To understand David Hascall’s books, you first have to understand what a Ponzi scheme is. “The Longest Wooden Railroad,” Hascall’s first book, is based on the development of an Oregon railroad in the 1920s. This railroad was a Ponzi scheme, using new investor money to build more of the railroad while the original sections deteriorated. 

That book begins Hascall’s historical fiction series, the “Hundred Years Series,” which takes place between 1869 and 1969.  

Hascall, an Oregon native, has written 5 books: “The Angel’s Backbone (A Season of Effectuation),” “The Longest Wooden Railroad (A Season of Embers),” “Tahoe of the North (A Season at Waldo Lake),” “The Color of Shadows (A Season of Enmity)” and “Yellow Cake Yellow Earth (A Season of Envisage).” His experience growing up in the Pacific Northwest shaped much of his work, as all of his books are set in and around the greater Eugene area.

The series is a family saga, following the characters through some of the relevant events that took place during that time span. 

“I asked myself the question, ‘How would people living here or who ended up in Oregon during that period have handled this historical event or situation, generation after generation?’” Hascall said.

Spurred by that thought, he let it inform his writing throughout the course of the series. The books also functioned as a way for Hascall to reflect on and articulate his feelings about his life.

Hascall was a double duck, graduating from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in history and later a master’s degree in health education and community health administration. He got the idea for his first book, “The Longest Wooden Railroad,” from a friend in college who mentioned an unfinished wooden railroad in Oregon. 

But Hascall wasn’t always a writer. He worked as a nurse for 30 years at Sacred Heart Hospital, becoming the first nurse trained in this region to perform hemodialysis (a treatment that filters excess fluids from the blood when the kidneys are unable to) on patients with kidney failure. 

He later wrote an instructional manual for the use of the hemodialysis machine, and in his final 15 years at Sacred Heart was a certified diabetes educator.

It was during this time that Hascall began writing his books. After 40 years in healthcare, he retired in 2013, which allowed him to focus more on his writing.

Hascall’s writing experience has acted as a journey and a journal, allowing him to express his own experiences and feelings through his characters.

Each of the subtitles of Hascall’s books — Effectuation, Embers, Waldo Lake, Enmity and Envisage — give additional clues to the real themes of the book.

“If you pull on the thread of the veil, there is much more. Effectuation suggests you create the future you envision. Waldo Lake is a place of refuge and my place of escape in the real world. Enmity is the state of feeling hostile towards someone over time,” Hascall said.

Writing played an important role in Hascall’s life; in his writing, Hascall described his child abuse through the eyes of his characters. Writing allowed him to explore what motivates the abuser and when child abuse actually ends.

Hascall said, “These books are a catharsis, a wordy form of expression that eventually led me to seek outside help when merely writing no longer gave me solace.”

Through his characters, Hascall confronts these topics while weaving a narrative that is both compelling and cathartic. In print, Hascall could reveal the shadowy existence of the abused and the abuser in a way that was difficult with his own words. 

“The escape mindset finally came to me when I had time to think near retirement, saying to myself, ‘enough!’ It was time to stop dancing the compartmentalization dance and go for a full pardon,” Hascall said, regarding the two faced relationship between the abused and the abuser.

Hascall cited the phrases “endeavor to persevere” and “write hard, die free” as mottos he holds on to and that have inspired his writing.

As he continues to share his stories with his readers, Hascall’s work is a testament to the power of writing as a tool for understanding and transformation.

David Hascall’s books are more than just historical fiction; they are an exploration of personal healing and a reflection of the Pacific Northwest’s rich history. As a journey through the complexities of the human experience, Hascall invites readers to embark on a meaningful journey of their own through his writing.