Remembering author Charlotte Miller, a victim of the 2019 Beauregard tornado

Charlotte Ann Miller was a mother, a longtime accountant and — perhaps her true passion — an author.

She was a regionally renowned storyteller who wrote the kind of old stories most Alabama writers don’t anymore, according to Randall Williams, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief at NewSouth Books in Montgomery. Charlotte is remembered through her words and those stories of perseverance following her death.

A powerful tornado killed her and 22 others in Beauregard one year ago. Born on June 20, 1959, in Roanoke, Alabama, Charlotte wasn’t always known for her books and her writing.

In fact, she earned her degree in an entirely different field — accounting.

She graduated with her bachelor’s in accounting from Auburn and went on to work for Bartlett Gunter & Yeager CPA, according to her obituary. She worked for the firm for over 19 years.

It’s unclear exactly how Charlotte got into writing, but Williams said they became aware of her talent thanks to a professor.

She was in a writing class when her work and ideas caught the attention of the professor. That professor, in turn, contacted Williams about her talent. Soon her books were being published through NewSouth Books.

Charlotte’s books, “Behold, This Dreamer,” “Through a Glass, Darkly” and “There is a River,” were set in the depression-era South. According to Williams, the social commentary and historical aspects in her work made her interesting to the publishing company.

“She came from poor circumstances and wrote about people that were sharecroppers and millhands,” Williams said. “Her own perspective was rooted in the working class and the white people that she knew from growing up. There’s not many Alabama writers that write old stories like that.”

Williams admits Charlotte could be extravagant and florid in her writing, but said she was an amazing storyteller.

“You really did care about the characters she created. Though they went through one hardship after another, they kept persevering,” Williams said. “That was Charlotte’s own vision.”

According to her obituary, Charlotte wrote three books during her lifetime, as well as numerous short stories. She was a veteran writer, even before coming into contact with Williams.

To his knowledge, Charlotte hadn’t professionally published anything before working with NewSouth Books. She was a member of both the National League of American Pen Women and the Georgia Writers Association.

In the years leading up to her death, Williams said the company had not had much contact with Charlotte. But while her books were being published in the early 2000s, she was very enthusiastic about her work. She was an energetic promoter and would flag you down to come over to her table if you walked by it, he said.

Following her death, there was a renewed interest in her books and new lovers of her work. She immensely loved to write and likely would’ve found a way to get her work out without NewSouth Books, because that’s the type of person she was, Williams said.

“I admired her a lot, as a person and an author. I’m happy I had a chance to get to know her,” he said.