Happy Historical Fiction month and thank you to Coffee Time Romance for allowing me to be a part of it.
Why is Historical Fiction So Important?
“What’s past is prologue” is a Shakespeare quote from the play “The Tempest.” It basically means that past events set the stage for what is to come. History provides context, meaning that these past events are just the beginning of the story and shape and inform future events. We learn from the past, whether in our own personal experience or when contemplating how we should move forward in our daily lives.
Why I Love Writing and Reading History
It’s fun to “play around” with history, creating intriguing “what-ifs” when we want to write a story to change past events. Majoring in political science and history with a heavy emphasis on World War II at a time when not many women were entering these fields, led me to have an early fascination with the era leading up to the war and the war itself. Even before college, I read “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,” by William L. Shirer and “Eleanor and Franklin” by Joseph P. Lash, the latter detailing the forty-five-year marriage between Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt.
“The Magician’s Daughter” is my first truly historical novel. The others were set in the present, though they centered around historical elements. “The Secret Sentinel” dealt with lost Civil War treasure and “The Montezuma Secret” involved a search for Montezuma’s lost gold.
While I enjoy all kinds of historical fiction, I have really enjoyed the resurgence of World War II historical fiction in recent years, by authors such as Karen Robards (my favorite), Kate Quinn, Kristin Harmel, and Kristin Hannah.
Purchase Link: “The Magician’s Daughter”
“A Thrilling Novel of Conspiracy, Espionage & Intrigue”
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DW9JF5QD
“The Magician’s Daughter” takes place on a US Army Air Force Base outside London in 1942 as a way of providing a different backdrop for the novel, as opposed to setting it in Nazi-Occupied Europe. I wanted to focus on several interesting areas, including highlighting the women working for the newly established Office of Strategic Services (OSS), Eleanor Roosevelt’s visit to the troops in England and introducing a character loosely based on Jasper Maskelyne, known as “The War Magician.”
In “The Magician’s Daughter,” I portray a woman forced to deal with treacherous Nazi spies, high-level fascist conspiracies, and escalating sabotage on US Army Air Force Bases all over southeastern England, while trying to save the life of the base commander she loves. My main character finds herself embroiled in a frightening labyrinth of lies and deceit, where nothing is as it seems. As the attacks increase, suspicions mount and even her sanity is questioned. With no one to turn to and no one who will believe her, she fights desperately to defend herself before the vicious threats claim the lives of both Eleanor Roosevelt and the man she so desperately loves.
The Fascinating Lives of Eleanor Roosevelt and Jasper Maskelyne
The time frame of 1942 interested me because the war was in a precarious time and had not yet turned in the Allies’ favor. The daring daylight bombing raids the US conducted had not yet been successful, with only 20% of them hitting their targets, often hitting residential areas instead. Eleanor Roosevelt visited the troops in England to boost morale and observe how women were participating in the war effort. I learned some interesting facts about Eleanor, namely that she was six feet tall wearing heels, she was afraid of people’s disapproval, and she was afraid of the dark and public speaking. Yet, she overcame her fears and played a key role in leading the United States through two national crises: the Great Depression and World War II. At great risk to herself, she tirelessly supported the troops as she toured England and was greatly impressed with the work women did to support their country, both at home and abroad.
When I thought about my lead character and what her backstory would be, I thought “What if her father was a magician?” That’s how I learned, through research, that there was a stage magician, Jasper Maskelyne, who applied many of his sleight of hand tricks to the business of war while working for the British. He created ingenious weapons for use by spies and with his band of fellow artists, created faux tanks and battleships to conceal the Suez Canal and ‘move’ Alexandria Harbor. While there is some conjecture regarding the reality of some of these events, they still make great fodder for a story! My main character’s father is loosely based on this character. You can read more about Jasper Maskelyne by reading “The War Magician” by David Fisher. At one point, a movie was going to be made about his life starring Benedict Cumberbatch, but that project is apparently on hold for now, from what I’ve read.
History does make for some fascinating tales. I enjoyed writing “The Magician’s Daughter,” which is the first in a series of OSS World War II adventures for my main character and am busy working on the next one. As an interesting aside, I live in the village of Greendale, Wisconsin, which is one of the original Greenbelt Communities, built as part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, that Eleanor visited in 1936. There have been several restaurants named after her here and she is still fondly remembered by everyone.
Meet the Author
Alison Chambers lives Greendale, Wisconsin. The Magician’s Daughter is her seventh novel and is the first in a series of World War II historical fiction adventures.
https://alisonchambersromance.com
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