The Lost Children Author Susan McDonald Shares Her Writing Incites and Inspiration

The Lost Children is Susan McDonald’s debut book in a series set during wartime France, inspired by true stories, locations, and events from World War II. We enjoyed speaking with Susan about her novel, research, and writing process, and we invite you to read her responses below.

Read our Book Review Here

About Susan McDonald

Susan McDonald retired from teaching to pursue writing novels. She studied European history and Russian classics, focusing on wars from Napoleon to Stalin. After retiring, she fell in love with a Mediterranean village near Nice and uncovered stories about WWII, notably how French women saved thousands of Jewish children during the Occupation. These stories inspired The Lost Children, the first book in her trilogy. She lives in Melbourne’s Bayside with her husband and Pablo, her energetic Kelpie.

Inspiration and Historical Context

What first inspired you to write The Lost Children? Was there a specific moment, story, or piece of research that sparked the idea?

Every story begins with a spark. I realized there was an important story to write about WWII on the French Riviera in the church of St Michel in Villefranche-sur-Mer. One Sunday morning in 2015, I met an older woman in the village who was having difficulty lighting a votive candle, so I offered to help. She told me she lit a candle every Sunday, ‘For my father. He fought the fascists.’

As Oprah Winfrey says, it was my lightbulb moment. I spent the rest of the church service and my next three visits to the village in full research mode, trying to understand what happened in the area during the Occupation in World War II.

Why did you choose the French Riviera as the setting for a WWII narrative? What drew you to that region during that specific time?

It was happenstance that I was in the French Riviera for the first time in 2015, alone and exhausted after 12 years of teaching senior English in Australia. I needed somewhere safe, close to an International Airport, with views and swimming nearby. The fact that I ended up in a beautiful medieval village on the Mediterranean was good luck rather than good management. At the time, fortune smiled on the brave, and I discovered the many gaps in the history of the war there. Not many people knew that the Italians took up occupation of the area around Nice in 1940 or that there was bombing in Menton until April 1945. In many villages, plaques and commemorative statues honour the Resistance warriors. Each one is a story.

To feed my imagination, I interviewed 90-year-olds who remembered the sound of jackboots on the cobblestones as German soldiers marched through their villages. These were poor places in the 1940s, lacking men who were either prisoners or elderly. Villagers blocked local fountains to deter enemy soldiers. I found the difficulties with food and the complex feelings of Occupation intriguing.

Were any of the characters or events based on real people or true stories you encountered during your research?

Roquebrune is the setting of the orphanage, and Coco Chanel, known to the villagers as Mademoiselle Gabrielle, chose land for her villa, La Pausa, on the outskirts, overlooking Cap Martin. She was controversial, but I liked how fair she was with the villagers, employing them to set up her garden and feed her guests during the summer months.

Madame Blanche Imbert ran a village restaurant and helped save many people, three generations of family-run restaurants in the village and on the coast at Carnoles.

Also, I was fascinated by the story of Odette Rosenstock, who had the nom de guerre of Sophie Delattre. She and her partner, Moussa Abadi, authenticated the false identities of more than 520 children until 1944, when Odette was denounced and sent to Auschwitz. Her story of survival is very special and inspiring.

What historical details about the Riviera during WWII surprised you the most?

The single detail that surprised me in my research was that Coco Chanel’s architect, Robert Streitz, built a secret radio room in the cellars of the villa La Pausa. There, he was able to contact the brave men called passeurs, who escorted fugitive Jewish people from Chanel’s gardens to the Swiss border.

No amount of research could determine whether Chanel was aware of this operation. Since she didn’t miss much, it can be assumed that she was aware of it and perhaps used it after the war to clear her name when she was accused of collaboration.

Your Writing Process

As a first-time novelist, what was the biggest challenge you faced while writing The Lost Children?

Self-doubt is crippling for many writers. When I felt I wasn’t doing a good enough job of the writing or doing the story justice, I’d throw myself into more research. This process allowed me to regain focus and dive back into the story.

I also had too much information, which made it challenging to cut characters from the story. Nancy Wake, called the White Mouse by the Gestapo, who put a reward on her head, visited Jean Moulin’s gallery in Nice before July 1942, when my novel opens. She operated from Marseille and near the Spanish border for her escape line. Later, she parachuted back into France and ran a battalion of Resistance fighters in central France. I couldn’t work her into my story because the dates didn’t fit.

Did you plan the entire trilogy before writing book one, or did the scope of the story expand as you wrote?

The scope of the story expanded of its own accord into three books. I was advised to keep the number of characters to a manageable level, and, as a result, I was able to develop them or lose them. One of my favourite characters is killed in the third book, and that was very sad to write.

