by: Elizabeth Gauffreau

Liz– Thank you for hosting me on my blog tour for The Weight of Snow and Regret, Resa!

Resa – My pleasure, Liz!

Liz – Today I am very excited to shine the spotlight on one of the minor characters in the book, bandleader Sterling D. Weed. But first, here is what The Weight of Snow and Regret is all about.

For over 100 years, no one wanted to be sent to the Sheldon Poor Farm.

By 1968, no one wanted to leave. 

Amid the social turmoil of 1968, the last poor farm in Vermont is slated for closure. By the end of the year, the twelve destitute residents remaining will be dispatched to whatever institutions will take them, their personal stories lost forever.

Hazel Morgan and her husband Paul have been matron and manager at the Sheldon Poor Farm for the past 20 years. Unlike her husband, Hazel refuses to believe the impending closure will happen. She believes that if she just cares deeply enough and works hard enough, the Sheldon Poor Farm will continue to be a safe haven for those in need, herself and Paul included.

On a frigid January afternoon, the overseer of the poor and the town constable from a nearby town deliver a stranger to the poor farm for an emergency stay. She refuses to tell them her name, where she came from, or what her story is. It soon becomes apparent to Hazel that whatever the woman’s story is, she is deeply ashamed of it. 

Hazel fights to keep the stranger with them until she is strong enough to face, then resume, her life—while Hazel must face the tragedies of her own past that still haunt her.

Told with compassion and humor, The Weight of Snow & Regret tells the poignant story of what it means to care for others in a rapidly changing world.

For today’s tour stop, I will introduce you to a character who makes a cameo appearance in the novel, Sterling D. Weed, a historical figure known for being the oldest working bandleader in the state of Vermont. He worked as bandleader until his death in 2005 at age 104. He was also known for having the first integrated swing band in New England. 

Truth be told, I couldn’t resist putting him in the novel. When my late brother George was in high school, he played saxophone in the Enosburg Falls Town Band with Sterling D. Weed as bandleader. In college, George played gigs with Weed’s Imperial Orchestra to earn money to live off-campus. How he loved to tell his Sterlin’ D. Weed stories! 

Weed’s Imperial Orchestra appears in the novel in a brief scene when Hazel and Paul celebrate their first wedding anniversary. The first song they hear is the Weed’s Imperial Orchestra’s theme song, “The Wang Wang Blues.”

Excerpt from “Newlywed” chapter

Hazel turned her attention to the raised stage. Seated behind their music stands, the members of Weed’s Imperial Orchestra wore fancy black suits and bow ties. She’d never seen anyone wear such a fancy suit before, much less a bow tie. Their shoes would be polished to a high shine, even though no one could see them. The man standing on the stage with his back to the dance floor must be Sterling D. Weed himself. When he turned to face the crowded dance floor, Hazel was surprised to see a man of about Paul’s age, smooth-faced, bespectacled, and balding. Except for the fancy suit and the saxophone on a strap around his neck, he looked like her high school algebra teacher.

“Welcome, one and all! The boys and I will start you off this evening with our theme song, a little foxtrot called ‘The Wang Wang Blues.’ If you don’t know the foxtrot, don’t worry. Come out on the dance floor anyway; you’ll pick it up soon enough. And if you don’t, there’s always next week.” He bent over and picked up a clarinet. “Ready, boys? A-one, a-two, a-three.”

The tempo was lively, the notes tumbling from the clarinet sparkling. The melody would not be denied, despite repeated kicks from the bass drum to keep it in check—nor could it keep the crowd in check, as they stepped and glided and twirled.

Sterling D. Weed announced the next song as “Sing, Sing, Sing,” but instead of a sing-along, the drums pounded out a primitive beat, seemingly of their own volition. The crowd cheered, and an explosion of brass blasted from the stage as the dancers flung themselves about the floor. 

Paul’s eyes widened. He mouthed something, grabbed Hazel’s hand, and pointed behind him. 

Outside, he kept hold of her hand and led her to the edge of the lake. “Jeezum. We coulda got killed in there.” He pointed to a large rock. “How about we listen from here?”

Now that she was no longer in danger of being kicked in the head or trampled to death, Hazel was perfectly content to listen to the rest of the song that seemed hell-bent on driving itself off a cliff. 

About Elizabeth Gauffreau

“I am drawn to the inner lives of other people–what they care about, what they most desire, what causes them pain, what brings them joy.”

Look at all the places you can buy Liz’s book!

Click on the photo list below. It will take you to a page where all the links are live. I bought mine on Kobo.

I’ve read 3/4 of this special book. I add this music and piece of street art as extras. Read the book and discover why!

Some have said the first Lightnin’ Hopkins video wasn’t available to them. In case it didn’t work for you, here’s another try!