"Bringing Secrets to Life": A Conversation with Lisa Barr

Greer Macallister

May 30

Every author brings talents from their other pursuits to their fiction, and in Lisa Barr's case, her passion for journalism shines through. Her first three published novels—Fugitive Colors, The Unbreakables, and Woman on Fire—take place in different time periods and address different subjects, but they all display a thoroughness and an eye for carefully selected detail that honor Barr's career in journalism alongside her talent for creating memorable characters. Barr's newest novel, The Goddess of Warsaw, places a fictional Hollywood star into the very real setting of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. With a high-stakes plot and propulsive action, The Goddess of Warsaw doesn't just bring history to life, it carries the reader along through a tale of survival, love, revenge, and courage in the face of the impossible.

I sat down with Barr to discuss the persistent appeal of WWII stories, her hunger for research, and "bringing secrets from the past back to life."

Greer Macallister

First of all, I loved this book! Liv Constantine called it "utterly gripping" and it seems to me that's what sets it apart—every page, every action, feels like a matter of life and death. How much advance planning do you do in terms of plot and pacing as you sit down to start writing a novel like this?

Lisa Barr

At heart, I'm a research geek. My happy place is deep diving into a pool of documents, testimonials, and literature, dissecting the intricate inner workings of an important historical event like the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Given my background as an investigative journalist … I don't stop poking around until there are no stones left unturned and I get ALL the facts I need to support my story. After gathering research, which can take months or longer, I go into "mad professor" mode. My kitchen and dining room tables are covered head to toe with note cards and colorful sticky notes for about two weeks (drives my family crazy) as I lay out a timeline and create scenarios and even a "dossier" for each character. Then, I clear all the goods away (the key facts are embedded in my head), and I begin to write, letting my characters do all the work while I just hang out for the adventure. I'm very organized in a chaotic way. I also write "pretty" – I don't write a messy first draft. I only move on from a single chapter when it's in great shape and flushed out with key historical elements, cliffhangers, and strong dialogue. I'm not fast, but I'm steady, and there is a method and a rhythm to my madness.

Greer Macallister

One of the most challenging things about writing historical fiction is deciding just how much history to combine with how much fiction. You've clearly centered the book on a real-life historical event, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, but at what point in the process did you decide to weave in a second, more fictional timeline? The two work together beautifully.

Lisa Barr

I always say I am a historical fiction/suspense/romance writer. Sometimes it is hard to pigeonhole my work, and I kind of love that. ("Nobody puts baby in a corner" – LOL!) A writer friend who read an early copy of Goddess said to me: "Only you could do Holocaust sex scenes like that …" It made me smile, but the deeper message is .... Yes – I relish writing the unexpected. I love when ordinary people do extraordinary things. I love taking a real situation and giving it a fictional twist – providing the human touch that brings history alive and makes it both dark and riveting. But at its core, I never change the history itself, and rarely play with timelines. Authenticity is key even with the fictional aspects woven in. That's the journalist in me. Goddess is about an actress with a dark secret past, who becomes a legendary Hollywood "Femme Fatale" whose personal war never ends. My fierce protagonist, Lena Browning (born: Bina Blonski) is more human than historical. She loves hard, kills with purpose, has deep flaws, fears, a high-octane sex drive, and she's sassy. She survives by being an actress, assassin, and an avenger (and not always in that order). Lena/Bina had the last word during the war, and she will have the last line in Hollywood. There are at least a dozen real historical events weaved throughout her fictional story. And I am thrilled when readers ask … Did that actually happen? And of course it did, with a little twist of my pen. The combo of great fiction. historical truth, and finding the right balance makes for provocative discussion. That's my jam.

Greer Macallister

Historical fiction set in World War II has clearly been at the forefront of the bestseller list for years now. The reading public seems to have an endless appetite for WWII stories -- maybe because there are so many different stories from that period to tell. Why do you think that this particular niche of historical fiction continues to capture writers' imaginations and readers' attention?

Lisa Barr

Tales of World War II have defined every nation, and all of us. Our grandparents, great grandparents' lives, the stories we heard growing up. It is the war among WARS, with an endless reserve of good vs. evil anecdotes, and lots of blurred lines. Most inspiring for me are those stories relating to the triumph of the spirit. In Goddess – it's David vs. Goliath. Jews vs. Nazis – trying to survive against unfathomable circumstances. My entire family was defined by this war, and its legacy. As a little girl, my father – a Holocaust survivor who came to this country at 13 with everything taken from him and his family, rose to become a prominent doctor. He taught me to always fight for what I believe, to stand up to hate, and to never be afraid to tackle the hard stuff in my writing. I think what readers of WWII historical fiction truly devour are against-all-odds stories, which are intoxicating and fascinating – and of course, make for unputdownable page-turners. WWII stories provide the whole package: history, suspense, passion, revenge, and resilience – a one-stop shop. And if you throw me into the mix, you will ALWAYS get a strong, fiery female protagonist, who will lead the way.

Greer Macallister

Your skills as a journalist must come in handy in so many different aspects of the novelist's life, including research, promotion, and of course, meeting deadlines. How and when did you decide to make the transition from nonfiction into fiction?

Lisa Barr

I loved being a journalist but admittedly, I love being an author more. Having worked as a journalist for more than 25 years, really helped me stay focused and disciplined in my fiction writing. In the beginning of my literary career, I was a journalist by day and would work on my fiction at night. But every word I write, every story I tell — the who, what, when, where, why, and how (Journalism 101) is etched in my brain. You can take the girl out of journalism, but not the journalism out of the girl. Writing must be tight, and every word counts. It's the same in fiction, but you have the luxury to expand, to add all the adjectives that as a journalist you are forced to leave out. I have been fortunate that as a journalist I've interviewed many celebrities, VIPs, politicians, and world leaders. The one thing you realize is that once you strip away the titles, everyone wants the same thing: to love, be loved, feel safe, feel worthy and experience joy, accomplishment, and acceptance. As a journalist, I learned what makes people tick and I apply that skill to my fiction. I have strong research skills, which can be a blessing and a curse. I know where to find difficult information, but writing a book takes me a lot longer than some other authors because I'm Type A when it comes to fact-checking sources and background information. My training as a journalist also taught me the most important skill as a writer: How and when to exit a chapter and leave the reader wanting more.

Greer Macallister

Without giving too much away, was there a particular real-life moment or fact that you found in your research that you absolutely had to include in the book? There are so many jaw-dropping moments, and I'm sure readers are curious how many are inspired by the (also jaw-dropping) historical record.

Lisa Barr

A smaller piece of history that I absolutely had to include in The Goddess of Warsaw was "Operation Paperclip" — one of the darkest post-war secrets – depicting how the U.S. government saved more than 1,600 prominent Nazis – scientists, engineers, technicians — in a covert intelligence operation, bringing them to America for government employment after the end of WWII, hiding their true identities to bolster our space program against Russia, etc. I think my favorite part of historical research is finding these types of nuggets that no one talks about, then sticking them into my book and bringing all secrets from the past back to life.