In this fascinating interview, award-winning
author Deborah Hopkinson shares some of the strategies she used in
crafting her wonderful new narrative nonfiction book, D-Day: The World War II Invasion that Changed History.
there a particular reason you decided to write about D-Day?
visits, I like to ask students what they
want to read about. D-Day was at the top of the list of suggestions. It’s not
the first time readers have steered me to a subject: they helped me choose Titanic too. Another
topic they’ve suggested is the Black Death, which
I’ll be working on next year. I can’t wait: I know virtually nothing about the
Middle Ages.
attended a lecture by David McCullough. He said his academic friends always
tease him about taking on subjects he knows nothing about. But that’s what
motivates me. I love exploring and learning new things.
Contents, there’s a short section about a paratrooper being dropped at night.
Why did you choose to start this way?
DH: The invasion of Normandy was an incredible feat
of planning and organization. I want readers to appreciate the vast scope, but also
realize that it was experienced by individuals.
Beginning with David Kenyon Webster’s incredible story helps, I hope, to
bring the reader directly into the event and the emotions of young soldiers,
many of whom were facing combat for the first time.
readers who may not normally pick up nonfiction. And, thanks to the generosity
of David Kenyon Webster’s family in allowing me to quote from his book, Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper’s Memoir of
D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich,
we get to know him as a character.
In later sections, we follow his preparations for this
moment, and then what happened after he landed behind Utah Beach in the
darkness.
MS: D-Day includes a number of breakout sections.
What purpose do they serve?
DH: I think of narrative nonfiction as operating on
different levels. It’s almost as if you’re canoeing on a river. There’s the
main narrative flow, and then there are little side inlets you can take to
explore the banks.
In D-Day, breakouts
called Dispatches include a variety of first-person accounts, from a Frenchwomen, to a Panzer commander, to an African American
steward on a landing craft. Reader’s
Invasion Briefings provide historical context such as background on World War
II and the strategy behind the invasion plans.
matter. Do you read back matter yourself?
DH: I love back matter, and I’m always encouraging
students to read source notes. But since I’m well aware not everyone shares my
passion, lately I’ve been trying to find ways to move it into the main
narrative. In D-Day, although there
are Internet resources and links to museums or audio first-person accounts in
the back, we’ve also included these links as snippets
in the text called Look, Listen, Remember.
have fun with back matter. In DIVE!
we called it the “After Section,” playing with the idea that the book was like
a submarine. In D-Day, it’s called the
“Quartermaster’s Department.”
Omaha, which form the core of your book. Why did you approach the story of each
beach in a different way?
dropped inland behind Utah Beach in the early morning darkness of June 6. Many
soldiers wandered alone, disoriented, trying to find their units, and so my
narrative follows their experience.
plagued by problems. Here, to try to convey the chaos
and confusion, I employed a cinematic technique by starting not with just one
soldier, but a myriad of voices recounting those harrowing, deadly landings.
the experience of reading D-Day:
The World War II Invasion that Changed History?
event like D-Day. I think of my book as an introduction to a lifetime of
reading.
will about World War II. I just hope I don’t disappoint them.
Hopkinson’s
new books include D-Day: The World War II
Invasion that Changed History, Under the Bodhi Tree: A Story of the Buddha,
Carter Reads the Newspaper, and How I
Became a Spy, A Mystery of World War II London. You can follow her online
at www.deborahhopkinson.com
and @deborahopkinson.
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3 Responses
I loved Deborah's Titanic book. I'll check this one out. I'm also excited about her book on the Buddha. It looks wonderful!
Welcome back, Melissa!!
Fascinating interview, Melissa. I am not usually drawn to books on war history, but I will be reading this one.
Thank you so much for hosting this Q&A, Melissa. I don't know how you do this on top of your wonderful books. It's really impressive — and such a great resource.