The Lost Castle

by Kristy Cambron

  June 5, 1944—the date on the back of Vi’s vineyard photo—was the calm before the great storm of Allied forces who would invade the beaches of Normandy the very next day. Known as D-Day, June 6, 1944, became the largest sea, air, and land invasion in history—and one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. It shed light on the endurance of the French Resistance fighters who had already survived years of war-ravaged landscape in Nazi-occupied France. While the “longest day” was unfolding with some ten thousand servicemen killed or wounded on beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword, Julien’s fictional army prepared for a battle of their own—an unlikely family who’d come together to defend their home and cling to hope around the ruins of a castle.

  Vi’s journey from Cambridge and London to working as an operative with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization in France weaves a fictional story with many well-known historical facts and figures. London addresses like 64 Baker Street (where the infamous “Baker Street Irregulars” originated) and the direct-hit Blitz bombing of the Royal Empire Society at 25 Northumberland Avenue lend heartbreaking realism to fictional characters’ worlds during the Second World War.

  German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s headquarters at Château de La Roche-Guyon became infamous as the location of the ill-fated attempt to prevent the Allied D-Day invasion, and as the place where a plot was hatched (with Rommel’s involvement still debated by historians) to assassinate Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944. And though not mentioned by name, Operation Bodyguard—the elaborate ruse to fool the Nazi leadership and provide intelligence cover for the D-Day invasion—was alluded to with the fictional story of Clémence and the other double agents who lost their lives at La Roche-Guyon.

  To aid our story, we’ve bent history just a bit by adjusting the French duc to duke, and the time a coach and four could travel from Paris in a single day. Also figments of the author’s imagination were the Cathédrale Espoir Sacré chapel in Loudun, the centuries-old Vivay family vineyard, and a deep wood named Fox Grove, which worked to keep our castle ruins hemmed in from the outside world. And while the Tennis Court Oath, Rose Bertin’s Le Grand Mogol shop in Paris, and the July 1789 storming of the Bastille are all true to history, Aveline and Robert’s story in the world of a budding French Revolution is purely fictional. (Though who wouldn’t wish a lady who gave away her lavish trousseau to instead feed starving women and children to have been a real person?)

  Portions of this novel also rooted in truth remain some of the most precious to me. The light strumming of “Blackbird” on an acoustic guitar is the soundtrack of my youth, thanks to the guitar playing of my own father. And the quiet, 3:00 a.m. moments in an ICU room, holding the hand of a loved one, reminding myself, Remember this . . . remember this . . . , were some of the last moments my dad and I spent together on this earth. It ministered to my heart to make them a part of Vi and Julien’s heartfelt “good-bye for now” at the chapel in Loudun.

  A common thread in both history and fiction, at the intersection of fantasy and fact, is the enduring power of stories. God’s story for us doesn’t end with a good-bye or the crumbling of stone walls on this earth. His faithfulness lasts through the generations, lavishing hope on a fallen world and love on the most broken of hearts. I’m delighted that you met Ellie and Quinn as they embark on a new journey in this series. It’s my hope that to them, and to each of us, God would become the Repairer of Broken Walls as we walk our own story roads.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  In French, merci is to say “thank you.”

  Extending a merci in print can’t begin to go far enough to thank the amazing team I’m privileged to call my publishing family. (But I shall try!) To Becky Monds, the très patient protector of words, expert crafter of story worlds, counselor when this writer gal needs to brainstorm . . . and my dear friend: I remain grateful that you stepped in and forever changed the course of my story road—both in books and in this beautiful thing we call real life. To the lovely Julee Schwarzburg: I adore the deep dive of scrutinizing every syllable of a book with you. How could we not be fast friends after all that? (Smile.) To the pub family—Daisy Hutton, Kristen Golden, Amanda Bostic, Allison Carter, Paul Fisher, Jodi Hughes, and cover artist extraordinaire Kristen Ingebretson: You are the best there ever was. I love that I wake each day and get to work with you. To Rachelle Gardner: I will never forget the special day we toured Tennessee’s wine country together and managed to forget the weight of the world for a little while. You’re a friend first and an agent second; I’m so grateful for you (and that fabulous idea for Ellie and Quinn’s wine-tasting scene).

