What is your nicest memory of your old homeland?

My nicest memories are from the time when I lived in Gasperich with my mother and my grandparents. In those days there were lots of meadows, mostly farm land. I loved that. Some Sundays, my grandfather would take me to the forest, where the old men gathered to carve walking sticks, tell stories, and drink a beer or two.

You live in San Diego today. Do you come to Luxembourg on and off, and if so, with what feelings?

I regularly visit Luxembourg. I am always impressed with the changes. There are more residents, and Luxemburgish towns seem livelier than long ago. The old Luxembourg I remember was about farmers, cows, and little villages—in the midst of each stood a church. It seems different somehow today; you feel a certain lively energy. I don't know which Luxembourg I'd rather—long ago, or modern.

But you must love it enough today, because you've applied for citizenship.

It is a sentimental journey for me. I love Luxembourg. After all, Luxemburgish is my mother-tongue. My roots like in the Grand-Duchy. The land here is a part of me.

Is Valley of Seven Castles your first novel set in Luxembourg?

In fact, it's the first of my novels that is centered in Europe. I'm already working on the next one. I wanted to relive my memories of Luxembourg with Valley of Seven Castles. I have long marveled at John Buchan's novel The Thirty-Nine Steps, and at the movies made from it. I studied his work thoroughly, and let his structure inspire my novel. Besides that, I am interested in political theory, and that also plays out in my story.