Shattered Days

Book excerpt: With the world on the brink of collapsing to the Nazi regime, the world is looking for a miracle. One is found in an open field in northern France on March 19, 1944. Thaddeus Grace is left for dead by the Germans and presumed dead by the United States. He awakens with no memory of who he is, how he got there, or what he is doing there, armed with only a photograph. He is driven to make a difference and fight his way through the war and find the woman in the photograph, who saved him. Throughout, he is faced with many insurmountable odds. He faced them all while inspiring a nation to rise and defend their homeland. But this leaves the question to be answered. Who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? And what role did she play in his life? Can the beauty of a woman inspire a lost soldier to lead an army against the greatest of odds to change the fate of the world? That question is answered on March 19, 1944, in northern France. This story is inspired by the true events of Zara and Thaddeus Grace and the amazing love that has stood the test of time for over seventy years. Three years ago, I asked my great-aunt Tiny (Zara Grace) to tell me about Thaddeus Grace. She immediately lit up as if she was falling in love for the first time. She talked about him over the next two days. I could easily see how proud she still was of him and how much she was in love with him today. I knew at that point I had to tell this amazing story, which takes us back to WWII. I am honored to tell this story of my family.