Title: Bringing the Past to Life: Creating a Historical Fiction Based on Missouri’s WWII POW Experience
Author David Fiedler is best known for his work, The Enemy Among Us: POWs in Missouri During WWII, which documented the 15,000 German and Italian POWs in our state between 1942-1946. However, a parallel story existed all along as well, a fictional tale of a German soldier and an American woman who find love despite the threats to this relationship and the danger it poses for them. Finally published last fall, this novel brings to light all the rumors and whispered stories that couldn’t be included in the original history to create a thrilling, intriguing tale that challenges notions of love and loyalty. Come hear him talk about the process of writing this novel, and just how difficult it is to create a counterpart novel that protects the people involved while still holding true to the original lively and detailed nonfiction account.