Loretta Ellsworth, author of The French Winemaker’s Daughter
Novel & Short Story Category, sponsored by Minnesota Humanities Center
Each week leading up to the 37th annual Minnesota Book Awards, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
What inspired you to write this book – or inspired you while writing it?
It was during research for another book I was writing that I came across the idea for this one. I read a nonfiction book called Wine & War. The little-known ways that the French used to save their greatest resource (wine) inspired me to write about two women who are connected by a rare bottle of wine confiscated by the Nazis.
What is one detail you wanted to include in this book, but couldn’t find a place for?
I usually sneak in my maiden name (Mennen) in all my books, but I didn’t this time.
Tell us about someone (whose name isn’t on the cover!) who proved instrumental to the creation of this book.
My agent Marly Rusoff, who is sort of a legend in Minneapolis – she was one of the founders of the Loft and was a bookseller before that. Marly wasn’t accepting new clients when I approached her, but she decided to read it anyway, and she fell in love with it and offered to represent me. She sold it in a matter of weeks.
Please tell us something about yourself that is not widely known. (It doesn’t have to be about the book in question – or even about your writing at all!)
I have a son who is disabled – wanting to be home with him was part of the reason I became a writer.
Share your thoughts about the role and value of libraries.
Libraries are a fundamental part of a community. We didn’t have a bookstore in my town when I was growing up, but we had a library, and my love of reading was fostered there. I visited the library every week in the summer, checking out as many books as I could carry. Now, libraries provide even more resources and services and are a hub of the community.
Loretta Ellsworth is the author of five novels for younger readers, Shrouding Woman, In Search of Mockingbird, In a Heartbeat, Unforgettable, and Tangle-Knot, and one adult historical novel, Stars Over Clear Lake. Her books have received many awards including Teen’s Top Ten, Midwest Bookseller’s Choice Award, Kirkus Critic’s Pick, IRA Notable, BBCB Choice, Northeastern Minnesota Book Award, and the Charlotte Award.