“They were people whom, having invented them, I rather liked.”
Wallace Stegner, Crossing to Safety
On this Spring Equinox last year I launched my second novel, Finding Isobel. Ah, the joy of completing a writing project! In the months following I had fun attending book-related events with my novel and enjoyed lots of positive feedback. Now I’m working on a new story, my first attempt at writing historical fiction.
I’ve been absorbed in the period 1941-1945 in Madison, Wisconsin. There’s a slew of novels set in and around those World War II years and it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole of research — far easier than actually writing! One of the more interesting discoveries was a collection of interviews with women in Wisconsin about their experiences during the war. The interviews took place in the early 1990s, and each one began with the question: where were you when you learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor? These interviews are archived by the Wisconsin Historical Society and are a treasure trove of information about day-to-day life both during and after the war. Here’s the link if you are interested.
https://whs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/233
Listening to these women, what struck me was their positive attitude. Victory gardens, food rationing, working long hours in essential factories, raising children alone, queueing endlessly…it wasn’t an easy existence. But in every interview, the sense of community and shared purpose amongst these women came across forcefully. In contrast, men were reluctant to talk about their experiences during the war. In the chapter I’m currently working on, I try to imagine how a couple might resuscitate their relationship or marriage after spending three years apart. It makes you think.
If you are ever looking for book recommendations, you’ll find suggestions from both me and my sister on our shared website. We are both in book clubs and we read widely.
Mary: https://www.mvbehan.com/what-i-am-reading1.html
Val: https://www.mvbehan.com/what-i-am-reading.html
Time to get back to writing!
Wallace Stegner, Crossing to Safety
On this Spring Equinox last year I launched my second novel, Finding Isobel. Ah, the joy of completing a writing project! In the months following I had fun attending book-related events with my novel and enjoyed lots of positive feedback. Now I’m working on a new story, my first attempt at writing historical fiction.
I’ve been absorbed in the period 1941-1945 in Madison, Wisconsin. There’s a slew of novels set in and around those World War II years and it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole of research — far easier than actually writing! One of the more interesting discoveries was a collection of interviews with women in Wisconsin about their experiences during the war. The interviews took place in the early 1990s, and each one began with the question: where were you when you learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor? These interviews are archived by the Wisconsin Historical Society and are a treasure trove of information about day-to-day life both during and after the war. Here’s the link if you are interested.
https://whs.aviaryplatform.com/collections/233
Listening to these women, what struck me was their positive attitude. Victory gardens, food rationing, working long hours in essential factories, raising children alone, queueing endlessly…it wasn’t an easy existence. But in every interview, the sense of community and shared purpose amongst these women came across forcefully. In contrast, men were reluctant to talk about their experiences during the war. In the chapter I’m currently working on, I try to imagine how a couple might resuscitate their relationship or marriage after spending three years apart. It makes you think.
If you are ever looking for book recommendations, you’ll find suggestions from both me and my sister on our shared website. We are both in book clubs and we read widely.
Mary: https://www.mvbehan.com/what-i-am-reading1.html
Val: https://www.mvbehan.com/what-i-am-reading.html
Time to get back to writing!
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