It’s such an honor to have Lynn Austin share with us today. I’ve been a looooong time fan of Lynn’s novels and have them all on my shelves, and yes, they do take up almost an entire shelf. Lynn has been penning beautiful historical novels for decades now and if you are yet to discover her books, once you have read her new release be sure to get your hands on her entire backlist if you can. You will not be disappointed! If I Were You looks like a compelling read and I can’t wait to dive in. I’m grateful that you have the chance to win a copy, thanks to the generosity of Tyndale House Publishers.

1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve’s secrets―and the complicated history of their friendship―to the surface.

1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve’s mother served as a lady’s maid for Audrey’s mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat―Nazi invasion―reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey’s brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.

Bookchat with Lynn

Please share a little about your characters Eve and Audrey

Audrey Clarkson is raised with wealth and privilege—which seems enviable except that she’s confined to a life of narrowly defined roles and is expected to marry within her class, not for love. Eve Dawson is born into the working class as a servant, with very little hope of ever bettering herself—or marrying the upper-class man she loves. But when the war begins, the women enlist in the Army together and drive ambulances in war-ravaged London. Their courage and faith are challenged in ways they never imagined.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives

Here are the words that my endorsers used in their reviews of If I Were You: page-turner, nail-biting, heart-stopping, heart-wrenching, compelling, unforgettable.

What inspired you to pen a story about an impersonator?

I don’t plot my novels ahead of time, so I really didn’t plan to have one of my characters impersonate the other. But Eve ended up in a desperate situation, and as I brainstormed possible ways out of it, stealing Audrey’s identity seemed like a fascinating option.

Was either woman inspired by a real person?

Not really. But I do have a friend whose mother was a British war bride, and I always found her story very romantic. Imagine, giving up your homeland and your family to move to a new country with a soldier you fell in love with during wartime.

What are the major themes in this story?

The value of friendship. The destructive nature of envy. And the testing of our faith in difficult times.

How does their experience in WWII shape both women?

The suffering and losses that the women experience cause Eve to doubt that God hears or cares about her, yet they lead Audrey to turn to God for the first time. Both women find inner strength and courage to do things they never imagined, such as driving an ambulance and treating casualties.

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Which character did you enjoy writing most?

I think Eve was my favorite. She doesn’t have an easy life, yet for the most part she remains optimistic and courageous. She makes some terrible choices out of desperation—but don’t we all? I love that she is imperfect like the rest of us.

Which character gave you the most grief?

Alfie Clarkson did. I create my stories as I go along, so I don’t know what my characters will do until I get to the end. Audrey and Eve both love Alfie deeply, and so I wanted him to mature and outgrow his shallow life of wealth and pleasure. I wanted the war to change him so he could learn to love well. But once he “came to life” as a character, he was out of my control and refused to let me boss him around.

How do you think the war impacted the class system, particularly in Britain?

The war turned the system upside down. Men of all classes fought together for their country, and enemy bullets killed indiscriminately. With a shortage of manpower on the home front, Britain drafted women to serve in wartime jobs, where they worked side by side regardless of class. The king’s daughter Princess Elizabeth—now Queen Elizabeth II—joined the Army and learned to drive and repair trucks like my main characters do. Enemy bombs struck working-class homes as well as Buckingham Palace. When the war ended, everyone had learned that people were the same in suffering and in victory, regardless of class, making it hard to return to a rigid class system.

Given the difficult subject matter in this story, what was a lighthearted or fun moment you experienced while researching or writing If I Were You?

I remember a humorous moment when I went through passport control in London. A handsome young agent seemed to take a long time studying me, studying my passport, back and forth several times as if he thought I was an impostor. It was a brand-new passport, and the longer he took the more worried I became. At last he handed back my passport and said, “You look very good for someone your age.” I suppose he meant it as a compliment and not that I was “old,” but I laughed for ten minutes!

How has your writing process changed since your first book, if at all?

The biggest difference is that I had three children living at home when I first started writing, including two toddlers. My computer was in the middle of the family room where the kids played, and I learned to write regardless of noise and distractions. Now I’m an empty nester with my own office in a quiet house. I also have more time and freedom to travel to research my settings. Yet the basic process of researching and writing and rewriting hasn’t changed significantly.

What is in your writing pipeline now?

I recently completed a second novel about World War II that takes place in the Netherlands. It follows the lives of three women of different ages and backgrounds as they face the reality of the Nazi invasion and occupation of their country. They each must decide if they are going to collaborate with the Nazis, meekly adjust to enemy control, or actively resist the enemy. The novel, still untitled, will release in June 2021.

Thank you, Lynn – such a delight to have you share with us today.

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan. Visit her online at www.lynnaustin.org.

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