Book Talk: Sarah Loudin Thomas
Click here to listen to the episode with Sarah Loudin Thomas
Join host Cara Putman for an inspiring conversation with seventh-generation West Virginian and award-winning author Sarah Loudin Thomas! Sarah drops in to discuss her novel These Empty Places, set against the dramatic real-life breach of the Lake Toxaway dam in North Carolina and the dawn of the Great Depression. Sarah reveals how her research for a Biltmore Estate novel uncovered the forgotten 40-year emptiness of Lake Toxaway and the incredible life of real-life historical figure Lucy Camp.
Sarah shares the dynamic behind her two central characters—one who chose stability over true love, and one who sacrificed stability for love—creating a powerful Sense and Sensibility dynamic. Sarah also opens up about her deep Appalachian family roots, her heart-work leading a ministry for foster and adoptive families, and the true history behind 1930s mail-order library science certificates! Plus, don’t miss our signature Lightning Round, where Sarah shares childhood memories from the barn hayloft, Appalachian comfort foods, and fascinating Biltmore history!
⏱️ Detailed Timestamps
⏱️ Welcome & Catching Up: Cara welcomes back Sarah Loudin Thomas and celebrates their recent writing retreat collaboration.
⏱️ Life & Ministry Update: Transitioning from directing the Mitford Museum to leading a church ministry supporting foster and adoptive families.
⏱️ The 1916 Dam Breach Discovery: How researching the Great Flood of 1916 for a Biltmore novel led to the true story of Lake Toxaway remaining dry for 40 years.
⏱️ The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Claire: Discovering Lucy Camp (builder of what is now the Greystone Inn), who stayed behind when the wealthy elites fled.
⏱️ A Tale of Two Losses (Sense & Sensibility Dynamic): Contrasting Claire (who chose stability over romance) with Lena (who lost everything in the 1929 crash after chasing young love).
⏱️ A Personal Library in the Mountains: Uncovering the historical truth of Lucy’s personal lending library and Lena’s real-life 1930s mail-order library science degree.
⏱️ Seven Generations in French Creek: How her deep West Virginia ancestry and family storytelling inspired Sarah to bring lost relatives to life through fiction.
⏱️ The Heart of Restoration & Second Chances: Exploring Claire’s second-chance romance with a younger man (another true-to-life historical fact!) and finding new beginnings.
📚 About These Empty Places (Available Now)
When their worlds are upended, two women brought together by loss discover what truly matters most. Claire Roth sacrificed true love for a life of comfort on North Carolina’s Lake Toxaway—until the dam gave way in 1916 and washed the resort down the mountain. Fourteen years later, she remains committed to her mountain community on the eve of the Great Depression. Former socialite Lena Hawkins arrives penniless after her husband loses everything in the 1929 stock market crash. When Claire hires Lena to help build a personal library for the town, an unlikely bond forms. Faced with second chances at love and independence, both women must let go of the past to step boldly into the future.
🔗 Connect & Resources
Guest Website: SarahLoudinThomas.com
Facebook: Sarah Loudin Thomas Author
Instagram: @SarahLoudinThomas
Book Clubs: Sarah loves visiting book clubs virtually via Zoom or in person if local!
Want to watch this interview? You can see this episode as well as multiple others on YouTube! Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app and leave me a note below letting me know who you would love to see on the show!