  Merci to readers who helped name characters in this book: Edie M. for her dear Kathy; and Erin M. for Alaina (or Laine)—an important character who will have her own story in the second book of this series. And to the many, many experts who stepped in to answer my questions along this journey (because it’s the littlest details that can add flavor to a story), I extend my most ardent thanks: Winemaker Chase Vienneau and the entire team at Arrington Vineyards in Arrington, Tennessee: Thank you for allowing this curious writer to tour the vast array of sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of your wine-making world. Merci to associate professor of French at Indiana University, Margaret Gray, PhD, and student Flavien Falantin—whose authentic details of living in France, knowledge of French champagne production, and assistance with French grammar became très dreamy for this story! I also thank Brenna W. from the Marquette Maritime Museum for helping me gain my bearings about the street layout of Marquette, Michigan. It was an impromptu call to you that checked another box for clarity with this author’s pen. Thank you!

  I extend a merci also to dear friends who walked through virtual vineyard rows with me, offering support as I fell deeper into this story: the Grove Girls, Katherine Reay, Sarah E. Ladd, Maggie Walker, Sharon Tavera, Mary Weber, Allen Arnold, Joanna Politano, and Colleen Coble. To the owners, crew, and “regulars” crowd at KöLKIN CoFFEE co.: Thank you for the assigned seat at the table beneath the hanging kayaks. You keep me caffeinated (and happy) when I’m wandering through the wilds of my characters’ many adventures. And to Lily Wray, the young author who shares my favorite coffee shop corners: Thank you for being my book-loving friend.

  To Brady, Carson, and Colt: You are my joys. To Jeremy: You are my beloved. To Jen: You are my beautiful, book-loving sis. To Lindy: You are my momma and prayer partner . . . I love walking through this life and writing ministry with all of you. And to my Savior—the One who loves, forgives, offers grace, and forever calls the lost . . . thank You for calling me.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1.Ellie’s view of her grandmother had been one of shared memories from old photo albums and the limited stories she’d heard of Lady Vi’s life during the Second World War. It is not until the discovery of a lost love—and the unearthing of Vi’s participation in the French Resistance—that Ellie sees her grandmother in a new light. How might Ellie’s memory of her grandmother have been different if Vi hadn’t been able to share pieces of her past before the effects of Alzheimer’s prevented it? What changed once Ellie learned the full story of the castle?

  2.Aveline’s interest in politics and her compassion for the peasant class renders her a liability to her family’s wealth and rank, and carries her outside the acceptable roles for women in eighteenth-century France. What decisions does Aveline make that positively affect others yet put her own life and livelihood at risk? When is it important to stand up for our beliefs, even when our own comforts may be negatively impacted?

  3.Titus holds a deep affection for the history of the Vivay land, and the belief that wine making is far more a matter of art than one of modern science. This view strongly contrasts with Quinn’s and affects his ability to plant familial roots in a way similar to his grandfather. What keeps Quinn from seeing the world as Titus does? How can past hurts affect our ability to heal and open our hearts to new opportunities and future relationships?

  4.Julie
n’s band of French Resistance fighters at the castle ruins becomes a makeshift family, brought together by their common bond to fight for survival in a time of war. Have you ever developed a bond with a friend or coworker who held a differing world view? How did that relationship affect the way you see the world around you?

  5.As the story of the castle unfolds, Ellie has to acknowledge unresolved pain of her past and realizes that unless she confronts it, she won’t find wholeness—or freedom—to love anew. Quinn, too, is practicing avoidance of his pain, choosing to move on instead of planting roots in any spot for too long. How do Ellie and Quinn come together when their barriers to intimacy begin on opposite spectrums? Is it possible to put down roots and still fly at the same time?

  6.The visual of crumbling walls is an important image for the legacy of the castle, and the Vivay family through the generations. Aveline wanted to tear down the barrier between the classes, both in Paris and once she reached the Vivay estate. How do we tear down walls of differences with others, whether in our local or global communities?

  7.In this story, color is used to convey emotion that spans generations—in the blush-pink blossoms and wild violets lining the road to the castle ruins, the red rust of the fox inhabiting Fox Grove, the rich wine of the land and Ellie’s Loire Valley scarf, and Aveline’s portrait that hangs in both the castle and the estate house across all three story lines. How does color reveal the art of God’s creation in the world around us? In what ways are our other senses impacted by stories?

  8.The Sleeping Beauty is more than a lost castle—it serves as an image of God’s faithfulness through the generations and His intimate involvement in our own life stories. How can faith be passed down over generations? How important is our own foundation of faith to leave a legacy for future generations?

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo by Whitney Neal Photography

  Kristy Cambron fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her novels have been named to Library Journal Reviews’ list of Best Books of 2014 and 2015 and have received nominations for RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best Inspirational Book of 2014 and 2015, as well as INSPY Award nominations in 2015 and 2017. Kristy holds a degree in art history from Indiana University and lives in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons.

  Website: www.kristycambron.com

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