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HarperCollins signs World War Two novel
HarperCollins has snapped up a World War Two novel "full of friendship and hope" by Christopher de Vinck, that was inspired by the essayist's family.
Rose Sandy, affiliate publisher, acquired world rights for Ashes by Christopher de Vinck from Peter Rubie at the FinePrint Literary Management agency in New York. Harper Inspire will publish the novel in the UK on 28th May 2020. It will be published in the US two days earlier.
Ashes is inspired by the author’s own family history, which saw his grandfather Major General Joseph Kesten serve in the Belgian army during World War Two as part of the Belgian resistance, before being captured and imprisoned in Spain. Following his liberation, he and his family, including the author’s mother, fled Brussels for New Jersey, USA via London, England to survive the onslaught of the invading Nazi forces.
De Vinck's debut novel tells the story of Simone Lyon and Hava Daniels, two inseparable 18-year-olds coming of age in 1940s Brussels. When German planes begin to occupy and bomb their city, they attempt to flee, unaware that under Hitler, with Hava a Jew, their friendship may doom them both.
Sandy said: "The message that is carried through this book made it imperative to publish. The way in which Belgium was affected by World War Two is not often showcased, and the horror the country faced is clear from the author’s description of Simone and Hava’s race to survive. Christopher’s family ties to Belgium and his true talent as a writer make this an exquisite novel full of remembrance and hope."
De Vinck added: "When family members shared with me what it was like to live under Nazi occupation for four years, telling of bombs, destruction, the machine guns and the loss of human life, I felt compelled to write Ashes. It has taken me most of my life to develop the understanding to truly tell this story. I hope that this book has the old-world power to move people towards that soul that we all share."
De Vinck is the author of several non-fiction books and his essays have been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. His essay "Power of the Powerless: A Brother’s Lesson", based on how he and his family dealt with the disability and death of his older brother Oliver, received a personal commendation from the then-serving President of the United States Ronald Reagan.
