By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Author and local real estate agent, Betsy Milane, spoke about her recently published book ‘Sixty Blades of Grass’ at The Center at The Heights on Wednesday, June 7th. Seniors listened on while Milane explained how her book is based around her own family’s exploits in the Dutch underground during World War II.
The overview of the book states, “The bond between a Dutch teenager and her father is tested as the Resistance wages its secret war against the Nazis, in this suspenseful, emotional novel. … Inspired by the author’s own family history, this is a riveting, heartrending novel of danger and betrayal that explores what it takes to lay down one’s life for another in the most harrowing of circumstances.”
Milane gave great detail into how her family navigated through life during the Nazi reign. She explained how her study abroad trip to Europe, during her junior year at Boston College, allowed her to learn all about her family's rich history. While learning all about her family during this time, she additionally mentioned how much research she did in order to write her book in its entirety.
It took Milane twelve years in total to write her book; as writing was not always at the forefront of her career. In between substitute teaching and selling real estate, Milane chipped away at her novel, while trying desperately to find a publisher to officially publish her book.
She discussed, “It’s funny, this time last year, everyday I woke up and I thought, ‘Will I be published? Is this going to happen for me?’ I had an agent and I thought ‘Well of course I have an agent, I’ll be published.’ And then a year went by, and then another year went by. And I was getting these rejections and after every rejection, I asked ‘Why?’ And they told me. So I went back and I put more chapters in the book and I ramped up the tension and I just kept revising. And finally, it hit. Which was kind of neat!”
Milane’s book ‘Sixty Blades of Grass’ was just released earlier this month and can be found on Amazon.
