Elizabeth S. Graham 
Light Afflictions 

Who was Louisa Gates and how did she die? LIGHT AFFLICTIONS is a family saga, which traces its heritage back to the Mayflower. Louisa’s sister, Emmaline returns to the family homestead, Beloved Acres, to finally scatter Louisa’s ashes. Why did her sister’s choices seem so diametrically opposed to the other seemingly stalwart members of the Gates clan, beginning with her great, great, great grandfather who bought the rocky farmland in Hartland, Vermont and who created a home for so many generations? Who were some of these other family members, and how were their lives interconnected?LIGHT AFFLICTIONS is a character driven, 43, 000 word novella that examines a generation of people who descended from a fascinating group of relatives dating back to 1793 and supports the suggestion that the past is always present. It is a work of fiction that is loosely based on the many letters that have been preserved by her family for generations.