By
Margaret S. Hamilton
When I contemplated writing
a story about our 2022 visit to the Dordogne region in southwest France, I made
a list of everything I had liked about the area: the food, wine, castles,
churches, and ruins, the rolling countryside and rivers, and the layers of
history, from prehistoric caves to medieval castles and villages. In addition,
we encountered many reminders of the retribution committed by German soldiers during
the summer of 1944, following the success of the D-Day invasion.
During our visit, I
experienced a strange kinship with the prehistoric families who had lived in
the limestone caves and had painted animals on the ceilings—the horses, bison,
and stags they hunted for food at the end of an ice age. The caves were cool in
temperature and sweet smelling, with ample fresh water and firewood nearby. I
could envision living in a cave and raising a family.
On a drizzly morning in
Sarlat, the market town where we were based, we prowled around the town
cemetery, reading the many memorials to members of the Resistance. I cried when
I found a monument erected for a local sixteen-year-old boy executed by the
Nazis. Too young to fight, he was probably a courier, carrying messages or
provisions from his family farm to a local Resistance group. The descendants of
residents have long memories of the German atrocities.
In July 1944, money for
Resistance operations was running out. Local fighters created a plan to steal a
rail shipment of 2.28 billion French francs in 150 burlap sacks. The money was
used for guns and ammunition, medical expenses, and food. A few months later,
the German army moved north.
For my story, I created an
American protagonist, Kate Carmody, a genealogy librarian, who, with her
husband and local guide Bruno, set out to explore a prehistoric cave owned by
Bruno’s cousin. A French woman with suspicious motives insists upon
accompanying them. Kate’s instincts prove correct as the woman’s unscrupulous actions
are revealed.
After World War II, the
French government supported the preservation of Sarlat and other medieval towns
in the area. Sarlat has street markets two days a week, and other than shops,
restaurants, and small hotels, the town is completely restored. No gas
stations, strip malls, or supermarkets. Dordogne is now a major tourist
destination offering river sports, hiking, and cycling, with a superb local
cuisine and wine.
Martin Walker, author of the
Bruno, Chief of Police series, sets his books in the area.
Readers, do you enjoy
visiting places you’ve read about in books? Writers, do you set your stories
and books in places you’ve visited?
“Voices in the Caves” is in Gone
Fishin’, Crime Takes a Holiday, ed. James M. Jackson, 2025.
Margaret S. Hamilton’s debut
amateur sleuth mystery, What the Artist Left Behind, is on submission.
Home - The Official Website of Margaret S. Hamilton
So many haunting memories! Sometimes I wonder if we have forgotten the old adage "Those cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." What a fitting background for your story.
ReplyDeleteMemories are long in the Dordogne.
DeleteCool, Margaret!
ReplyDeleteI loved the area, terrain, and history.
DeleteWhat an amazing backstory! I really enjoyed reading this. I just purchased the anthology and am looking forward to reading the story.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
DeleteHow wonderful. I’ve just begun reading Gone Fishin’ and I’m looking forward to reading Voices in the Cave!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Kait.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Margaret, on your short story in the anthology. There were 75 submissions for only 23 slots, so your story made the cut against lots of competition.
ReplyDeleteThanks Grace!
ReplyDeleteI went to see the prehistoric caves in France as a child. Somewhere deep in my bones, I feel I, too, heard the echoes of the whispered voices of those from so long ago. I think it changed me for life ( ;
ReplyDeleteGreat story, with great background for the writing of it, Margaret.
Interesting!
ReplyDelete