How did you balance historical accuracy with fictional storytelling?

Balancing real events, research gaps, and the information needed to move the narrative along is delicate. The Lost Children is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Some details had to be changed, combined, or invented for storytelling.

What part of the writing process did you enjoy the most—world-building, character development, research, or something else?

The most enjoyable part of writing was the conversation in my head with various characters. If I reached a stumbling block, I’d swim, take a long walk, or leave it for a few days and see what I could work out. The solution was usually right in front of me, and the next writing session would be filled with anticipation and excitement.

Having a routine of writing in the morning and researching in the afternoon worked well for me. A room with a view of beautiful places, whether the sea or a tree, helped fuel my creativity.

The Lost Children – Characters

How did Eleanor’s character evolve as you wrote the story?

At first, Eleanor was closed and quiet. She was challenging to write because she was grieving her parents’ accidental death and stuck in a remote village with her grandmother, feeling resentful. The novel begins as she sets out to find her grandmother on a hot day. I wasn’t convinced she would be the central perspective until we realized together that the story was important to tell and she was the best person to tell it.

The story centred on Eleanor and drew on real-life historical events. She is asked to do many things outside her comfort zone, such as delivering food to her brother’s Maquis camp in the hills near the village. She has become so important to me that I couldn’t release her into the world with the first book until I knew what happened at the end of her story. That’s book three.

Did any character surprise you by taking a different direction than you had initially planned?

The grandmother, Genevieve, grew stronger and crankier as the story progressed. At first, I focused on the qualities of my paternal grandmother, Nana Fran, who was domesticated, wily, and knowledgeable. Genevieve, or Mamie as Eleanor calls her, was short, like my grandmother, a magician at stretching meals and repurposing things, turning a woollen jumper into clothes for the orphaned children. But Genevieve’s ferocity in surviving and beating the Germans was unexpected. Her tough love became like the step-mother in The Book Thief, and her one-liners were a mix of every cranky older woman I’ve met.

How do the children at the heart of the story reflect what you want readers to understand about resilience, courage, or innocence during wartime?

The children’s arrival happens quickly in the story, over about three chapters. Then there is a break before others arrive, along with some adults who take refuge at the orphanage.

Eventually, there are thirteen children, including one baby, three adults, the housekeeper, the local barman, a downed British pilot, Eleanor, and her grandmother Genevieve. I include the children in various scenes, with some dialogue, to develop their characters. They are well-behaved, grateful, sensitive, and intelligent.

I want readers to understand that the children were traumatized by circumstances beyond their control, but they are safe with Eleanor. In caring for them, she is determined that they thrive, even as she learns alongside them how the orphanage works.

About the Trilogy

Without spoilers, how does The Lost Children set up the trilogy?

The ending of the first book is tumultuous. Eleanor endures a series of horrible events after she is denounced by a character who is never seen and discussed only by others, mainly her brother Jacques. He is incapable of taking responsibility for his choices and is often absent on his own adventure.

In direct contrast, the heroism of the downed British airman Edmund, whom Eleanor rescues earlier in the book and for whom she has feelings, ties up a few loose ends on the romance front. There’s more romance in the second book; one steamy scene in a cupboard gets everything going. But I didn’t want the romance to overshadow the history in the first book.

Do the following books continue with the same characters, or do they introduce new perspectives within the same historical setting?

In books two and three, the characters face new challenges in response to Liberation and the ensuing battles, particularly near them in Menton and along the Italian border as the Germans retreat.

The setting shifts to the French Riviera in the third book, when Eleanor returns some children to relatives in Guernsey in July 1945. In 2025, I travelled by train from Nice to St Malo, following the same route as my characters. Then I caught a ferry to Guernsey as they would have done.

What do you hope readers will carry with them from book one as they move into the rest of the series?

I hope readers value the strength of Eleanor’s character in the face of terrible challenges and the devotion of the characters in caring for the children in their time of need.

Reader Experience

What do you hope readers will feel or reflect on after finishing The Lost Children?

I hope readers feel a sense of elation at how the characters survive the horrors of the Occupation and understand the importance of resilience in the face of difficult choices.

Which scene or moment in the book do you feel is most emotionally powerful, and why?
In Chapter Five, our protagonist, Eleanor, meets the Bishop of Nice for the first time in a small church near the daily food market, Cours Selaya. She has been summoned to collect two small children who have been hiding in the church’s roof and need a safe home. A mother appears with her son, and Eleanor witnesses the heartbreaking farewell as the child is being left.

