Author gives voice to heroic Celtic woman

After an Arthurian legend sparked her interest in Celtic history, writer Joann Smith became intrigued by the story of Boudicca, a first century Celtic queen who led a rebellion against Roman invaders. 

But her research left her with unanswered questions about the female warrior. 

“I realized I wasn’t going to find anymore, and if I wanted more, I’d have to invent it,” said Ms. Smith, a Riverdale resident of 20 years.  

The result is When I Was Boudicca, a historical novel told from the perspective of the titular protagonist. It follows Boudicca as she loses her land and loved ones at the hand of the Romans. She sets out to avenge their deaths and reclaim her territory, leading her people against the Roman Empire. 

Though Ms. Smith wrote the novel in 2004, nearly a decade passed before she decided she wanted both her story and Boudicca’s to be told. 

She self published the book in August, through Amazon’s Create Space forum. 

“I felt like I wanted to give her a voice, and I wanted to hear her voice in the world,” she said. 

Finding and expressing her own voice has been a major impetus behind Ms. Smith’s writing over the years. She still recalls a second grade class activity, in which her teacher asked students what they wanted to be when they grew up, with a tinge of regret. 

“After the sixth or seventh girl said ‘I want to be a nurse because, I want to help people,’ everyone else said that,” she said.  

Ms. Smith wanted to say ”writer,” but did not.  

“I was literally sick to my stomach. I had to leave the classroom,” she said. 

Since then, she has tried not to let her voice, and the voices of her characters, remain silent.  

“I decided I want my voice heard — enough with keeping it in a drawer like a lot of writers do,” she said. “I decided this summer I’d put my voice out there.” 

While When I Was Boudicca is her first published novel, Ms. Smith has published over a dozen short stories throughout the years. Often, her focus is on female characters, as they attempt to figure out their roles in the world.