PROFILE: North Tonawanda novelist tells grandparents love story

Laura DeSantis

July 14, 2007 03:44 pm

— Love stories like the ones in the movies never happen in real life — or do they?
In Christy Bennett’s book, “Our Girl,” Bennett describes her grandparents’ love story, which began in Tonawanda and continued throughout World War II mainly through letters. Bennett’s grandfather, Arnold Gaeth, served as a radio operator in the European Theatre and wrote to his wife, Emily, for two years while abroad. Bennett discovered the letters during visits to Tonawanda to see her family. The letters, numbering more than 300, served as her inspiration to write the book.
“I have a fascination with World War II,” said Bennett. “I have always loved history, but it took me awhile to realize what I wanted to do. There was this feeling I got when I thought about (the letters) or when my grandfather told me a story.”
Bennett’s process was more than just reading letters, though. It took three years to research, write the book and find a publisher. Since she is also a full-time therapist, Bennett’s time to work on the book was at 5 a.m., when she would get up and write while listening to Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra.
“It was really a spiritual process,” Bennett said. “My publisher said, ‘Oh my God, I feel like your grandmother wrote this,’ and also for me, just reading those letters I felt like I got to know her.”
Though much of the book takes place in training camps around the country and in Europe, Tonawanda is also a centerpiece of the story. The Riviera Theatre, Herschell Carrousel Factory and Remington Rand are just a few of the local landmarks mentioned in Bennett’s book.
After the long journey to write and publish “Our Girl,” Bennett hopes her grandparents’ story will inspire others as much as it inspired her.
“I kept thinking to whoever was telling me to write this, if it gets published, it would be unbelievable, but what I really wanted was for my family to learn.”
“Our Girl” is available on Amazon.com under C. Bennett and through the Faithful Publishing by calling 1-888-860-5394