustained people in danger of starvation. All of it was chosen with care, grounded in historical evidence.
As the world recovers from our generation’s version of the Bubonic plague, instead of learning from the past, the history books get dusty. Scientists who have devoted their entire lives to studying communicable diseases are villainized. Superstitious beliefs in demon sperm and ideas like drinking alcohol and hot water to kill the virus. These ideas sound suspiciously like the ones spread 400 years ago. Has our society evolved at all?
The bibliography that follows reflects the scope and depth of that work. These sources helped me reconstruct a world largely forgotten. One where oral legends held sway over law, and where a woman’s survival could hinge on a whisper. Though the novel is fictional, its roots are firmly planted in not only historical soil, but also my family tree. For readers who want to dig deeper, I invite you to explore the works that informed and inspired the story. I read more about the Bubonic plague than I cared to know… and then Covid hit! History repeated itself, again…
For short descriptions of unusual, foreign, or ancient words, go to the Glossary of Historical Terms
Bibliography A Foundation of Research
• Cordier, Francoise, Les Demons du Pays de Salm (Used with permission)
• Rabelais, Francois, 1532 ‘Gargantua et Pantagruel’
• de Ronsard, Pierre, 1552 ‘Odes à Cassandre’
• Holt, Mack P. (1995). The French Wars of Religion, 1562–1629. Cambridge University Press
• Harding, Vanessa (2002) The Dead and the Living in Paris and London 1500-1670,
Cambridge University Press
• Baumgartner, Frederic J. (1995). France in the Sixteenth Century. London: Macmillan
• Konnert, Mark W (2006) Local Politics in the French Wars of Religion: The Towns of Champagne, the Duc De Guise, And the Catholic League, 1560-95. Ashgate Pub Co
• De La Coix, Rene, duc de Castries (1979) The Lives of the Kings & Queens of France Alfred a Kopf
• Du Picq, (2012) Battle Studies (Kindle Edition) Amazon Digital Services
• Bersier, Eugene (2009) Coligny: The Earlier Life of the Great Huguenot. BiblioBazaar
• Newman, Paul B., Growing Up in the Middle Ages (2001) McFarland
• Schoenbaum, David, The Violin: A Social History of the World’s Most Versatile Instrument (Kindle Edition) WW Norton & Co.
• Arnold, Janet (1985) Patterns of Fashion: The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women C1560-1620 Drama Pub
Bibliography A Foundation of Research
Internet Sources
• ‘War of the Three Henrys.’ Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. 2013. Viewed. 10 Jun. 2013.
• ‘Maximilien de Béthune, duke de Sully,’ Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Viewed. 10 Jun. 2013.
• ‘Queen Anne’s Lace/Wild Carrot, (2012, June 3). Living With Our Fertility. Viewed 25 May, 2013.
• Thomas, Kirsti S, Medieval and Renaissance Marriages: Theories and Customs. Viewed: 3 Aug. 2013. .
• Gilbert, Rosalie, Rosalie’s Medieval Woman, Viewed 18 Aug. 2013. ,
• Psalm 141:2 New International Version (Sept 9, 2010) The Zondervan Corporation. Viewed 7 Sept.2013.
• Goyau, G. (1912). Saint Bartholomew’s Day. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved December 2, 2013 from New Advent:
• Wesner, Doris, The trial of Ottillia Ensminger, Alsation Connections, Vol. 1.
• Miesel, Sandra, 2001, ‘Who Burned the Witches,’ Viewed 5 May, 2013
• ‘Annie’s Remedy’ (2005-2013) How to cure a fever, Viewed 9 Jun. 2013
• Harding, Vanessa (2002) The Dead and te Living in Paris and London 1500-1670, Cambridge University Press