Pam Webber is the author of the new novel Massawa. Her other novels include The Wiregrass. She is also a nurse practitioner, and she lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Q: What inspired you to write Massawa, and how did you create your character Kit Thomas?
A: My brother, Carl Bayliss, aka Buddy, inspired the story. He’s an amateur historian who’s really not an amateur at all. His knowledge and insight into the little-known stories of WWII are phenomenal.
I was having lunch with him one day, lamenting about what I would write about next, and he shared the story of the Miracle at Massawa. I knew instantly that it would be my next book.
In preparing to write Massawa, I read multiple books on the OSS, MI6, and female spies in World War II. The two that impacted me the most were A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell, which highlighted the incredible work of Virginia Hall, and Wild Bill Donovan by Douglas Waller, which highlighted Donovan’s seminal role as the father of American espionage and sexpionage.
I could hardly believe the courage of Hall and the audacity of Donovan. Both helped sculpt the character of Kit Thomas into a fearless yet naive spy who didn’t hesitate to use her gender as tradecraft.
Q: What did you see as the right blend of fiction and history as you wrote the novel?
A: Great question! The story of Massawa is extraordinary, but as with many historical events, supporting documentation is often incomplete. I was able to use believable fiction as a vehicle to tell the story and to fill in history’s blanks.
Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: The first thing I did was read Admiral Edward Ellsberg’s book Under the Red Sea Sun (provided by my brother). Ellsberg was the naval officer responsible for the Miracle at Massawa.
I then began an exhaustive review of the books and documents surrounding the events in Eritrea, and specifically Massawa. These documents included the declassified materials at the National Archives.
I was also lucky enough to connect with Ellsberg’s grandson, Ted Pollard, who shared letters that Ellsberg wrote to his wife during his time at Massawa. Some potentially controversial issues that Ellsberg did not want to include in his book came through in his letters. His grandson has since posted these letters on a website dedicated to his grandfather (https://www.edwardellsberg.com/).
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says that it “keeps readers engaged with a heady mix of adventure, romance, and surprising revelations, all amplified by the high stakes of wartime espionage.” What do you think of that description?
A: Another great question! It’s almost surreal to read a review that reflects what you intended to create all along but weren’t sure you had. For this author, a Kirkus starred review is an attestation that I got it right. I’m so grateful to them!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: The sequel to Massawa. I set up the storyline for the sequel in the last chapter of Massawa so now all I have to do is complete the research and write it. Just to offer a hint to your readers, the story takes place in Algiers.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Yes. Massawa provides insight into how courage is operationalized, both in the context of what it took for the Miracle at Massawa to happen and in how a young, inexperienced female spy survives her trial by fire.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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