On Friday, February 24, the Friends of the Library welcomed Mississippi author Johnnie Bernhard to discuss her latest novel, Hannah and Ariela. Bernhard is a native of Ocean Springs, and the novel is her fourth traditionally published novel.
Hannah and Ariela deals with the topic of human trafficking, something that Ms. Bernhard has taken a vested interest in discussing. As a former teacher and journalist, she utilized her investigative nature to gather data about an issue that has greatly impacted the United States.
The Bernhards own property in a small town in Texas, and she regularly takes a local newspaper from Junction, Texas. (Junction boasts a population of under 3,000, and it is “one of the state’s leading deer hunting counties.”) Bernhard began noticing an uptick in crime being reported in the paper, particularly where migrants are concerned. One story that caught her eye had to do with the migrants who were left to suffocate in a tractor-trailer near San Antonio, Texas (about 100 miles away from Junction).
This story piqued her interest in human trafficking, and Bernhard began researching. She utilized public data from both the FBI and the Mississippi Department of Justice as well. Bernhard learned that Mississippi is in the top ten of states affected by human trafficking. She also interviewed multiple victims of “coyotes,” the term used to describe those who take payment from individuals to get across the Southern U.S. border.
Bernhard’s journey to writing Hannah and Ariela was at times uplifting in the midst of all the heartbreaking stories she encountered. This drove Bernhard to pen the novel based upon the facts she’d gathered.
When describing her inspiration for the book and the direction she took when writing, Bernhard passionately talks about the universal idea that we are all humans who must care for one another. She was also inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan and the idea of loving one’s neighbor – even when it’s not popular or even lawful to do so. Bernhard was further inspired by Deuteronomy 14:29, a verse that speaks to the vulnerability of the fatherless, traveler, and the widow.
The main character in Bernhard’s book, Hannah, has to break existing law to carry out the idea of being a Good Samaritan. Hannah is a widow, who must choose whether or not to provide aid to a traveler, Ariela.
Bernhard says she was also inspired by the pandemic in writing the book. “We were all called to be each other’s neighbor in 2020,” she told the attendees at the Meet the Author event on Friday. Bernhard also noted her desire to write about the universal human condition: “What connects us as human beings? Our need to love and be loved.” Bernhard says this is the theme of every book she’s written.
Bernhard’s journey about writing Hannah and Ariela was riveting. The book may be purchased locally at Book Mart and Café on 120 East Main Street in Starkville by calling (662)323-2844 to order using a credit or debit card. The book may be shipped for an additional fee.
