Connections To The Past

     As a result of being invited to be a guest at several book club meetings to discuss THE SANCTITY OF LOVE AND WAR, I've been pleasantly surprised to hear readers connecting to their own family stories of WWII.  Any reader will know that the character of Steve Peakler is based on a real person who lived, fought, and subsequently died during the war.  I grew up hearing stories of Steve from my grandmother, but invariably as time dictates -- through the years, survivors of the war began to die as well, leaving a void that the present generation often lacks the capacity or willingness to understand.  It is, therefore, nice to hear that the book is connecting readers again to that time in history.
     I've stated before that I wrote THE SANCTITY OF LOVE AND WAR in part to connect with the memory of my grandparents.  While my grandfather did not fight in the war, I was able to pull from any number of relatives' experiences -- those who did indeed fight in Europe and the Pacific.  For this book, I chose my father's cousin, Anthony Francis Gilroy.  Listening to readers, I can see that had they written a book on the same topic, they too would have had a plethora of potential stories and characters from which to draw.  Whether it was a father, grandfather, uncle or family friend who fought in the war, it seems no one who lived during that time in history was untouched by the personal experiences of soldiers and sailors.  Some readers have been kind enough to talk to me about or write me letters of their loved ones' experiences.  If reading THE SANCTITY OF LOVE AND WAR has allowed readers to re-connect with the past in a way that values the experiences of those who lived and/or fought during WWII, then I am content.
     I feel it's only appropriate to end this blog entry by paying respect to Frank Gilroy who was the inspiration for the character of Mark Linton.  Sadly, Frank's wife Betty passed away recently.  Frank and Betty were fortunate enough to marry after the war and raise a family.  They met as a result of the war -- Betty having also been attached to military service as a WAVE in the U.S. Navy.  They lived happily as a married couple for over sixty years.  Like all those who served during that time, they deserve our unending respect and gratitude.  As readers, we should remember that sometimes words and books are transformative.  In this case, THE SANCTITY OF LOVE AND WAR challenges us to honor and reconnect to our country's greatest generation.