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Joan Morrisroe Reynolds is known for her photographic memory.
Over the years, people have approached her to tell the stories in detail of her lifetime: how a German POW camp once sat at the Navy Yard; remembrances of family who fought in World War II; and the culture of her waterfront parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus at Third and Reed streets. After years of recounting her tales, Reynolds decided to put pen to paper. The result is "The Fireflies of Weccacoe," a blend of historical fact with the author’s lifelong recollections.
The debut, she said, "captures a moment in time, from the eyes of a child."
The 207-page tale, available on Amazon, is dedicated to her late son, Franny. Working through the grief brought on by his death from a heart attack in 2004 at age 48 was what compelled Reynolds to start capturing the moments of her own life.
"The Fireflies of Weccacoe" may be about a time — growing up in the 1940s and ’50s — but it is also about a place that meant a great deal to Reynolds. The title refers to Weccacoe, which means "pleasant place" and was claimed by the Lenni Lenape Indians. Found along the banks of the Delaware River, the word has become commonplace throughout the area with Weccacoe Playground on the 400 block of Catharine Street and Weccacoe Avenue.
As a child in the ’40s, Reynolds picked wildflowers and caught lightning bugs near the Delaware. Over time, it became her special place, where she went to be alone or to process the events taking place around her. Weccacoe became especially comforting to the author during World War II, when her three cousins were drafted and two of them were killed in action.
"Weccacoe reinforces that there is a connection between the human spirit and the spirit of the universe," she said.
"Fireflies" is more than just Reynolds’ memories, however. It’s also an exploration of the history and characters in the area. The book, she said, "describes events going on in my own little world as well as the world at large."
This is especially true when it comes to World War II. A vivid memory is of hiding behind her living room sofa after she heard the news Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor.
"[I] was afraid to go to the breakfast room because it had a skylight and thought the bombs would come through it," she said.
The research and writing for the book took Reynolds nearly two years to complete. After that, she began shopping for a publisher.
"I chose AuthorHouse as the publisher because they met my needs," she said, citing on-demand printing, which means the book "is available on all online bookstores throughout the world."
Wherever personal recollections may fall short, Reynolds supplemented "Fireflies" with intense research; nowhere is this more evident than in her details of the little bug itself. Because fireflies were such an important part of her childhood at Weccacoe, in many ways they mirror her own life and the lives of those around her.
The book, as Reynolds tells it, "describes humans and all of nature going through a metamorphosis."
Born on the 100 block of Fernon Street, Reynolds attended Sacred Heart School, 1329 E. Moyamensing Ave. She graduated in ’48 and went on to Hallahan High, 311 N. 19th St., where she graduated four years later. Growing up with brother Bobby and sister Marie on the 1600 block of South Front Street, Reynolds describes her family as having "a strong spiritual core."
After being widowed at an early age and raising her children — Franny, Michael Shawn, now 51, and Mary, now 48 — alone, Reynolds joined the workforce. From the very beginning, she dedicated herself to others, first as an office manager and social work assistant at Rolling Hill Hospital in Elkins Park. At the time, she was pursuing a dual degree in social services/mental health and addiction studies at Community College of Philadelphia.
Reynolds also worked with geriatric patients during an internship at the hospital. She then went on to coordinate an outpatient program for people with addiction at Warminster General Hospital in Bucks County before settling at Philadelphia’s Livengrin Foundation, a network of addiction treatment and rehab facilities based in Bucks County.
In ’75, Joan married Bob Reynolds. After living her entire life in Philadelphia, she and her husband decided to buy a home in Fort Myers, Fla., in ’97. It was around that time Reynolds began to take stock of her life.
"Something was gnawing at me," she said. "I went through an entire recall of events in our house, and I wasn’t ready to move yet."
So the Florida home became a second one, with her base still the 100 block of Porter Street.
With her first book under her belt, Reynolds has become more than aware research can be key to a good read. Her work led her to another important discovery: A portion of the Underground Railroad exists beneath the basement of her childhood home. After doing some more in-depth analysis, she has more than enough material for a book on the subject, something that is already in the works.
"It will be about what lies beneath the streets of Philadelphia," she said.
For now, she’s content with the success of "Fireflies" — and its meaning.
"I am getting good feedback," she said "Past and present are linked. What we do now will affect the future."
