Natalie Kainz Photo
Capt. Von Narcisse, children’s book author.
One stormy night on the heels of Hurricane Sandy, the power in Yale Police Capt. Von Narcisse’s house went out. Winds billowed around the house. His two children D’Artagnan and A’ramus — named after characters from The Three Musketeers — anxiously waited for comfort from their father.
So Narcisse began telling them a story.
“The next morning, my youngest son said to me, ‘Dad. You should write that one down,’” Narcisse recalled in a recent interview with the Independent. “I did.”
Nearly nine years later, that story has become a published children’s book titled The Forgotten Prophecy, with the storm as its driving theme.
It is an adventure story that follows young children and highlights anxiety, trust, and taking chances. The book features illustrations by Yale employee and illustrator Michael Furguson, whom Narcisse met at a Yale event the winter following the hurricane.
The initial version of the book was printed in 2019. Narcisse then gathered feedback from family, friends, and experts to revise the story. That included changing details like the ages of the characters, their appearance in the illustrations, and the tone of the language. All of the illustrations are different from what they were in 2019.
“For me, the meaning of this book is that it’s a physical illustration of a grown man’s willingness to listen to and act on the desire of his third grade son,” said Narcisse. “I’m just glad I listened.”
Narcisse said the book highlights the power of positive motivation, togetherness, and laughter — values that he tries to bring into his own life and career.
Although third to fifth-graders are the main audience he geared the story towards, he said, anyone can enjoy the adventure.
Narcisse said that the story really originates from his desire to be a good father. He kept his two sons — now 21 and 16 — in mind during the writing process.
That’s where the line “Let’s do this, little bro” came from in the book. Narcisse said it highlights the bonds between two of the characters with the affirmation that they have each other’s backs.
“Seeing them transition from fear and uncertainty into a realm of gut busting laughter with them both ultimately falling asleep was awesome,” said Narcisse.
Narcisse has been a creative writer ever since he was a young child, stuck inside because his mother didn’t want him to get hurt. While his day job includes publish police reports, he had always dreamt of branching out to creative writing. He encourages all of his officers to have similar healthy hobbies separate from their jobs.
“Policing is what we do professionally but we’re all part of the fabric of the community as well,” said Narcisse.
Narcisse is working on a second book, with more futuristic themes. He hopes to finish the rough draft by October.
“The Forgotten Prophecy” can be purchased here.