April 2025 marks the 80-year anniversary of true events that inspired The Sower of Black Field. Join me as I reflect upon the journey that has shaped my life—and that of my family.
One of my favorite reflections on history comes from a TIME magazine special edition that I bought in 2003—“80 Days that Changed the World.” In the intro article, “Why History Doesn’t Follow the Rules,” Jeff Greenfield writes, “History comes with its very own Doppler effect: as our point of observation changes, so does our understanding of what we are seeing.”
That’s a profound statement in my case. Twenty years ago, in April 2004, the course of my life had dramatically changed but I didn’t have the perspective to know that yet. It had only been a few short months since I’d first heard of the Passionists, or the Bavarian town of Schwarzenfeld—or the relative in my family who had defended this place from the American army. He was Fr. Viktor Koch, C.P., my great granduncle (father’s father’s uncle). Looking back from 2025, I can say that I’ve gained a far more nuanced understanding of WWII history—and a deeper sense of faith than I ever thought possible. These are things worth sharing.
April 2025 marks the 80-year anniversary of true events that inspired The Sower of Black Field. Throughout the month I’m going to post reflections, quotes from documentation, photos, and snippets of eyewitness recollections that I collected as I was learning the story. Many of these details made it into The Sower of Black Field. Some were relegated into the background—or never made it into the novel. I think everyone will find it an enlightening glimpse into the final days of the Nazi regime (as witnessed by Fr. Viktor and his parishioners in Schwarzenfeld). I’ll present posts that correspond with historical events, giving followers a perspective of how they all unfolded back in 1945.
And as always, I invite you all to pick up the novel! The Sower of Black Field is available in paperback, eBook / Kindle, and audiobook on Amazon. Check it out:
