Nancy Schwarzkopf grew up on a small dairy farm in western Washington, surrounded by deep forests, creeks, and the rural life of Winlock, a close-knit community filled with farms and family traditions. Those early years on the farm shaped her connection to nature and small-town life, a feeling she rediscovered when visiting northern Latvia, with its familiar landscapes and simple, rural charm. Now, Nancy calls northern Virginia home, staying close to her family while pursuing her passion for writing. Her historical novel, “Still the Caretaker: A Latvian Girl’s Journey,” has been a fulfilling journey into storytelling. Beyond writing, she enjoys gardening, photography, and traveling, with a special hope to return to Latvia soon.
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I spent my first fifteen years, 1947-1962, on a small dairy farm in western Washington State, a few miles north of the town of Winlock. Our picturesque farm had deep coniferous forests to the north and south and adjoined neighboring farms on the east and west boundaries. The Olequa Creek flowed along our west fence line; the pastures were dotted with Guernsey and Jersey cows and sometimes a few deer. At night, we heard frogs croaking and coyotes yipping; occasionally there were the chilling cries of a cougar. At that time, the Winlock area was a self-contained community with dairies, strawberry and raspberry growers, chicken and egg farms, loggers and sawmills. Nearly everyone raised their own vegetables and some fruit. In those days, Winlock had doctors, a dentist and a wide variety of small stores where everything a household needed could be obtained. My sisters and I attended the two-room Evaline Elementary School from first through eighth grade. Winlock was our high school. Our area was a wonderful place to be a kid.
And so, when I went to northern Latvia, I felt at home and at ease. Like the western Washington of my youth, northern Latvia is made up of little towns, small farms, large coniferous forests, numerous streams and rivers. In northern Latvia, there are large woodpiles which feed the homes’ stoves, small greenhouses beside big vegetable gardens, and gnarly fruit trees so like those of my childhood. I could have happily stayed there for several months to wander and write.
I live now in beautiful northern Virginia. Washington DC is a short drive away. My life is so very different than it was years ago. I belong to a wonderful writer’s group and a book group that I love. My son and his family are here, my daughter and her family live near Houston, just a three-hour flight away. I visit the Pacific Northwest annually to see friends and family and enjoy the mountains, forests, Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean.
Writing, editing and publishing my historical novel, “Still the Caretaker: A Latvian Girl’s Journey” has been and continues to be an amazing experience. I wrote the story through a young girl’s eyes—her life during Latvia’s nightmare of war and occupation, her efforts to keep her animals safe and help her little brother, her frustration with her parents’ unwillingness to be forthright, her concern for the cousin who was forced to fight for the Germans. It has been my joy and my privilege to “live” inside this young girl’s mind and heart long enough to tell her story.
In addition to writing, I enjoy gardening. I take photographs at every turn and post them to my social media sites. I love to travel and hope to return to Latvia sometime soon.
