CALVERT, Texas (KRHD) — Clara Sneed recently released a novel sharing a piece of her family's history. A story full of love, betrayal - and murder.
- The Boyce-Sneed Feud shares the story of a Texas love-triangle gone terribly wrong.
- Clara is the great-niece to John Beal Sneed, one of the protagonists in the story.
- Clara Sneed took more than 30 years to publish "Before We Turn To Dust."
- To purchase "Before We Turn To Dust," click here.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"It was called at the time the most sensational case in the history of Texas, they called it that," author, Clara Sneed said.
Clara Sneed just released a novel called "Before We Turn To Dust", a story based on the Boyce-Sneed Feud.
"I felt that I wanted to work on telling this story and work at trying to do this story justice, because, it's a tragic story, but it's a remarkable story," she said.
The Boyce-Sneed feud, a violent and scandalous saga in the early 20th century, involved murder and a shocking love triangle.
"It's a historical fiction based on very sensational events that happened, began in Amarillo, and involved a love affair, a marriage, and murder. That's the short version of it," Sneed said.
Sneed's reason for bringing this story to life is a lot more personal.
"So the husband, Bill Seed, was my great-uncle. He was my grandfather's older brother who lived in this house," Sneed explained
"My father was born in the upstairs bedroom that I showed you. My sister and I stayed there as children, and so I had a deep connection to the family here, to the stories here, and I always loved my family in Texas," she said.
And Clara told 15 ABC she hopes her book will inspire readers to use storytelling as a form of emotional therapy.
"People here, I think when they read that, I hope they maybe come to think about stories in their own families, or how you would tell a story in your own family," she said.
"When you talk about trauma, and people's deep and painful experiences, honestly, then I think there is some chance to clean out the wound, and let it heal, whereas if you cover it up, it just festers, and it gets darker, and it tends to go across generations," Sneed said.
