Open Country comes out in less than a month and I thought I’d build up some interest by putting it in historical context. The novel commences at the John Rankin house in Ripley, Ohio that Connie and I toured while we were taking a trip down the Ohio River on a steamboat. Rankin was an abolitionist minister who used his home as a stop along the Underground Railroad. It was an inspiration for “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” I change the name of the owner of the house to L. M. Bounds, though not the profession, and take off from there in another direction. The real story of Rankin and the citizens of Ripley who helped him out, some of whom were ex-slaves, is truly mind-boggling. It’s described in the following video: