Alison Chambers on The Magician’s Daughter
The Magician’s Daughter is a story about treacherous Nazi spies, high-level fascist conspiracies, and escalating sabotage, all taking place at the time Eleanor Roosevelt is set to tour US Army Air Force Bases in England in 1942.
What made you decide to write about World War II?
I have always been fascinated by World War II and the events leading up to it more than any other period in history. When I was just eighteen, I read Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer and Eleanor and Franklin by Joseph P. Lash. More recently, I have enjoyed reading the many historical fiction books that have been released dealing with spies and sabotage, particularly women spies, who risked their lives to save others, set in either Occupied France, England, or even in Nazi Germany itself.
Why did you choose the setting you did?
I felt that there were very few historical fiction stories I found recently that told the story of the US Army Air Force base personnel serving in England during World War II, ala the book, movie and TV series 12 O’Clock High. I attempted to tell that story with more than a few twists and turns along the way.
Why 1942?
1942 seemed like a good place to start, considering the war was in a difficult place, the Allies were far from succeeding, and the tide had yet to turn. These were perilous times. The Allies were still years away from the D-Day invasion that seemed like an impossible feat with too many overwhelming logistical challenges at the time. The daring daylight air raids over Occupied Europe had not yet been successful. In fact, the results were so disastrous that only twenty percent of bombs had hit their mark, others fell harmlessly or even worse, injured and killed countless civilians by striking residential and retail centers instead.
How does Eleanor Roosevelt fit in?
Eleanor Roosevelt had an indomitable personality. She pressed on, performing her duties with grace and aplomb, despite challenges to her marriage, her health, due to her grueling schedule, and despite receiving endless criticism of everything from her looks to her pursuit of both civil and women’s rights. She did visit the troops in October of 1942, less than a year after the United States entered the war. She was anxious to study the home front effort of the British and visit US troops stationed there. She stayed almost a month and besides the bases, visited factories, schools, bomb shelters, hospitals, Red Cross clubs in England, Scotland and Ireland. She was tireless in performing her duties and praised the British people for their spirit to ‘carry on’ in the face of unrelenting obstacles. She lauded the work of women during the war and advocated for American GIs stationed in Great Britain when they complained about late paychecks and lack of mail from home. She did much to improve morale and won over the troops with her sunny ‘can do’ attitude. Prime Minister Winston Churchill commented that she had left ‘golden footprints’ behind her.
Who is the Magician?
The magician is loosely based on the life of 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!
Talk a bit about your main character.
My main character is a woman spy working for the OSS. The fledgling organization had just begun in 1942 and at its inception, General William Donovan felt there was great potential in recruiting women. Over the life of the organization, more than 4,000 officers were women. It was important for me to try to communicate the important role these women played in helping to win the war. I also added the element of romance because I feel romance helps cement the characters together and adds a much-needed pause in the action. When I thought about what my character’s backstory would be, I wondered, ‘What if her father was a magician?’ This led me to find out about Maskelyne and I was fascinated by his story.
In different ways, Eleanor Roosevelt and Jasper Maskelyne were both master magicians during a dangerous time, aimed at influencing others and ultimately helping to change the course of the war.
The Magician's Daughter
HERE!
Alison Chambers
Sandra Koehler, who writes under the pen name of Alison Chambers was Vice-President of one of the largest association management companies in Wisconsin. She has traveled extensively and served as Executive Director of several national medical associations, where she was responsible for marketing, communications, and public relations, as well as overall management. She has been quoted in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times and other national media and has received four awards for service excellence. She has also written for newspapers. Koehler, who majored in political science and history, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She first started writing when she was a teenager, sparked by an interest in Nancy Drew books and a desire to tell a good story. She enjoys keeping her hero and heroine in dangerous and exciting situations against a backdrop of exotic settings, lost treasure and unsolved historical mysteries.
Connect with Alison:
Congratulations on the release of your novel. I will certainly be adding it to my to-read list.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds amazing Alison. I will certainly be adding it to my to-read list as I love fiction set in this era.
ReplyDeleteAnother book to add to the growing list!
ReplyDelete