Like her first foray into fiction, local historian Julie McDonald Zander’s second novel is directly inspired by Lewis County history.
But unlike her first book, Zander’s latest novel explores an incident that historians are still struggling to discern what really happened: The Centralia Tragedy of 1919.
The incident involved a violent clash between the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and the Legionairres that resulted in four Legionnaires being killed, one member of an ensuing posse being killed by friendly fire, one IWW member being lynched and eight more charged with murder.
To this day, Legionnaires claim the IWW opened fire first while IWW members, also known as wobblies, maintain they only fired once the attack on their union hall began.
Historians, Zander said, “don’t know 100% for sure what happened.”
Zander began researching the incident after she was on a committee in 2018 or 2019 that sought to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Centralia Tragedy.
The Sentinel, a statue dedicated to the four American Legion members killed during the Centralia Tragedy, was dedicated in Centralia’s George Washington Park in 1924.
A new Union Victims monument to the IWW members of the Centralia Tragedy of 1919 was dedicated in June 2024.
“It was interesting to see, even 100 years later, how sides couldn’t agree on what happened, exactly,” Zander said. “I thought the way to address that might be in a novel where, because I’m not saying ‘(I’m) 100% of how it happened,’ I’m saying ‘This is how I think it probably happened.”
Zander’s novel about the 1919 incident, “Shattered Peace: A Century of Silence,” follows a woman moving to modern day Centralia who learns about the Centralia Tragedy as she learns about the history of her new home.
“Inspired by true events, ‘Shattered Peace’ is a gripping time-slip novel of love, loss, and the echoes of history that refuse to fade,” the book’s description reads. “Perfect for fans of ‘The Alice Network’ and ‘The Girl You Left Behind,’ this haunting tale of resilience, redemption, and the pursuit of truth will linger long after the final page.”
Zander had a soft release for “Shattered Peace” in late March and formally launched the novel on May 10.
Zander’s debut novel, “The Reluctant Pioneer,” published in 2024, tells the story of Lewis County pioneer Matilda Kootz’s harrowing journey on the Oregon Trail. Though the novel ends when Koontz and what’s left of her family reach the end of the trail, Koontz went on to establish a successful hotel located where the historic Jackson Courthouse currently stands. At the hotel, Koontz entertained many famous people, including future president Ulysses S. Grant; George McClellan, the future Civil War general; and Isaac Stevens, Washington’s first territorial governor.
“The Reluctant Pioneer” was recently named a finalist in the “Western Inspirational” category of the 2025 Will Rogers Medallion Awards and a finalist in the historical novel category of Western Writers of America’s 2025 Spur Awards.
Both of Zander’s books are available for purchase at local booksellers in Lewis County and online via Amazon.
For more information about Zander’s books, including information on book giveaways and upcoming signings, visit https://mczander2024.ag-sites.net/index.htm.
