About Melanie Kearney Cantrell

Appearance:

When you meet Melanie, her eyes will probably be the first feature you notice. Her gaze is direct but kind. Melanie favors a low-maintenance hairstyle. She hasn’t seen any gray in her hair yet but, when she does, she won’t hide it with color. This relaxed approach also applies to her fashion choices—-if not working, she’s more likely to wear what’s comfortable than what’s in style. 

Dialogue Style: 

Thanks to years of working at Hartsend General, Melanie has developed a highly effective verbal style. She manages enough “Kentucky” to put patients at ease but can also communicate with doctors and senior staff. Away from the job, she relaxes to some extent. Joking and sharing stories with her family, she can seem like an entirely different woman. But even then, she doesn’t let her guard down completely.

  
Personality traits: 

Gracious, composed, organized. Melanie’s focus will always be on others. She is an alert but not engaged listener, more focused on relevant details than conversation. This may be one reason Melanie doesn’t do a lot of socializing. If pressed, people are more apt to say they admire her than like her.

Backstory: 

Melanie grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. Those years left her with a firm sense of right and wrong. Being part of her parent’s community in Hartsend gave her a respect for the common good. Melanie’s family taught her that living by these principles brought rewards, provided you did your job and minded your own business.

Now, in 1970, she finds herself wondering if it has ever been true. An upcoming management reorganization at the hospital could put Melanie out of a job. She makes inquiries and discovers employment options in Hartsend aren’t encouraging. There’s a strong possibility they’ll have to move. No matter what job she takes, she’ll be starting over.

 
Relationships:

The relationship between Melanie and Jodie isn’t close. Melanie always dreamed of having a daughter, a young lady who would share her interests in cooking and embroidery. Instead she has the outspoken Jodie, who would rather be watching a basketball game or a noir film. Even so, Melanie loves her daughter dearly. In speaking of Jodie, Melanie often says, “She’s all I’ve got.” But the two simply don’t understand one another.

Frustrated, Melanie uses her brother Art as a sounding board.  Art jogs Melanie’s memory about her relationship with their mother, pointing out it’s similar to the one Melanie has with Jodie. At first Melanie argues with him, then concedes Art has a point.

Dr. Paul Roarke is another person who helps Melanie during this time. They met in college and worked together for years at Hartsend General. Paul chose to leave ahead of the reorganization, accepting a position in the brand-new planned community of Elysium, Maryland. He’s enthusiastic about the opportunities there, assuring Melanie she would have no trouble finding a position comparable to her current one.

Motivations and Goals:

At the beginning of the story, Melanie focuses on maintaining the status quo. She’s doing her job, taking care of her family, minding her own business. To her way of thinking, there’s no reason why she would do anything else. 

But events during the fall of 1970 put Melanie into a quandary. Protests at the high school, the possibility of losing her job, the murder of Jodie’s best friend—-for the first time in her life, Melanie isn’t sure what to do. When she learns Jodie has been receiving threats, though,. Melanie becomes laser-focused. She will protect her daughter, no matter what it takes.

Character Arc:

Melanie undergoes a considerable adjustment in A Death In Hartsend, from a dedicated homebody to a woman ready to uproot her life. Besides that, the greatest part of the change takes place behind closed doors. True to her nature, Melanie doesn’t look for credit from others. To her mind, she’s just doing what needs to be done.