Lincolnshire resident’s book set for local review

BY RONNIE WACHTER | rwachter@pioneerlocal.com November 12, 2012 7:52AM

Lincolnshire resident Ron Balson, the author of "Once We Were Brothers," shows of his book Friday at his Chicago law office. I Stacie Scott~Sun-Times Media

Article Extras

Updated: December 7, 2012 1:26PM

LINCOLNSHIRE — Lincolnshire resident and attorney Ron Balson recently published his first novel, “Once We Were Brothers,” through his independent publishing company, Berwick Court.

Available at both national and local distributors, Balson’s story covers two men who were childhood friends in Poland before World War II, but are separated by the conflict. One may have become a Nazi officer, and the other is determined to find the truth about him.

Having already been the subject of more than 100 discussion groups at libraries around the country, “Once We Were Brothers” will be the feature of an adult book-review group Nov. 20 at the Vernon Area Public Library.

Q: What inspired you to write “Once We Were Brothers”?

I represented a client who had an exclusive license to install cellular telephone service in southern Poland. A dispute arose with his equipment manufacturer and a lawsuit resulted in Chicago. All the witnesses were in Poland, so we had to travel there many times for depositions and investigatory work. When one travels to Warsaw or the smaller Polish towns, it is impossible not to be deeply affected by the scars of World War II. Evidence of the Holocaust is everywhere. I decided to write a story about an ordinary family in a small town and how they would have struggled to survive the war.

Q: How long did it take?

A: I am a slow writer. I can spend an entire day and only come away with two or three pages. Additionally, the book required extensive research. It took the better part of three years.

Q: What is the story behind the name of the publishing company?

A: After numerous delays in the traditional publishing arena, I decided to publish the book on my own. I formed a publishing company with my son Matthew and we named it after our street in Lincolnshire. It was also about control. We were able to choose the photo for the cover, the quality of the paper, the font, and the manner in which the book would be marketed and distributed.

Q: Are you working on any other books?

A: I’m a little more than halfway through writing my second novel. It is a sequel of sorts, with some of the same characters; however, the story is set in the present. It’s a tale of embezzlement and abduction against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict.

Q: What kind of law do you practice?

A: I have been doing civil litigation for 40 years, in the state and federal courts.

Q: What attracted you to the legal world?

A: It’s a service profession, one in which there are many opportunities to be of assistance to others. It draws upon my limited talents of writing and speaking. I don’t know what else I could do. I can’t hit a fastball.

Q: What brought you to Lincolnshire?

A: I grew up on the North Shore. It’s always been a great area to raise a family. The schools are excellent. We moved to Lincolnshire in 1987. For many years, my wife and I were active in the Lincolnshire Community Association. We were honored to receive the community’s award of Citizens of the Year in 2005. But to my way of thinking, our greatest accomplishment was organizing BooFest.

Q: If you could be Mayor for a day, what would you do?

A: I’d ask Brett Blomberg what I was supposed to do.

Q: What book do you recommend for a future library discussion group?

A: Along the same genre as “Once We Were Brothers,” I would recommend Leon Uris’ “Mila 18,” a book about the Warsaw Ghetto.

Show / Hide Comments

© 2011 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.

Special Home Delivery Offer