AMERICAN HISTORICAL NOVELS discussion
The House by the Lake
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The true story behind The House by the Lake
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I always love knowing the back story of a book.
My father, along with his three brothers, all served during World War II making my grandmother a four star mom with a sign to put in her window. Serving allowed my dad to see the world as he served in Africa, Europe, & even South America as he was stationed there while waiting to be mustered out. My mom spent the war finishing her high school career & then going immediately to work since her dad died in 1943.
I'm excited to read this one! I have always been drawn to the personal stories of WW2. My grandfather was in the Dutch army during this time and was stationed in Indoniesia (where he met my Oma). I wish I would have had the chance to ask more questions about our personal history.
It's great that this book is based on a true story. It keeps history alive. Never Forget....
I can't wait to read this book. One if my favorite eras to read about is WW2. I'm also going to look up Beyond The Horizons. That sounds really good too. Thanks for being here this week.
Rhonda wrote: "sounds so good!"Thank you Rhonda! xx
Dyana wrote: "I so enjoy true stories!!!"Thanks so much Dyana! Me too, by the way!
Tracey wrote: "I can't wait to read this book. One if my favorite eras to read about is WW2. I'm also going to look up Beyond The Horizons. That sounds really good too. Thanks for being here this week."Thank you so much, Tracey. My pleasure! xx
Andi wrote: "I'm excited to read this one! I have always been drawn to the personal stories of WW2. My grandfather was in the Dutch army during this time and was stationed in Indoniesia (where he met my Oma)...."
How fascinating, Andi. What a story they must have to tell of that time. xx
Linda wrote: "My father, along with his three brothers, all served during World War II making my grandmother a four star mom with a sign to put in her window. Serving allowed my dad to see the world as he served..."Wow, a four star mom. That is something. Thank you for sharing this, Linda.
Seems like yesterday that I was here chatting with you about BEYOND THE HORIZON, my novel set around the Women Air Force Service Pilots during the second world war. This week, I have a book that is very close to my heart to share with you. THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE is releasing with Bookouture on October 20th, and is my novel that tells the story of Anna, a young San Franciscan who is shocked when her adored grandfather, Max, reveals a bombshell about his past. When Max tells Anna, out of the blue, that he not only had German ancestry, but grew up in an achingly beautiful Schloss out of Berlin that ended up in the former East Germany, he also asks Anna to go and retrieve something he left there... in 1940.
Anna, unable to refuse her beloved grandfather anything, packs up and goes to Germany to find out what it is he wants her to retrieve for him in his old family home, only to arrive at the stunning Schloss which she knew nothing about until now, to find it is all boarded up and pock marked with bullet holes...
This story was inspired by several things, one of them, the true story of a friend of mine's family. They owned an incredible Schloss out of Berlin, but had to abandon it when the Soviet army came through at the end of World War Two, losing everything, with the family scattered all around the world. I read my friend's mother's memoirs of her life in the 1930's with the Berlin Philharmonic coming to play concerts for them, wonderful family parties and picnics in the grounds, only to end up living under Nazism, and then, with the end of the war, the Soviets arrived. My friend's mother escaped the Schloss in the local school cart in 1945, ended up living in Australia, and did not go back to Germany for decades. The images of the Schloss were so beautiful, that I had a story burning in my head. Here are some photos of my friend's German ancestors, shared with her permission.