Rose Valland fascinated me from the first time I read The Monuments Men. This woman is truly one of the unsung heroes of the Monuments Men. I can’t wait to see how she is portrayed in the movie. Rose Vallard was a woman ahead of her time. She received an art degree, but couldn’t find a paid position at a …
Monuments Men: who was James Rorimer
If you’re excited about the Monuments Men movie, you might be curious who the characters are. Today I wanted to fill you in on the real person behind Matt Damon’s character. In the movie, he’s called James Granger. In real life the Monuments Man was Second Lieutenant James J. Rorimer. Before joining the military in WWII, Rorimer had already become …
Shadowed by Grace and the Monuments Men
The launch of Shadowed by Grace continues. Thank you so much to everyone who has already bought a book. Tune back in later this week as I begin revealing the lost chapters…some fun reading for those who have purchased the book and want to learn more about the characters. Yesterday I had the great fun of being a guest on …
The effects of WWII in Hannover, Germany
One of the things we found in the Rathaus are detailed dioramas of Hannover at different times in its history. The first one is from the late 1600s and shows a walled town. Then then have one from 1939, 1945, and modern day. In each of them we can place where we live, work, etc. The detail is incredible. But the reason …
Ways we knew we were in Germany
Way we knew we were in Germany: R offered salami pizza as an option along with the more traditional pepperoni or cheese when we played restaurant at the park. Appliances are energy efficient, which really means it takes twice as long to wash a smaller load of clothes. Reality means we’re washing at least one load of clothes a day. …
The Real Monuments Men: Part 1
In Shadowed by Grace, I delved into the world of the Monuments Men in Italy. The movie that releases next week explores some of what this elite group did in France and Germany, while I recreated part of their job in Italy during WWII. Capturing life in Italy during WWII was quite a challenge. The photo shows just a few …
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Shadowed by Grace “With an authentic knowledge of World War II history, a gentle hand of artistry, and a heart for true love, Cara Putman has written a story that stole my heart.”…
5 Tips for Surviving Bitter Cold with Kids
If you’re family is like mine, you meet yourself coming and going. There may be days that you and your spouse meet in the garage for a quick kiss as you run from activity to activity. It’s easy to get used to that pace of life. Then something happens. Maybe it’s that cold, hard, snowy winter. Indiana has been locked …
Germany Reminisces: being a Stranger in a Strange Land
It’s been fun walking back through our time in Germany. Anyone want to sign me up for a summer in Italy? Today, I’m sharing a post I wrote shortly after we’d arrived. It highlights some of my thoughts as a stranger in a strange land. Enjoy! This morning I taught my first class at GISMA. It’s a joint venture with …
3 Signs Research is Your New Best Friend
If you’ve been a writer long, you may have discovered something…something that is causing your rooms to feel smaller. Your checkbook to feel lighter. Your desk to feel like a leaning tower. You’ve discovered that to write an exceptional book, you must conduct mounds of research. I can’t tell you how many times my husband has asked if I’m really …