In one succinct sentence, author Kimberly Stuart describes her latest novel like this: “Operation Bonnet is a story about love, family, aging and catching life’s fastest curve balls.”
Basically, Operation Bonnet (David C. Cook) is a big ol’ slice of modern life with a memorable character in the driver’s seat. “I began with Nellie, the protagonist, who has christened herself the town genius and aspires to be a private investigator. I saw wild red hair, a sassy sense of humor and a surprising gentleness with her aging grandmother,” Kimberly shares. “Sometime during my early musings, I heard someone in the book industry comment wryly on readers’ fascination with the Amish. He said all I needed to do with my next book was slap a bonnet on the cover.
“I laughed, knowing I was not cut out for Amish fiction. I thought, What could possibly be funny about the Amish? Wait—unless…
“So, I got to thinking about what would happen with Nellie and an Amish family in the same room. Girl with inflated view of herself goes ‘undercover’ for her debut detective case and infiltrates a people known for their humility. I know I’m onto an idea that can work if I giggle when I think about the synopsis. I plopped Nellie next to an Amish community and Operation Bonnet was off and running.”