Former Sycamore resident Nancy M. Beasley used her love of history to pen a book about the antislavery movement in DeKalb County.

Beasley’s book, “The Underground Railroad in DeKalb County, Illinois,” is about the antislavery movement in DeKalb County from the 1840s to the 1860s. It took Beasley 10 years to complete the book.

“I took time off,” Beasley said. “I got married, had children. There would be six months to a year where I wouldn’t work on the book at all.”

Beasley is an NIU alumna with a degree in music and vocal performance. She had lived in Sycamore for more than 44 years with her husband, three children and family dog.

Beasley has always loved history. As a civic and social organizer, she has served on the Illinois State Police Merit Board and was also an administrative aide to John Countryman, attorney at the Foster & Buick Law Group in Sycamore, when he was a part of the Illinois General Assembly. She now resides in Portage, Wis., with her family; however, Beasley still keeps in contact with the DeKalb County community.

Beasley knew it would not be easy to get accepted into a publishing house, so she told herself she had to accept rejection if it were to occur.

“I knew I had to prepare myself for rejection,” Beasley said

Little did Beasley know she did not have to prepare herself for rejection: The letter she wrote to the publisher about her book was accepted immediately.

“I was amazed and excited,” Beasley said.

Now, Beasley is working on a project she started before writing before her current book. The book is based on saved Civil War letters written by family and friends of an Ohio soldier.