Mulvahill’s “The Lost Woman”
By Linda Engelhard
Sun contributor
Karen Mulvahill has always been a reader. After her sister taught her to read at age four, she regularly checked out the maximum number of books allowed by her local library. However, she still remembers the spiral notebook she used for writing a story about a squirrel that won her a prize in elementary school. Karen began her writing career with poetry, nonfiction, and short stories, but was more recently inspired to write a novel. With the publication of her novel, The Lost Woman, she has transitioned from spiral notebooks to a computer keyboard.
Some years ago, Karen was moved by an account written by a great uncle whose farm had been destroyed during a massive fire in Minnesota. She published a story based upon that account. Then in 2016, she read the journal of Hélène Berr, a young French woman who died at the Bergen Belsen concentration camp. She discussed the journal with a fellow writer who had also read it, and both were moved by Hélène’s story. Karen realized the power of stories told from personal experience.
Karen’s curiosity then led her from one book to another to learn more about World War II in France. Her love of art was another motivator. She read about the Monuments Men who recovered thousands of art works stolen by the Nazis. About 30 books later, she had the background information she needed about World War II in France. Hélène’s life was taken from her at the same time in history when the Nazis were stealing paintings. The events were connected and the idea for a novel began to percolate.
That’s where the spreadsheet came in. Writing a novel involves so much planning and so many decisions. What will work for a plot line? Is the historic timeline accurate? When is the best time to introduce new characters? Drawing a spreadsheet on a large piece of kraft paper helped Karen finish a first draft and move ahead to character development. Her background in poetry and imagery helped to animate Nicole and Robert, the main characters. In one chapter, Nicole shepherds a pair of airmen through occupied Paris, and Karen’s travels to France gave her a visual reference that was useful in creating an authentic setting. After multiple drafts, the puzzle pieces of writing a novel came together, and The Lost Woman was published.
The Friends of the Leelanau Township Library in Northport will hold a celebration of the book launch at the Willowbrook Mill on July 8. Leelanau County has been and remains an environment where writers and artists can thrive.
When Karen was a child, her imagination conjured up an image of what heaven might be like. She clearly remembers an image that included a beach, a pile of books, and a cherry pie. When she first visited Leelanau County in the 1980s, she was amazed to find her childhood image of heaven right before her. Karen Mulvahill continues to live and write in Leelanau Township and has already begun her second novel: this time, a thriller.
