Dead Men's Teeth
"Dead Men's Teeth" is an intriguing anthology that merges the realms of history and fiction. Drawing from historical archives, Jamie Rhodes weaves a series of short stories that bring the past to life with a fresh and imaginative perspective. This collection not only showcases his ability to find the extraordinary in historical documents but also challenges readers to contemplate the complexities of history, ethics, and humanity. Each story, while distinct, contributes to a cohesive exploration of how the past informs our present, inviting readers on a journey through time that is both enlightening and haunting.
More information: https://www.thisisjamierhodes.com/dead-mens-teeth
DEAD MEN’S TEETH
A grim but light-hearted adventure tale about a young farm girl recruited to work for a dentist in 1815. Inspired by an original dentist’s advert from the early 1800s, and this post on the British Library’s Untold Lives blog: Smiling with Dead Men’s Teeth.
QUARANTINE
A dark story about madness and isolation aboard a diseased indenture vessel in 1880. Inspired by an original ship’s surgeon’s report in the British Library archives, and this post on the British Library’s Untold Lives blog: Cholera on the Emigrant Ship ‘Sheila’.
THE VULTURE TEMPLE
A story exploring religious tolerance using the metaphor of vulture species around a carcass as a young White-Backed Vulture comes of age. Inspired by an image of vultures perched on the rim of a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence in India, and this post on the British Library’s Untold Lives blog: The Tower of Silence, a Zoroastrian Detective Story.
ARROWHEAD
An atmospheric tale of an 18th century school teacher struggling to come to terms with a family tragedy. Inspired by a letter in the British Library’s Bentham collection, and this post on the British Library’s Untold Lives blog: Meet the Benthams: An Extraordinary Georgian Family.
MARY MARCH
A tale of division, unity, and the efforts of three people trying to build bridges between the European settlers and Native tribes of Newfoundland in the 19th century. Inspired by an original Beothuk language dictionary written in 1819, and this post on the British Library’s Untold Lives blog: Mary March of Newfoundland.
HOW I DID LONG FER A TATTIE PASTY
The adventure of two Cornish brothers seeking their fortune in the California gold rush. Inspired by an interview with a Cornish miner upon his return from California in 1860, and this post on the British Library’s Untold Lives blog: Aw How I Ded Long for a Tatie Pasty.
DEATH OR AUSTRAILIA
An adventure story of two escaped convicts trying to start new lives in Australia. Inspired by the British Library records of convicts transported during the early years of Australian colonisation, and this post on the British Library’s Untold Lives blog: A Phantom Burglar and the Hulk.
