The cost of war

October 30, 2026Leave a comment

“𝘾𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙜𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙮’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙮𝙚𝙩. 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙒𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙋𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝘾𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙊𝙏𝘾 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚. 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙜𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧!” – 𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙧

NEXT CHAPTER PUBLISHING

Historical Fiction

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to the Graves Registration Service where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Order your copy today

Praise for Your Forgotten Sons

“What a brilliant book! I couldn’t put this novel down…It is a solid five-star read. An unputdownable accounting of innocence, greed, the horrors of war, and the selfishness and criminal behaviors of some who seek to profit off the misfortunes of others. Your Forgotten Sons should be a must-read for all lovers of fiction, especially WWII fiction. The tale was educational, provocative, enlightening, and so well done. I hope Anne Montgomery writes another tale such as this. Her books have found a place on my bookshelves.” – Virginia Dill Book Sirens

“Spectacular! One of the most personal books about WWII history that I’ve ever read…The characters in this book are so well crafted that the reader feels like they know them…My only regret is that it ended.” 5 Stars – Deacon Tom F, former USAF Lt Col., Amazon

“Although a defty crafted work of original fiction, “Your Forgotten Sons” by Anne Montgomery is inspired by a true story. An original and inherently interesting read from start to finish, “Your Forgotten Sons” will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciated pick.” – Midwest Book Review

“Your Forgotten Sons” by Anne Montgomery is a historical fiction novel that intricately explores the emotional turmoil of war, immersing readers in its richly crafted world and leaving a lasting impact with its nuanced characters and poignant storytelling.” – Chrysalis Brew Project

“This was a quick, riveting read that really challenged me to think differently about our servicemen and women, especially those who take on the jobs that don’t get heroically depicted in the media or news…I really highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a different take on American history. I left it with a newfound appreciation for the unsung heroes.” – Bekah C NetGalley

“The story of Bud is tragic and evokes strong emotions, a sense of having lost a buddy in arms, a brother you knew and loved…The conclusion may not be what the reader expects, however, and the reveal is shocking. War is hell. 5 stars.” – Virginia Williams Rosepoint Publishing

“Certainly Montgomery’s best book yet. Should be required reading for West Point Cadets and ROTC students, but more importantly mandatory reading for those of us that are casual observers of conflict. The book shifted my paradigm about the personal cost of war, and especially what it takes to clean up after a battle. Montgomery continues to be an outstanding story teller!” – Bill Clarkson Goodreads Reviewer

“This is the truth. It’s gritty and painful and bittersweet – and true. When you think you’ve read every perspective of WWII, along comes Bud to break your heart.” – Bridgett Siter Former Military Reporter

“Anne Montgomery writes a strong story and I was hooked from the first page. It had a great concept and I enjoyed that this was inspired by a true story…It was written perfectly and I was invested in the story. Anne Montgomery has a great writing style and left me wanting to read more.” – Kathryn McLeer NetGalley

Your Forgotten Sons: The origin story

June 22, 2024Leave a comment

Authors get ideas for books in a variety of ways. In my case, since I’m a former reporter, the topics for my novels often came from stories I read about in the paper or watched on the news, subjects, discoveries, or societal issues that intrigued me, inviting me to learn more about them.

My most recent novel, however, came to me in a different way. My friend was in trouble, a health issue that, if things went wrong, would have had disastrous results, possibly paralyzing her from the waist down. She asked for my help. And then, the night before the surgery, she made a strange request.

“No matter what happens to me, promise that you’ll tell Bud’s story,” Gina said.

“A book?”

My friend of 40 years nodded and, despite what she was facing the next morning, she smiled.

How could I say no?

The blog Women Writers, Women’s Books asked me to write about how my World War II historical fiction novel Your Forgotten Sons—which was released June 6^th in honor of the 80^th anniversary of D-Day—came to be and the pitfalls I faced in my efforts to tell the story.

Find that article here.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Released June 6, 2024

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Order Your Copy Today

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

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Inspired by a true story: What’s that mean?

May 11, 2024May 11, 2024Leave a comment

My new historical fiction novel Your Forgotten Sons, which will be released June 6^th, 2024 in honor of the 80^th anniversary of D-Day, tells the story of Sergeant Bud Richardville, a man who served in the Army’s Graves Registration Services in Europe during World War II. Right on the cover you’ll see the words “Inspired by a true story.” But what does that mean?

First let’s talk about what the book isn’t. Your Forgotten Sons is not based on a true story, because by definition “the expectations are that the characters, storylines, and a majority of the scenes that you present within the script are primarily based on actual occurrences.”

But that doesn’t mean Bud’s story is made up. The phrase inspired by a true story indicates that “it’s based on a real-life event, but that a lot of the characters and scenes surrounding it are fictionalized.”

In Bud’s case, the facts of his story are true. I utilized letters he wrote to family members, oral histories, interviews, and correspondences from the military to determine who Bud was and what happened to him. Sadly, his military records were not available, because in 1973 a massive fire raged through the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, destroying approximately 17 million official military personnel files. The records for servicemen and women who had been discharged between 1912 and 1960 were wiped away, the flames consuming 80% of the Army’s archives, Bud’s among them.

***I did my best to tell Sergeant Bud Richardville’s story, even though I didn’t always have the facts.***

However, I was able to follow Bud’s path through Europe by utilizing the postmarks on his letters home, stamps that gave me dates and locations. Those postmarks, along with his letters, led me to believe that Bud was stationed in England just before D-Day, was part of the invasion at Normandy, was at the Battle of the Bulge, and was in Czechoslovakia when General George Patton’s Third Army liberated that country from the Nazis.

It was only when the book was going to press that I recieved a copy of Bud’s obituary which read, “He landed in France on D-Day and was with Hodge’s First Army as a member of the 606 Graves Registration Company. Action took him from France to Luxembourg, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Germany.” So there it was. Proof that the postmarks had confirmed where and when Bud served.

When you read Your Forgotten Sons you will meet other soldiers in the GRS. They are entirely fictitious. Bud did not directly name the men he worked with, so I used my imagination. Nor is the woman Eva real. Though quiet family whispers suggested that Bud may have fallen in love with a woman while in Europe, nothing is known about her, so I created what I hope is a realistic character to serve in her stead. Note that all of Bud’s family members mentioned in the book were real people, as was Bud’s wife Lorraine, though she was shrouded in mystery even when Bud married her. While there is some historical information based on the real Lorraine, she remains an enigma.

I’ll admit that following Bud’s footprints was difficult, still I believe readers will understand my need to create scenes and dialogue that best represent the truth of Bud’s story. In the end, my hope was to remember a man who served his country well, a man who never came home, a man whose remains lie buried in the American Cemetery in Épinal, France, interred there by the soldiers who worked by his side.