There is no record of how many POWs migrated to the U.S. after the war. Those who did were often sponsored by the employers they’d worked for as POWs. I spoke with descendants of former POWs who had migrated to Iowa after the war, and they maintained that the POWs had been treated well in Iowa, that there was nothing for them back in Germany but devastation and ruin.
More than 2,600 ballrooms once dotted the landscape of the United States. That number has dwindled to one hundred. The Surf Ballroom is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The original ballroom burned down in 1947 from unknown causes, and I took creative license in imagining the fire and its cause. The new Surf was rebuilt the following year across the street. Virtually every musical legend has played there. Although many big bands performed throughout the years, the Surf is better known as the place where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson gave their last performances before their plane crashed in a field north of Clear Lake, Iowa. Every year a “Winter Dance Party” is held on the weekend closest to February 2, the anniversary of their final performance.
My own parents met at the Surf, as have thousands of couples over the years. If there are ghosts haunting it, they must be the ghosts of people who found it a magical place.
Acknowledgments
I’ve been fortunate to have my writing hand held by editors, encouraging friends, and relatives. Mary Logue read an early version of this story and convinced me it was worth pursuing. Alexandra Shelley knew how to ask the right questions, and turned a scattered mess of a story into a publishable draft with her professional guidance and detailed critique. My agent Irene Goodman unfailingly encouraged me while pushing me to higher standards. This story would never have seen the light of day without her.
Thank you to everyone at Thomas Dunne and Macmillan, especially my editors Melanie Fried and Anne Brewer who championed this book, assistant editor Jennifer Letwack, copy editor Anna Leuchtenberger, and all who worked on bringing this story to light.
This book owes its creation and fulfillment to many oral historians, some I’ve known my whole life, and others I met while researching this book. My aunts Dixie Mennen and Betty Smith were both generous in sharing their memories of the Surf Ballroom and the big bands that played there, as well as the effects of World War II on their hometown and their own personal lives. Jean Casey, former director of the Clear Lake Library, referred me to H. Duesenburg, who volunteers in the history center and knows almost everything about Clear Lake. He helped me find pictures, posters, and old newspaper articles about the Surf Ballroom. Laurie Lietz, executive director of the Surf Ballroom and Museum, provided me with additional support and materials. Andrew Thoreson answered my fire-related investigation questions. Ralph Beha helped with the German translation. Dr. Richard Rattay shared his father’s story as a former POW who later resettled in Iowa.
My critique groups The Intrepids and Whole Novel Group have kept me on a writing schedule for years. They offer wholehearted support while challenging me to do better, and my life has been enriched by their friendship. I owe Janet Graber a special thank-you for reading many versions of this story over the years, each time with fresh insight and helpful suggestions.
I wouldn’t have written this story if my parents hadn’t met at the Surf Ballroom, if they hadn’t fallen in love and provided nurturing lives for their seven children in North Iowa. I hope they’re enjoying a special dance in celebration of this book.
Young Adult Novels by Loretta Ellsworth
In Search of Mockingbird
Unforgettable
In a Heartbeat
The Shrouding Woman
About the Author
Loretta Ellsworth grew up in Mason City, Iowa, near the famous Surf Ballroom, where her parents met. A former teacher and a graduate of Hamline University with a master’s degree in writing for children, she is the award-winning author of four young adult novels. She has four children and six grandchildren and lives in Lakeville, Minnesota. Stars Over Clear Lake is her first novel for adults. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
Young Adult Novels by Loretta Ellsworth
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
STARS OVER CLEAR LAKE. Copyright © 2017 by Loretta Ellsworth. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.stmartins.com
Cover photographs: couple © Elisabeth Ansley/Trevillion Images; sky © David & Myrtille/Arcangel Images
Title-page photo courtesy of freeimages.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-09703-3 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-25009704-0 (e-book)
eISBN 9781250097040
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First Edition: May 2017