I was a little late to the game when I discovered my first Cara Putman book. She’d already had quite a number of books out by the time I heard about her novel, Stars in the Night. It’s a romantic murder mystery set on a Hollywood Victory Train in 1942. Anybody who knows me knows that’s so totally going to hook me–golden era Hollywood, WWII era fiction, yes please!
Now it’s a few years later and Cara’s latest book, out this month, is just as intriguing. And awesome. And must-ready-y! It’s called Shadowed by Grace and it’s about Monuments Men during WWII. I had only a vague sense of what the Monuments Men did during WWII before reading Cara’s book…my understanding of and appreciation for their service grew so much during the story. Loved it.
Loved it so much, in fact, that I’m giving a copy away today. So check out the interview with Cara below and then be sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below.
*****
Melissa: I adore WWII books, but this is the first one I’ve ever read specifically about Monuments Men during WWII. It was, in a word, fascinating. What got you interested in that particular aspect?
Cara: It was one of those God moments. I have deep respect and admiration for the men and women of the Greatest Generation, and I love telling their stories. Because of that, I’m always on the lookout for new ideas that will spark into a book.
In the summer of 2010, I stumbled across a nonfiction book, Monuments Men, and was introduced to this small band of soldiers. Their stories captured me…and the art added a unique twist to the story. It became a story that burned in my heart to tell.
Shadowed by Grace focuses on some of the endeavors the Monuments Men undertook in Italy. I knew little of the Italian front and discovered a diary that gave voice to the Italian experience. That added with what I was learning about the efforts of the Monuments Men to save priceless monuments and paintings convinced me this was a story I wanted to write. Then I discovered the heroine and her search, and it became part of me. I love this story and am thrilled by the early reactions I’m hearing.
Melissa: So, there’s a Monuments Men movie coming out soon, right? Fun! If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the pivotal roles of Scott and Rachel?
Cara: Oh goodness! Julia Stiles (with dark hair) as Rachel Justice. I like the feminine toughness she showed in the Bourne movies. For Scott? Maybe Christian Bale.
Melissa: I sorta love Christian Bale, so you get mega thumbs-up from me, there. I have to tell you, as soon as I finished Shadowed by Grace, I had to Google “Monuments Men” and start reading–it totally fed my history lover side. BUT your book also got my travel bug side wiggling and now I just want to go to Italy! Have you been to Italy? Where’s the most fascinating place you’ve visited?
Cara: I haven’t been to Italy yet, but I’m begging my husband to take me. I want to stay at Montegufoni (the castle now turned hotel) so much I can almost taste it! Ignore the mixed metaphor please. 🙂
My family did get to spend the summer of 2012 in Germany and talked about going to Italy, but it was still about 11 hours away. If we’d known more than a week before we were coming back that the contract for Shadowed by Grace was coming, we might have squeezed it in anyway. But it seriously took 11 or 12 hours to get from where we were in northern Germany to Tuscany.
Melissa: I loved seeing how dedicated your Monument Man, Scott, was to art and preserving, as he said often in the book, western civilization. Are you an art buff or was that something you had to become more knowledgeable in to write the story?
Cara: I wasn’t an art buff until two things happened.
1) I took a tour at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It was the tour where they take you to four paintings. Only four! But those four were amazing.
Then 2) I took art history in college because I knew I would fail music appreciation. Even then I knew myself well enough to know I was a visual learner rather than audio. So when I discovered the Monuments Men it tied into the appreciation I already had for the great masters whose works were scattered all over Europe. Add in the grand buildings and cathedrals, and I could see how important it was to make an effort to preserve them in the first war of widespread aerial bombardment.
*****
Cara C. Putman graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. An award-winning author of seventeen books with more on the way, she is active in women’s ministry at her church and is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration at Krannert. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. You can connect with her online at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/caraputman
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cara_putman
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/caraputman
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CaraPutman
Find Shadowed By Grace at:
Christianbook.com
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
About the book:
Rachel Justice is desperate to save her dying mother. She doesn’t want to leave her, but she accepts her newspaper’s assignment to travel to Italy and photograph war images. No one knows her photography is a cover and that Rachel is really seeking to find the father she never knew, hopeful to get some help with her failing mother. Dedicated to her mission, Rachel is focused on completing it. Soon, though, she finds priorities and plans changing when she is assigned to Lt. Scott Lindstrom, on mission as a Monument Man. Their meeting will have far-reaching consequences. Will this derail her plans? Will she ever find her father? Is her faith enough to carry her through?
Check out the first chapter here: http://caraputman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Shadowed-by-Grace-chapter-excerpt.pdf
Enter the Giveaway
Comments 22
I’ve heard this book is fantastic. I know my mom would love it–you’ve nailed where her history love is–and I’m completely intrigued!! Adding it to my pile for my upcoming vacation…but maybe I’ll be nice and let her read it first:)
It’s hard to be nice when there’s a new book on my TBR pile 🙂
Author
LOL, Susan. Also, yay for going on vacation. I need one of those. Is that wrong to admit barely one week into the New Year already?
Yes – I love WWII fiction / my Dad was in WWII & I have all the letters he wrote to my Mom in a scrapbook & during that time they fell in love & then he asked her to marry him when he returned home – it probably would make a great book!
Sharon, what a treasure! I love reading letters from WWII!
Author
Ohhh I agree with Cara–what a treasure.
Can’t wait to read this book and will be looking for more of her books to read soon!
Author
Ellen, just FYI, some of Cara’s WII books are on sale on Amazon right now–fabulous deals. 🙂
I am captivated with novels from the World War 11 era and find them meaningful, fascinating and unforgettable. They are profound and important. Best wishes and much happiness and success.
Author
Meaningful, fascinating and unforgettable…I completely agree.
Me three!
I love WWII novels. My first ones to read were written by the Thoenes. I think I learned more from their novels than I ever learned in school. Love all historical fiction, but it seems I’m drawn to war times ones!
The Thoenes novels were the first I read set in that timeperiod, too. Love those books!
I just finished this for Blogging for Books! I loved it, my first Cara Putnam book 🙂 This era is such an amazing one. I loved listening to my grandfather tell stories of this time period.
I’m so glad to hear that, Lisa! I adore the WWII era. Such romance in it.
I like historical fiction and like learning about history through fiction.
Author
Me too, Carol! 🙂
Melissa, I’m excited about the movie Monuments Men that stars Matt Damon and George Clooney. It’s going to be awesome to see those two team up again. And Cara’s book sounds like one I’d like to read. I don’t often read WWII books, but I love the heroic stories that came from that time period.
Blessings,
Andrea
Author
I’m excited for that movie too, Andrea!
I absolutely love WWII fiction! Historical is one of my favorite genres and WWII is my favorite time period to read about! I’m really looking forward to reading this one as it sounds rather good!
Author
Sounds like we have some similar reading tastes, Abbi. 🙂
I do enjoy WWII fiction I just find I don’t read it much unless I’m prepared for a deep novel! There so good, but usually I shed a few tears in the process of reading it! 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!