Victoria Winterhalter
Writer of Young Adult Historical Fiction
What I'm Querying
When We Were Enemies offers readers readers the intrigue of Elizabeth Ross’s The Silver Blonde, the friendship of Cambria Gordon’s Trajectory, and the betrayal of Monica Hesse’s The War Outside.
When We Were Enemies
Sixteen-year-old Francesca Fazzari dreams of becoming a radio broadcaster, but it’s 1941 and her Italian parents believe a woman should layer lasagna, not announce the news on the air. When Fran’s teacher starts a Radio in Schools program, Fran hopes to convince them she doesn’t need to cook dinner to earn a voice at the table.
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Except Mussolini declares war on the United States, making Fran’s desire to trade her spatula for a microphone feel trivial compared to the challenges her relatives face on the home front. The FBI locks up Fran’s Italian uncle at Ellis Island and the government labels her mother an enemy alien. When her older siblings join the war effort, Fran’s father threatens to pull her out of school so she can help her depressed mother with the housework.
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Desperate to keep her radio dream alive, Fran teams up with her friend, Nick, to gather evidence to exonerate her uncle, believing it’s the fastest way to bring him home and cure her mother’s agita. They quickly realize there is a traitor in town and her mother might be arrested next. Fran doesn’t know who to trust.
A radio contest tests her loyalties. Fran thinks broadcasting the unfair treatment of Italians in America will help her win since few are reporting on it, but Nick thinks the truth will result in her mother being locked up with her uncle. Forging her future will require Fran to confront her feelings for Nick and speak up for herself, even when it could cost her family their freedom.
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​When We Were Enemies is complete at 75k words.
What I'm Writing
What Scares Me More is The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby meets Endangered by Eliot Schrefer.
What Scares Me More
Eighteen-year-old Cindy Winter’s life is all planned out, at least that’s what everyone thinks. They don’t realize she’s having doubts about going to the state university and becoming an elementary school teacher. She’s been accepted at her dream school but hasn’t had the heart to tell her parents or her boyfriend.
When Cindy’s grandmother surprises her with a trip to the rainforest for her high school graduation, her parents and her boyfriend are against it. There’s a lot of political unrest in Ecuador and there’s no guarantee she’ll be safe. Cindy has always longed to see monkeys in the wild and fears if she doesn’t chase her childhood dream now she never will. Wanting to break up with Tom ever since what went down after their prom, Cindy declares she needs space and packs her bags for the jungle.
Except navigating the scientific expedition is more challenging than Cindy expects. Luckily, she befriends Fran, who is also about to leave for college. Together, they travel to the jungle, and when Cindy hears the howler monkeys, she believes she might thrive in the rainforest. Then, she meets the mud: knee-deep and soul-sucking.
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After another volunteer suffers an injury, Cindy’s past comes back to haunt her. She confides in a college student whose taken a gap year, but when his plans start to become hers, she must confront the fears holding her back and the reality that sometimes moving forward means letting go.
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What Scares Me More is a work-in-progress at 70k words.
The Stories Behind the Stories
When real life inspires manuscripts.
When We Were Enemies
My great-grandmother was one of the 600,000 Italian enemy aliens living in the United States during World War II. Her story inspired this fictional account of an untold chapter in America’s history.
What Scares Me More
Prior to graduate school, I traveled to the Ecuadorian rainforest on a scientific expedition. My experience inspired this story about how sometimes the best way to find yourself is to first get lost.
About
Victoria Winterhalter aspires to craft coming-of-age stories about characters who learn their self-worth. She is an Associate Professor of English for the Virginia Community College System, where she teaches composition and Children’s Literature. Born in New Jersey, she currently lives in Virginia with her husband and two daughters.
Winterhalter Writes
I like the focus on Italians in the US during WWII, the unexpected and well-handled present tense, and the emphasis on radios during the war, especially for young people. Fran realizes her words can make a difference. I applaud her.
A family’s love is a lot like food. Maybe that’s why Italians are famous for it. It nourishes your heart until you meet again – whether that’s the next vacation, the next holiday, or the next generation.
Their stories not only play a valuable role in the telling of history, but also offer future generations a chance to emulate their courage when bringing to life our country’s ideal of liberty and justice for all.
Karen Cushman
Newbery Award-winning children's author on When We Were Enemies
Victoria Winterhalter
in Richmond Family Magazine
Victoria Winterhalter
in Richmond Family Magazine
Contact
For any inquiries, please contact Victoria Winterhalter.
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