Originally from Columbus, Ohio, author Mary Jo Schell was very active in sports and finished high school as the valedictorian of her senior class. She married and attended Ohio State University. After three years, she had her first son, left college to take care of him, and worked part-time. Her second son was born eighteen months later, and she went on to finish her degree and received a BS in accounting. The author worked for three decades in the accounting field, eventually purchasing a pottery store back home to remain closer to her parents. She now lives with her eight-pound Maltese, Frank, and finds things to keep her from being bored.
“Annabella, Bella to her family and friends, was sixteen years old when the US Civil War started,” writes Schell. “Now two years into the war, her Uncle Edwin and cousin Marie are dead, most of the four hundred slaves have run away, and she is responsible—responsible for the one-thousand-acre Johnson Plantation just outside Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the care and safety of her mother and three younger siblings. Her father and one of her brothers, Andrew, are fighting for the South, while her oldest brother, Jonathan, is fighting for the North. What will happen to everyone? Will her family men come home? Will she ever find love? Will this war ever be over?”
Published by Fulton Books, Mary Jo Schell’s book will take readers on a powerful journey through the past as they discover how Bella and her family manage to deal with the stress of a divided family, and an unknown future for their country and way of life. Thought-provoking and engaging, “Annabella’s Story” is a sweeping epic that will keep readers spellbound, right up until the very end.
Readers who wish to experience this inspiring work can purchase “Annabella’s Story” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.
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