Mary asked Sara Gruen:

How did you come up with the Loch Ness Monster for the "quest"? Is it a metaphor? I am realy enjoying the book!

Sara Gruen About four years ago, I was spending the afternoon happily doing one of the things I do best—procrastinating—when I ran across a news article about the Loch Ness Monster. The article talked about recently declassified documents that showed that as recently as 1938, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the beast in the loch was real. I’ve been fascinated with the Loch Ness Monster since I was twelve and first visited the Highlands (and was entirely sure I was going to see it!) and the article sent me straight down a Nessie rabbit hole. When I emerged at the end of the day, I knew the setting of my next book.

It wasn’t until my first research trip that I decided to set the book toward the end of WWII, and later, as the story began to form in my mind, it dawned on me that the monster worked as a metaphor on every possible layer. I don’t think I chose it, per se, because my writing process is really messy and organic, but once the story started to come together, I realized that monsters of every kind—internal, external, global, personal, real, mythical—spanned the entire spectrum, and it grew from there.

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the book!

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