19.Aspects of our personalities, especially our fears, are oftentimes forged by childhood memories. Wolfgang witnessed the horrific death of his father, only to learn the truth of what he had seen, tragically, years after the fact. Discuss a time in your childhood that you may have seen something you didn’t understand.
20.How do hope and redemption play a role in the novel?
21.Two women were pregnant during the story: Mary Sue, who delivers a healthy baby, and nurse Rita, who commits suicide out of fear. What were the fears of the time as they pertained to bringing a new life into a world of incurable disease?
22.McVain and Wolfgang had a strained relationship. How are they similar? How are they different? How did Wolfgang’s learning about McVain’s tragedy during the battle of Chateau Thierry change these opinions?
23.At one point, McVain jokingly mentions Wolfgang’s fear of having two wives in heaven. Discuss Wolfgang’s relationships with both Susannah and Rose.
24.If you were a patient inside Waverly’s walls, how would you have been involved with the choir and the orchestra?
25.In a movie, what actors would you cast for the various characters?
26.Waverly Hills is widely considered one of the most haunted buildings in the world, even eighty years after the story takes place. If the spirits did still roam the solarium porches, which character in the novel would you most want to meet? Where? What would you discuss?
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Butler Books for bringing this story to life in its original form, The Requiem Rose. Carol, Billy, Eric…A White Wind Blew thanks you! And to the late Bill Butler, our conversations inspired me to keep writing. To my parents, Bob and Patsy Markert, for your continuous support and values…to Dad for all your help with the history of Saint Meinrad. Any mistakes are mine. To my brothers, David and Joseph, your friendship has always inspired me to be creative. To my sister, Michelle—all of those countless hours of practicing the piano…I was listening. The sound of your playing helped inspire this story. To Mickey and Roger Keys for your help with all things musical. To my cousin John for reading through that very first draft. Your advice is always helpful. To Craig, it’s always fun to talk stories. To Peter Gelfan and the Editorial Department for teaching me so much about fiction. To all those who read various drafts and let me bounce ideas off of them over the years…so many to name, and I’d be afraid to leave someone out. You know who you are. Thank you! Bobby Hofmann, loyal first reader, always. Thanks to everyone at the Louisville Tennis Club and Blairwood for all of your support. And to my Indiana tennis families, thank you, I’ve been truly blessed. The Internet sure came in handy while researching, as well as the Encyclopedia of Louisville. To Gill Holland for everything you’ve done for me and my career, giving me the opportunity to juggle books and movies. To Tim Kirkman, the best director I know: working with you made me a better writer and storyteller. To my amazing editor, Shana Drehs, for helping make this story the best it could be, and all of my new friends at Sourcebooks! To my agent at Writers House, Dan Lazar, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. I used to think an agent’s main job was to reject manuscripts, but no—they know what they want, and they know how to get it, and they make dreams come true. Thank you, Dan, for what you do not only as an agent, but also as an editor! Most importantly, I’d like to thank my wife, Tracy, for working so hard and allowing me the time and freedom to chase a dream.
James Markert
2013
About the Author
James Markert is a novelist, screenwriter, producer, and USPTA tennis pro from Louisville, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife and two children. He has a history degree from the University of Louisville. He won an IPPY Award for The Requiem Rose, which later became A White Wind Blew. He is the writer and co-producer of the new feature film and tennis comedy 2nd Serve. He is currently working on another feature film, a drama/comedy about food. He is also working on his next novel, The Strange Case of Sir Isaac Crawley, a story that takes place in the late nineteenth century and involves the theater scene, a lunatic asylum, a theatrical version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and possibly a few gaslights, some cobblestones, and an eerie fog.
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