Bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe was born in Evanston and was living in River Forest when her husband was offered a job in South Carolina.
“It was hard for me to leave,” she said. “I loved River Forest. But you never know what’s awaiting you in the future.”
The couple moved to a barrier island outside of Charleston where Monroe joined a local group dedicated to sea turtle conservation. The work inspired her bestselling novel, “The Beach House,” which features a character who tends to the animals that lay their eggs in the beach’s sand.
“It cemented my idea that I can make a difference through storytelling,” she said.
Monroe continued penning novels that feature both strong characters and messages about the importance of conservation with the Lowcountry Summer Series, which focused on dolphins. While she was doing research for those books in Florida, Monroe was asked to help with a program for wounded warriors.
“I became, through my volunteering, aware of the challenges facing our vets with PTSD,” she said. “I was struck by their courage and their trauma. I became aware of the power of service dogs to deflect the depression and anxiety of those with that disorder.”
Monroe decided to dedicate a book to that issue, penning “A Lowcountry Christmas,” a standalone novel starring Taylor McClellan, one of the characters from her Lowcountry Summer Series. The book was released on Oct. 25 and Monroe sign copies of it at The Book Stall in Winnetka on Nov. 23.
“I had carried this story in my heart for three years,” Monroe said.
The novel is told from the perspectives of Taylor -— a veteran with PTSD -— his 10-year-old brother, and his mother. Monroe’s son is a marine and she said the chapters told from the mother’s perspective were especially personal.
“I was the mom,” she said. “I was blessed my son did not come home with PTSD. It did give me the opportunity to talk about what it’s like to be a mother of a son who’s deployed.”
“A Lowcountry Christmas” is Monroe’s first novel set during the holidays.
“I decided I want to write it at Christmas because not only is it my favorite holiday but Christmas is a hard time for people with trauma and PTSD because it affects everyone in the family,” Monroe said. “They come home and the family doesn’t really recognize who they are.”
Monroe drew inspiration for her latest novel from classic holiday stories such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Carol.”
“[‘A Christmas Carol’] is my favorite Christmas book,” she said. “We take for granted the powerful message of redemption that Dickens tells. Redemption is possible for us all, even the most wretched among us, if we have faith.”
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Information: 847-446-8880; thebookstall.com
Mary Alice Monroe book signing
When: 2 p.m. Nov. 23
Where: The Book Stall, 811 Elm St., Winnetka
Admission: Free