English Professor Susan Meyer writes children’s book

"Black Radishes," the story of a young boy in France during World War II, is Wellesley English Professor Susan Lynn Meyer's first novel for children.  The novel tells the tale of Gustave, an 11 year-old Jewish boy who must flee from Paris with his family when the Nazis threaten to invade France.  The family moves to the small village of Saint-Georges-Sur-Cher in the countryside.  Inspired by stories of her father's childhood and a lifelong interest in the time period, Meyer said, "In a way, I've always been preparing to tell this story."

Meyer's father related his experiences of growing up in France during World War II to her and her five siblings; Meyer said her novel "grew out of the stories he used to tell us when we were kids."  Her father lived in Paris the summer before the war broke out and, since Paris had such a large Jewish population, the family decided that it would be safest to live outside of the city.  They moved to the village of Saint-Georges-Sur-Cher, where the entire extended family lived together in a single house.  

In September 1939, war broke out and the family decided to remain in the village.  When the Nazis occupied France, they drew a line across the country that separated the occupied territory from the remaining, safer portion of France.  Meyer says her family lived just over the border of the safer territory.  They were "just incredibly lucky," Meyer said simply. Meanwhile, Meyer's grandfather worked to acquire the papers needed to move to America. The family was finally able to leave the country in November 1942, but, sadly, Meyer's grandfather passed away before they emmigrated.

In describing her book, Meyer explained, "My characters follow that same route.  They start out in Paris and then go to that little village."  Though the novel itself is not a retelling of her father's story, she does use some of his anecdotes.  For instance, Meyer pictures the house in the tiny village where Gustave lives as the house that her father lived in.  The unique design of this particular house allowed Meyer to work one of her father's anecdotes directly into the plot.  The house was split in two parts with an attic overhead and, in both her family's history and Gustave's story, a man living in the town informs on the family, telling officials that they were signaling to English planes from the attic.  Luckily, when the police come to investigate, the family is able to prove they had not been signaling, because the only entrance to the attic was located on the opposite side of the house—across the barrier.  

Meyer drew inspiration from her own life as well.  Remembering when her brother once tried to eat a heaping spoonful of plain cinnamon, she added an episode into her book where Gustave attempts a similar feat after being goaded by the question: "How big a piece of radish can you eat plain with no bread?"  As the novel took shape, Meyer said she began to realize "how much one's own personal life experience feeds into fiction."  As she explains, "I would be writing along and suddenly I'd have a memory from my own childhood that would somehow become transmuted and work its way into the novel."

Meyer is not new to the world of children's literature.  Though "Black Radishes" is her first novel, she published a picture book two years ago, titled "Matthew and Tall Rabbit Go Camping," and currently teaches a course on writing for children.  Literature has been a lifelong pursuit for Meyer.  Though she found herself dangerously close to becoming a math major, she "always much preferred reading novels," and in her junior year of college she decided to switch her major to English.  

It may seem a bit odd that this Victorian and American literature specialist is fascinated by children's literature, but, as she explained, "there's a kind of plainness and directness about Victorian literature that in some ways is like children's fiction."  In addition, the racism that was prevalent in Victorian times also plays an important role in "Black Radishes."

Meyer began work on "Black Radishes" about four years ago, but she said, "I feel like I've been preparing to write it for my whole life."  The parallels from her father's history and her own longtime interest in the material amplify the significance that "Black Radishes" has on her life. Meyer is currently writing the companion novel that will expand upon Gustave's story and, in a way, her own story as well.

Professor Susan Lynn Meyer will read from "Black Radishes" on Thurs., Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. in The French House, 33 Dover Road, Wellesley. Free. Open to the Public. Reception to follow.