I could only write this scene once, even though it was common for parents to leave their children with Catholic priests. I knew a few parents returned. Despite the harrowing nature of this scene, Eleanor realizes the importance of her mission to rescue these children, and in saving them, she saves herself.

What conversations do you hope your book will inspire about WWII, survival, or the people of the Riviera during that time?

In reading The Lost Children, I hope readers are inspired by Eleanor’s courage and grateful for the choices we have in modern life. The people living on the French Riviera during one of the war’s most chaotic Occupations displayed great humanity in the face of unimaginable cruelty. That a few thousand Jewish people were transported to death camps out of many tens of thousands who sought refuge in the city is a testament to the bravery of French individuals. It has been an honour to write this story, and I hope as many people as possible have the chance to read it.

WWII History

What led you to write historical fiction, and do you plan to continue in this genre?

Historical fiction has been my preferred genre since I was a child, when I read my first Holocaust and survival memoir, The Diary of Anne Frank. I studied European History as part of my first university degree. As a teacher, I taught senior and junior history. It was clear that female characters are often overlooked in retelling history.

When I read Irene Nemirovsky’s Suite Francaise, my passion was ignited, and I knew I had to write about ordinary women forced to do extraordinary things. When my research uncovered the rescue network in Nice to save Jewish children, called the Marcel Network, based in the bishop of Nice’s palace, the historical genre became my focus.

How has your perspective on WWII or the region changed through your research and writing?

While denunciations and informers caused problems and catastrophes, the main characteristic I discovered in most real people and in the characters I created was good humanity.

Many children were hidden or rescued by ordinary French people during WWII. Some suggest the number was as high as 10,000. The courage to risk their own lives and those of their families or fellow villagers is something I wanted to explore in my story.

What advice would you give other writers attempting a first novel, especially one rooted in history?

Write a lot and read more. Be willing to let go of details and constantly ask, What do the characters know? It’s important to balance facts with plausibility. There is something magical in creating a world around significant events, such as the arrival of Gestapo Captain Alois Brunner from Paris, who established a subcamp at the Excelsior Hotel in Nice to register rounded-up Jewish people for transportation to death camps.

Buy: The Lost Children

More Wartime Books to Read

Chanel’s Riviera: Glamour, Decadence, and Survival in Peace and War, 1930-1944, by Anne de Courcy, is a true-life account of Coco Chanel’s life on the French Riviera between 1930 and 1944. The book is divided into two parts: the first depicts the lives and loves of the rich and famous who visited or lived in Cannes, Nice, and Antibes during those years, while the second describes how the Second World War affected their lives and transformed France and the French Riviera forever.

Philippe Collas and Eric Villedary’s book entitled Edith Wharton’s French Riviera. The book is a richly illustrated history of the French Riviera, created first by the British and later, after World War I, by the Americans.

Riviera Dreaming, Love and War on the Côte d’Azur, published in 2018, is the biography of American architect Barry Dierks. A name you have probably never heard of, despite the vast body of residential design work he completed on the Riviera.

Double Cross: The Second Crucifixion of Solomon Lunel by Nicholas Woodsworth hooked me in the first paragraph. At almost 90 years old, Solomon Lunel prepared his Shabbat eve meal of aioli paired with Provençal rosé, evoking memories of his days in Marseille as a younger man. He shared the supper with his son, David, a routine they had followed on Friday nights for years. With dinner finished, Solomon Lunel headed to the Lunel Foundation in Jerusalem, as this was his routine. However, that was the end of predictability!

From Nice: Chateau de Cremat and Chateau Ste Roseline Wine Tour

Venture into the scenic vineyards of Nice on a delightful 6.5-hour tour that showcases the art of winemaking and culinary delights. Start at the stunning Château de Cremat, nestled in the hills, where you’ll enjoy a guided tour and sample exquisite wines. Next, visit the historic Château Sainte-Roseline, where you can explore its beautiful estate and taste renowned crus.

Book this Experience

Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne has traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and blogging. Her first airplane ride at six months of age was her introduction to the exciting world of travel.

While in Provence, Carolyne can be found hiking with friends, riding the hills around the Alpilles or tackling Mont Ventoux. Her attachment to the region resonates in Perfectly Provence this digital magazine that she launched in 2014. This website is an opportunity to explore the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle (food & wine, places to stay, expat stories, books on the region, travel tips, real estate tips and more), through our contributors' articles.

Carolyne writes a food and travel blog Ginger and Nutmeg. Carolyne’s freelance articles can be found in Global Living Magazine, Avenue Magazine and City Palate (Published Travel Articles).