A Tapestry of Tangled Lives
Date Published: April 6, 2026
Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing, Arizona, US www.parulagrawal.com
A story of human connection between twins, between lovers, between comrades in war, set against the shadow of the evangelical religion and its judgments."
Based on a childhood of shadowy secrets surrounding her parents’ marriage and the rigid judgment of the Evangelical religion, the author attempts to find her truth. A work of historical fiction and romance, it spans the era of WWII and beyond, weaving the story of her father, mother and aunt (her mother’s twin sister). The unexpected twists and turns mirror those of our own lives, and readers can empathize and identify with the characters’ humanity as they struggle with their flaws. The power of religious judgement is explored along with the strength and resilience of individuals challenged by the ethics of life. This is also a fascinating study of the complexities of being twins. With the strongest of bonds that overwhelms their very different personalities, their love for the same man creates a gulf between them that threatens their entire adult relationship. It is also a story of a man and how he navigates his own journey after love and loss. When his WWII experience takes him to countries he has never dreamed of seeing, and opens him to the excitement of new cultures, he finds new meaning. At the same time, his bonds to his comrades in arms and their shared experiences of battlefield traumas leaves him with emotional scars. A story of secrets and the power of love, the themes of self-doubt and second chances are embedded in the narrative, along with the acceptance of one’s actions following painful choices.
A story of human connection between twins, lovers, comrades during World War 11, families, and generational trauma, set across the United States and Europe and against the shadow of the Evangelical religion and its judgments. A family saga of secrets, shadows, and unspoken enduring love, and its impact across three generations, based on a true story of lived experience. A work of romantic, historical fiction, The Man in the Middle; A Tale of Tangled Lives is based on the true story of the author’s parents. It follows their youth in the early 1900s in US, through the years of WWII in Europe, and after, and their lives as friends, lovers, parents, and elderly individuals.
This is a story of love and its many forms. There are no heroes or demons, only people dealing with their humanity. Or maybe there are heroes: Luke, as he navigates his life honourably and responsibly, while harbouring feelings for more than one woman; Anna as she comes to terms with her selfish impulses and attempts to overcome them; Pierrette, who recognizes and accepts that she cannot give Luke the life he wants, and that their love is not enough. Karoline is perhaps the true heroine of the book. A victim of the religious beliefs she is trapped by, she finds it impossible to love herself. Instead, she spends her life feeling inferior to her sister and undeserving of Luke’s love. At Luke’s passing, she finally receives the confirmation of her worth and her place as the love of his life.
What is
the hardest part of writing your books?
I’ve only
written one book, but the most difficult part was the initial “unloading” of
the story. It was the “vomiting”, so to
speak, of all the pieces that I have been containing inside for so many years
and trying to make sense of. I lived the story but didn’t know how to process
it or the emotions that resulted for me. When I began writing the book, it was
simply an effort to understand the people in my life who raised me. Once I
began to write their story, I started to understand who they were, human beings
with strengths and flaws like all of us, and I experienced a new love and
appreciation for them as people, not just parents. Although the process was
rewarding, it was also torturous at times as I struggled with the truth of what
happened. However, writing it was cleansing for me and allowed me to purge
myself of the guilt I had grown up with. I am at peace now.
What are
your most played songs?
I especially
love the music of the 50’s and 60’s, particularly the songs of Roy Orbison,
Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel. I wasn’t allowed to listen
to them as they were considered “lustful” by the evangelical church I went to,
so now I listen to them all the time to make up for lost time! I also love
Celine Dion (especially her French album as it resonates with my life in
France) and Georges Moustaki (a French singer of the 60’s).
Do you
have critique partners or beta readers?
Yes, I have
a writing “partner” who accompanied me on this journey, my friend Kathy. She is
also writing a book and we met three times a week for 5 years to write, read
out what we had written, and critique each others’ work. We were college
roommates and have been friends for over 50 years. She knew my family and is
able to tell me when I go “offroad” with my characters and bring me back to the
truth. I also have beta readers both here in the US and in France and they have
given me invaluable feedback all along my writing journey.
What book
are you reading now?
I’m reading
The Elements by Jonathan Boyne and really enjoying it. It appeals to my love of
Europe as well as my interest in how people “work”. I have only read a little
of it, but am already intrigued and engrossed.
How did
you start your writing career?
I started
writing as a child, journaling and writing short stories. I have always been
fascinated by words and what you can do with them to create so many different
scenarios and characters. I never considered writing seriously, though, until I
reached the age of 70 when I had lost my parents and realized that I had never
explored who they really were as individuals. I was missing them terribly and
wanted to understand and “get to know them” and find out why I had been left
with such conflicting feelings of who they were. As I wrote about their lives,
I began to appreciate them and how much they had given me and to let go of the
grudges I harbored as a result of some of their actions toward me (as we all
do, I believe, when we accept our parents’ roles and realize they were acting
out of love). I now have peace.
Tell us
about your next release.
I have no
other novels planned, but I am very interested in pursuing short stories
(hopefully, a little more accomplished than the ones I wrote when I was eight
years old) and flash fiction (a story in a restricted number of words that
really challenges you).
About the Author
"The author lives half-time in San Diego, CA, and half-time in a small village in Southern France. This is her exploration of the unexplained secrets that shadowed her childhood and the consequences that haunt all our choices."
“I wrote this book to come to terms with my past. I wanted to understand the people who raised me, through the fictional characters of Karoline and Luke, who represent my parents and my mother’s twin sister, Anna, who represents my aunt. My childhood was full of love, but as I watched the individuals around me, I sensed a drama that excluded me. I knew my father had been in WWII and experienced Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and much more during the four years he spent in Europe. The way he talked about the world he had discovered there intrigued me and I knew there was more to tell, which he never spoke about. My mother adored my father, but there was a tension in the room when my aunt was present. A connection between my father and my aunt was obvious despite their effort to hide it. Through the years, there were inadvertent comments that hinted of a previous relationship between them, but it wasn’t until the end of my father’s life that conversations took place that enlightened me. I didn’t ask, but they each wanted to tell their story, their truth about what happened. This book is my truth, my experience in living with them and loving them. It is my attempt to honor them by exploring their humanness and accepting that we are each a complex entity.”
Contact Links
Instagram: @julie.lee.williams
https://mybook.to/TheManintheMiddle
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