The City of Magicians Peter Gribble

Imagine standing in a vast field of white crosses stretching out before you as far as the eye can see. The silence is deafening, broken only by the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind. This was the powerful imagery that author Peter Gribble experienced as a 9-year-old boy visiting the Normandy War Memorial with his family. In a recent podcast interview discussing his novel “The City of Magicians,” Peter opened up about the profound impact that war had on him as a child, shaping his worldview in ways he never could have imagined.

“I remember feeling overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of those crosses,” Peter recalled. “Each one represented a life lost, a family shattered, a story left untold. It was a moment that stayed with me forever.” As he walked among the solemn rows of graves, Peter couldn’t help but feel the weight of history bearing down on him. The silence surrounding war in his childhood only added to his sense of bewilderment, as if the past held secrets too painful to be spoken aloud.

1. Can you take us back to that moment when you were 9 years old, standing in the Normandy War Memorial? How did that experience shape your understanding of war and its impact on individuals and societies?
2. Growing up in France, you mentioned that there was a silence surrounding the war. How did this silence influence your perspective on history and lead you to explore themes of conflict and memory in your writing?
3. your book, The City of Magician, readers can see the influence of your childhood experiences with war. Can you discuss how these experiences have shaped your writing style and the themes that you explore in your work?
4. How did the emotional impact of witnessing war at a young age affect your approach to storytelling and character development in your book?
5. Can you share a personal anecdote or reflection from your childhood that has directly influenced a scene or character in The City of Magician?
6. How do you navigate the fine line between fiction and reality when drawing upon your personal experiences with war in your storytelling?
7. In what ways do you hope your book will shed light on the lasting effects of war and the importance of remembering and understanding history?

Reflecting on his experience, Peter spoke about the emotional and psychological impact of witnessing the aftermath of war at such a young age. “It made me question the senselessness of it all,” he said. “How could humanity be capable of inflicting such devastation on itself, and for what purpose?” The silence that surrounded war in his childhood only added to his sense of confusion, leaving him with more questions than answers.

This moment of reckoning with the reality of war shaped Peter’s perspective on history, memory, and society in profound ways. It ignited a passion in him to uncover the untold stories of those who had been forgotten or overlooked, to give voice to the voiceless and shed light on the dark corners of our collective past. Through his writing, Peter seeks to challenge our complacency about war, to confront us with the uncomfortable truths that we would rather ignore.

As I listened to Peter’s reflections on his childhood experience at the Normandy War Memorial, I couldn’t help but be moved by the depth of emotion and empathy in his voice. His words spoke to a universal truth about the impact of war on individuals and communities, about the scars that it leaves behind and the stories that it erases. It made me wonder how we can honor the memory of those who have been lost to war, how we can learn from the mistakes of the past and forge a more peaceful future for generations to come.

In a world that seems increasingly divided and polarized, Peter’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of empathy, understanding, and reconciliation. It challenges us to confront our own fears and biases, to listen to the voices of those who have been silenced, and to strive for a world where war is a distant memory, not a current reality. As we stand among the white crosses of the past, let us remember the lessons of history and work towards a future of peace and harmony for all.