Family
Secrets: The Inspiration behind Rosemary
in Bloom
By
Khristy Reibel
Every family has their share of
characters—outrageous, mysterious, trouble-making, hilarious. Sometimes it isn’t what is said that is the
most interesting. When I heard that my
grandma wrote my grandfather a Dear John letter while he was fighting in Europe
during World War II and married someone else, I had to know more! I wanted to know every detail that she could
remember. After we had a few beers, she
would reveal bits and pieces of her story.
The more I heard, the more I wanted to know. She was fascinating. Sometimes, she would blow off my questions,
feigning senility. I took those kernels
that I got from her and expanded it into a novel, loosely based on her
life.
 |
| My grandmother. |
The war years seems so romantic and much
simpler. I wanted to show that it was
neither romantic nor simple. I wanted to
show the brutalities of war, fighting in Europe. I had no information about my grandfather’s
experience in the war. Through the
wonders of the internet, I found a book published by his infantry. When I saw his name in there listed as a
Purple Heart recipient, I got goose bumps.
I used this book as a guide for the movements of my grandpa in
Luxembourg and Germany. I also wanted to
highlight the patriotic actions of the people in my small town in
Illinois. I went to the Streator
Historical Society and gathered information about war bond drives, scrap metal
drives, parades, the cantina at the train depot which served troops going to
training. I wanted to honor the actions
of my home town and remind people how they came together to fight for a common
good. At its heart, this book is a love
story, separated by war, pushed along by fear, and resolved through
patience. I hope you enjoy the wild ride
Rosemary takes you on!
 |
| My grandparents. |
Rosemary
in Bloom- Inspired by a true story
When Rosemary meets Albert, it is instant
chemistry. But it is also the summer of
1942, and scores of young men—Albert included—feel compelled to enlist to fight
the war against Hitler. Albert wants to
marry Rosemary before he leaves for Europe, but she just can’t commit. Like so many young women of her time,
Rosemary finds herself left behind to work and worry, desperate for love but
frightened of abandonment.
Three years later, and with Albert’s fate still
unknown, Rosemary meets Harry, a charming and handsome man. Rosemary feels guilty for spending so much
time with Harry, but she has lost all faith that Albert will make it home
safely, especially when she receives news of her brother’s serious combat
injury. Should she wait for Albert, or
settle for the man in front of her?
Inspired by a true story, Rosemary in Bloom explores faith, forgiveness, enduring love
against all odds, and the difficult decisions that strong, smart women on the
home front had to make during World War II.
Khristy Reibel
Khristy Reibel grew up in rural Illinois, the
setting for most of the action in the novel.
Even though she lives in Las Vegas now, she is still a Midwestern girl
at heart. After graduating high school,
she attended the University of Illinois, where she received a B.S. in
Marketing, which enabled her to hone her writing skills by creating advertising
copy for a tradeshow company. In 2008,
she enrolled at UNLV and later graduated with an M.Ed. In addition to writing, she teaches high
school English and German. She believes
that teaching students to support their ideas in writing is the most important
skill she can help them learn. This is
her first novel published.
What a fascinating story. Thank you for sharing it is with us!
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