By Kate Bristow
Is a painting worth dying for?
Inspired by real events, an unforgettable story of love, courage and sacrifice to save a country’s heritage.
Italy 1943. As the Allies bomb Milan, Elena Marchetti reluctantly gives up her coveted job as an art curator in the city to return to her family farm near Urbino. She takes up a new role assisting Pasquale Rotondi, the Superintendent of Arts in the region, in protecting works of art from all over Italy that have been hidden in the relative safety of the countryside.
At a family celebration, Elena reunites with Luca, a close childhood friend. A shattering event instigated by the occupying Germans deepens their relationship, and they start planning a life together. When rumors surface that Italy’s art is being stolen by the German occupiers, Pasquale hatches an audacious plan to rescue the priceless paintings in his possession. Elena and Luca are forced to make an impossible decision: will they embark on a dangerous mission to save Italy’s cultural heritage?
Writing Interview questions.
Why did you choose to write your book in this era?
I stumbled across this story twenty years ago while visiting the Rocca, an ancient fortress in Sassocorvaro, Italy. The more I read about it, the more I felt it would make a fascinating novel. The story of how Italians went to great lengths to save their cultural heritage in the middle of World War 2 is something not many people are aware of, especially given the success of the Monuments Men movie, which was focused on the Allied efforts to save art after the war had ended. I wanted to shine a light on the heroic efforts of the locals under German occupation instead.
Did you find researching this era particularly difficult? What was the hardest thing to find out, and did you come across anything particularly surprising?
Because this particular series of events has not been widely covered outside of Italy, most of my sources were written in Italian. While I have a basic understanding of the language, it was certainly a struggle to read through the numerous articles and books. The most exciting source was the diary of Pasquale Rotondi, a key historical figure who features strongly in the story. He kept meticulous day to day notes and being able to read about what happened from his perspective was an incredible help.
Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?
Each of my two protagonists Luca and Elena has a brother who joins the partisans resisting the German occupation. In the novel we get a glimpse into the day to day lives of members of the resistance, the dangers they faced and the internal struggles they went though. These were ordinary people who decided to leave the relative safety of their homes and take up arms against the occupiers, living rough and never knowing whether they would still be alive by nightfall. It made me wonder what I would do in such terrible circumstances.
If you had to describe your protagonist(s), in three words, what would those three words be and why?
I became very fond of Elena in the process of writing this book. I would describe her as ambitious, feisty and passionate. She knows that she does not want to end up as a teenage bride, the wife of a farmer relegated to household chores, which is the future envisioned for country girls like her in 1940’s Italy. When she decides she wants something, Elena works out how to get it, whether that is turning a friendship into a romantic relationship with Luca or becoming an art curator. Elena is not going to let the strictures of the time dictate how she lives her life, and I admire her for that.
What was the most challenging part about writing your book?
Apart from the fact that so many of my sources were written in Italian, I also worried constantly about making sure I had my facts right. I ended up going down so many Google rabbit holes trying to confirm things like the typical diet for a farming family during the war, when certain crops were harvested, whether or not Italian signposts were removed to confuse the enemy (they were!) and what the weather was like in December 1943 in Urbino. I hope I have not made too many mistakes.
Was there anything that you edited out of this book that would have drastically affected the story, should it be left in?
I did end up simplifying some of the actual sequence of events in the fall of 1943. I came to realize that the more research I did, the more detailed was my knowledge and at one point I became obsessed with sticking resolutely to what actually happened. But I came to understand that perhaps my readers would not appreciate the minutiae as much as I did! They want to read a good story with compelling characters and dramatic moments. They don’t want to be bogged down with information that only serves to weigh down the story.
What are you currently working on?
I am researching some historic figures who lived and worked in and around Urbino in the 16th century. Urbino is an extraordinary Renaissance city with so many stories to tell. I am excited to bring more of them to a wide audience.
What would you tell an aspiring author who had some doubts about their writing abilities?
It has become a bit of a cliché to repeat the old adage that everyone has a story to tell, but I believe that wholeheartedly. To steal unashamedly from Nike, just do it. Get the story down. Don’t stop to worry about style or grammar or spelling at that point. Once you have completed a draft you can decide what help you need to make it better, and there are numerous groups online that you can join to get advice and encouragement. Check out your local library to see if they have a writing group or free online courses on writing, editing and self-publishing. But none of that matters unless you start.
Personal Interview questions.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I like having a full and varied life so I try to say yes to invitations whenever possible. I enjoy so many different activities such as happy hour cocktails with close girlfriends, lively book club get togethers, singing karaoke (badly) and rowing in a single scull on the marina near my house. If I am offered an opportunity to try something new, I tend to take it!
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Writing was definitely on the cards but for the longest time as a teenager I was obsessed with acting. I took part in numerous plays and loved nothing more than being on a stage, the adrenaline rushing though me. I ended up working in advertising instead which went some way towards satisfying my creative side. I had to learn to be satisfied to doing ‘performances’ in company boardrooms and at industry conferences instead of in the theater!
What’s for dinner tonight? What would you rather be eating?
I live with my older daughter who is very health-conscious so tonight we are eating salmon, asparagus and brown rice. Frankly I could eat salmon almost every day so it is hardly a hardship. But my favorite meals take place in the summer in Italy on the terrace of my home there, enjoying local produce grilled al fresco accompanied by glasses of red wine. Delicious.
What would be a perfect day?
Any relaxing day spent with my two daughters is a perfect day for me. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving when my younger daughter comes home from New York where she lives and works to spend the holiday at home here in Los Angeles. There is nothing better than all of us being together in the kitchen preparing food, playing music and laughing at old jokes.
What is the best part of your day?
Waking up! I feed my dog, make myself a fruit smoothie and sit with the newspaper. Yes I still get a physical newspaper delivered every morning. It is my little treat to myself.
Either or!
Tea or coffee: Coffee for sure. I am a latte lover.
Hot or cold: Hot
Movie or book: Book. Obviously.
Morning person or Night owl: Morning person. Although I have been known to be the last person standing in the early hours of the morning.
City or country: Country (especially Italy)
Social Media or book: Book!
Paperback or ebook: Paperback. Nothing like having a physical book in my hands.
Kate Bristow was born in London. She fell in love with reading when she got her first library card at the age of four. Her first attempt at writing and publishing for a wide audience was a local newspaper typed laboriously at home on her mother’s typewriter while at primary (elementary) school in north London. It is surely a loss to cutting-edge journalism that only one issue was ever produced. Kate divides her time between her small-but-perfectly-formed modern home in Los Angeles and her five-hundred-year-old farmhouse just outside Sassocorvaro in Italy.
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Thanks so much for hosting today and featuring this author.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really fun interview - thank you for having me!
ReplyDeleteLove this chat and what Kate says about bogging the story down with too much history/research is very true. But it's also great to learn something from a book (imo) and the subject matter of Saving Madonna is so important. I love the way she has brought the courage of the Italian people to light, in their saving of precious masterpieces. It's a special book and I wish her all the best with it.
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