NEWS

In an extensive career as a professional writer, Karel Bond Lucander has produced reams of reports, stories, newsletters, and web content — important at the time, but transitory in nature. Now she has a published book to her credit — Riding on the Edge. Unlike all those marketing materials, her history of an automotive heiress is likely to have a nice long shelf-life.

Karel believes that horse lovers, automotive history buffs, and readers who want to meet “someone who lived her life to the limits” will enjoy her history of Frances Dodge – yes, her daddy was that Dodge. Frances grew up in Meadow Brook Hall, now referred to as “Michigan’s Downton Abbey.”

“From her famous, life-sized playhouse to her extravagant debutante ball, her early years were storybook,” says Karel. “As a young woman, she began to build a family stable that evolved into the world-famous Dodge Stables. One of her horses, Wing Commander, is considered the Saddle Horse of all time, and was featured in Life Magazine.

“As the daughter of John Dodge, Frances’s inheritance was monumental, but it still took incredible guts, drive, and focus to accomplish what she did. Her story is filled with triumph and personal tragedy.”

Karel works in her home office in the company of two five-pound terriers. The Lucanders moved from Michigan to Charlotte in 1990, but Davidson has been their family home since 2000.

“The charm of this small college town drew us in,” Karel says. “It was the perfect place to raise our twins, Sarah and Aaron, who are now college juniors.”

The 80-page softcover book, Riding on the Edge, is available at this website. Another Davidson neighbor, graphic artist Lynn Metzker, created the book design.