At the Aug. 19 Norcross PDC meeting, Callie Murray talked about her historical fiction novel, “The Brunswick,” which was published in May and has already raised $15,000 for a faith-based nonprofit supporting foster families.
Murray’s historical fiction novel, inspired by true events, is set on the eve of World War II in Norcross and Austria. The story takes place at the struggling Brunswick Hotel in the late 1930s, despite its bankruptcy almost a decade earlier.
Murray said she found a story that hit on two of her interests, WWII history and foster care/adoption, by Googling it.
“A small story on the Holocaust Encyclopedia online of a couple in Philadelphia in 1939,” she said. “They were asked to go overseas to Nazi-occupied Austria and to bring Jewish refugee children back to America.”
Because of her love of local history and community connections, Murray said she decided to relocate the story to historic downtown Norcross. It took her a couple of years to write her debut novel.
“We got word from the publisher the day of release that the first print run, 4,000 copies, had sold out, which is a testament to this town,” Murray said. “We’re on the third print run … it’s been so fun.”
Norcross-based novel
The historic Brunswick Hotel, constructed in 1870 at Thrasher and Jones streets, turned the young railroad town of Norcross into “Atlanta’s Summer Resort.”
Murray said she lives a block from where the hotel used to stand, near the Woods Animal Hospital building, and has always been interested in it.
Lucie Casey, a local historian-in-training and former eighth-grade teacher, shared what she’s gleaned from studying Norcross history and speaking with Gene Ramsay.
“It ended up being this meeting space, not only for wealthy Atlantans … but for the common people as well,” Casey said. “It was this beautiful 29-room building. One of my favorite things that I read about was that you could constantly hear music playing.”
Jacques Murphy, a Norcross resident and public arts commission member, won a local contest with his portrayal of the hotel, which is featured on the cover.
Before air conditioning and automobiles, Atlanta residents took the train north to Norcross to escape the summer heat and enjoy a countryside lake behind Christ Church Episcopal, according to one audience member.
John Thrasher, the city’s founder and first mayor, named the city after his friend and business partner, former Atlanta Mayor Jonathan Norcross.
In the first half of the 20th century, Norcross produced more professional baseball players per capita than any other town in the country.
Murray’s story includes baseball and characters based on Lum Howell and Man Mountain Dean.
Today, the Brunswick is a four-story apartment complex next to Lillian Webb Park at the corner of Holcomb Bridge Road and Buford Highway.
Standout resident
Murray is the mother of seven children, including four whom she and her husband adopted last summer. Before she wrote her debut novel, she spent time as a wedding photographer and growing a company.
Murray also created the “Young Norcross” community newsletter in 2018 and turned it over to Kristen Corley in 2022.
“Could we set aside time throughout the week?” Murray told the Wednesday morning crowd. “Honestly, what it was was that we gave up Netflix for a couple of years … there’s an hour or two a day. I am working on a second book now, navigating that is tough.”
She said her second book will be released sometime next year, not a sequel, but set in the 1930s in South Georgia.
“It’s been fun to hear these stories and histories of Norcross,” Murray said. “What would have been fun is if we all made a GoFundMe and rebuilt the Brunswick Hotel.”
She has a donation fund through Promise686 and continues to give all book-related revenue to the Peachtree Corners-based nonprofit. Murray also recommends buying from the local bookstore Freckles & Co.
Upcoming event:
• “An Evening with Author Callie Murray” at the Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center, 10 College Street, on Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
