For more than sixty years the brave men and women whose stories inspired The Memories We Keep have lived in my memory and in my heart. It's a pleasure and an honor to share them with you. Mia, Vinnie, Wolf and all of the characters in this novel are based on real people who risked their lives during one of the most terrifying periods in world history yet with the help of one another managed to survive, and in some cases, to find happiness and love.
As a nineteen-year-old American soldier, I was with the French when they liberated Paris in August 1944 and of all the adventures I've had, all the places I've traveled, that experience remains the most exciting day of my life. It was a feeling that I find hard to describe but one that I will never, ever forget. The Memories We Keep celebrates the everyday heroes of World War II for without them, and without their sacrifices, that historic day would not have been the same.
I've been overwhelmed by the response of both critics and readers alike and am always anxious to talk to reading groups about the extraordinary men and women who inspired this novel. If you would like to set up a phone chat for your reading group or to share your thoughts about the novel please email me at thememorieswekeep@kensingtonbooks.com.
With my best wishes,
