By Ashley Jenks
An alumna and best-selling author, recently released a new book and spoke at Unity Temple on the Place on Oct. 4.
Candice Millard, college alumna, was very similar to many of the college’s students, said Steve Gerson, English professor, who taught one of her classes and later hired her as a babysitter.
“She, like almost every other student, came to this college because it was near her home, because it was affordable, because it had a great reputation, and because she didn’t know what she wanted to do,” he said. “I think that afforded her the foundation she wanted. It set up her expectations for the future.”
In many ways, Millard is the same as when she attended the college, Gerson said.
“She was a sweet, kind, gentle, caring, intelligent, happy person then, and she’s a sweet, kind, gentle, caring, intelligent, happy person now,” he said. “I’d say she’s grown in her intellect and drive, but all of her basic qualities are still the same. She’s acquired a world of knowledge based on reading, education, travel and work experience.”
After her time at the college, Millard went on to Baker University for her bachelor’s degree and Baylor University for her master’s in English. Afterward, she returned to Kansas City, Gerson said.
“She came back here after she got her master’s degree and got a series of contract, part-time writing jobs,” he said. “At one point she decided she wanted to work for National Geographic. She went and got a job at National Geographic and that’s when she exploded onto the scene.”
Millard still lives in Kansas City, and even frequents local book stores, Vivien Jennings of Rainy Day Books said.
“She comes in a lot,” Jennings said. “She’s lovely, very smart, and an incredibly good writer. We are very fortunate to have a writer of such caliber living in our community.”
The book itself, “Destiny of a Republic” is a real-life, political thriller with historically accurate elements of science and medicine, Jennings said.
“The book describes methods of sanitization in those days,” she said. “Europe used hand-washing and sterilization, but American doctors refused. They might boil instruments, but wouldn’t clean them if they were dropped. It was an extraordinarily corrupt political environment, and there are many lessons to be learned from the book for the modern day.”
Ultimately, Millard’s story is a rare one, though, Gerson said.
“What she did was a miracle in that she struck gold,” he said. “Very few people write books, and even fewer people write good books. To write a book that’s good that achieves national fame is astounding.”
Contact Ashley Jenks, reporting correspondent, at ajenks@stumail.jccc.edu.