While there are numerous books, films and TV programs on men and machines from the Second World War, I came across so many interesting stories about women and life on the Home Front that hadn’t been told.
I was intrigued to learn about these British Restaurants and knew there was a story there, although my first thought was that it would be too difficult; how would you approach writing about people living on rations and make it sound appealing? It was the experience working in my parent’s restaurants growing up that gave me the answer; you become like a family, working as a team, building relationships with regulars, dealing with daily dramas—even when it’s not wartime!
You become part of a community and I realised that it was through this microcosm that Maggie’s story could be told.
Walking in Esther’s footsteps April included a busy trip to the UK and a side trip to Vienna to walk in Esther’s footsteps. It was great to finally visit the settings that I’d written about in the novel, ones that I had researched online and could now visit in person. Even though the sights and…