Since her days at Rosary, alum Isabela Morales ’08 has awed those around her with her unique and empathetic approach to historical writing; in fact, Huntington Library recently awarded her their 2023 Shapiro Book Prize for her book on American history and culture, “Happy Dreams of Liberty: An American Family in Slavery and Freedom.” The biennial award celebrates outstanding historical research and scholarship, reflecting the glowing reviews from her readers regarding her presentation of the lives of those freed following the death of plantation owner, Samuel Townsend.

As a Royal inspired by Isabela’s work, I interviewed her to learn more about the process of writing her award-winning book and the education that brought her there.

What is this prestigious prize?

The Shapiro Book Prize is awarded to the best first book in American history published in the past two years, and the prize committee looks specifically for creative use of primary source materials. My book is the story of the Townsend family, the enslaved children of two white cotton planters in Alabama and several enslaved African American women whom they owned, and I worked from a very rich archival collection of previously unpublished legal documents and letters — including around 170 letters written by the Townsends themselves. That meant that I was able to tell the story of this one formerly enslaved family using their own words and voices in many places, which is rare for scholars of slavery.

I was thrilled to learn that Happy Dreams of Liberty won the 2023 prize. I have always been drawn to family stories and narrative history because I believe that they have the power to connect readers to the past in a deeper, more personal way. I’m aware, however, that family history doesn’t often receive the same attention as larger, more sweeping national stories, so for Huntington to recognize the significance of Townsends’ story with this award is a huge honor.

How did you come to write the book you did?

I actually started the research for Happy Dreams of Liberty when I was an undergraduate at the University of Alabama. I was taking a research seminar in the history department my junior year, and by the end of the semester each student was expected to write a 20 to 30-page paper based on original research in the university’s special collections library. I had never set foot in an archive before, let alone conducted original historical research, but I found the story of the Townsend family so compelling that my class paper turned into my senior thesis, then my dissertation at Princeton, and now, more than ten years later, my first book.

What do you think about the dying out of the English major in college? Why are so many people not seeing the value of the Humanities and why is this so problematic?

American political leaders, business leaders, and many members of the general public often seem to value STEM education above everything else. I remember meeting a graduate student at Princeton who thought the highest compliment he could give a person was “you could have been a scientist!” I knew another STEM major who never had to write a single essay in college. That’s a problem. The skills that students learn in humanities classes — like clear communication, critical thinking, and analysis of sources — are important for daily life and every field of study, even the sciences. Without those skills, how are you going to write a persuasive grant proposal for your lab or company? How will you be able to distinguish misinformation online from real research and reporting? Not everyone needs to found a start-up company. But even tech founders should be able to write clearly and engage in critical analysis.

What do you remember about Rosary?

I think a lot of my classmates at Rosary would remember me as the “JSA girl.” I was constantly evangelizing the Junior State of America to anyone who would listen. JSA events were some of the first opportunities I had to share my opinions and discuss important political topics with people outside of my small circle of friends and family. My beliefs have certainly evolved since then, but being a part of JSA definitely expanded my views and exposed me to diverse perspectives I wouldn’t have encountered at school or at home.

I was on the Royal Reporter staff throughout high school and served as the editor-in-chief my senior year, and I was a script captain for Red and Gold that year as well. That’s one of my best memories. Seeing my script come to life on stage and hearing my dialogue performed by people who could really act was amazing. I almost went into creative writing after that; I thought perhaps I’d end up a playwright. I’ll add that coming back as a Red and Gold judge has been on my bucket list for years, so I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for that.

Have you always enjoyed writing?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I learned how to read in kindergarten. My second-grade teacher was even kind enough to set aside a spot on the class bookshelf for me to share the stories I “published.” I’ve never forgotten that. The fact that I had so many adults encourage my interest in writing throughout my life — not just my parents but also teachers like Ms. Barclay and her mother Mrs. Leiding, who was my eighth-grade teacher — made a big difference.

Writing history can be frustrating. Finding the exact combination of words that will convey the idea that seems so clear in my head generally involves a lot of exasperated typing and pacing around my office. Creating a compelling narrative out of the scattered historical sources I have, especially when researching enslaved people for whom sources are difficult to find, is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without knowing the picture on the box. What I enjoy is seeing the puzzle come together, even when the end product inevitably has missing pieces.

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The Rosary community is ecstatic for this former Royal and if you would like to purchase her award-winning book, check here. We can’t wait to see what else Isabela will do with her Rosary education, and we at the Royal Reporter encourage Royals to keep following their passions just like Isabela has!