Owing to the rise in popularity of audio books, talking books are now featuring in the Handbag Gallery. Improved digital technology has made the audio book more accessible to readers. I invited bestselling author, Imogen Matthews, to explain how she transformed her words into a talking book with the help of a BAFTA nominated actor. Imogen has charted her book’s journey into the audio world.
At the beginning of this year, I decided to turn my novel, The Hidden Village, into an audiobook, but had no idea where to start. The audiobook market, I’m told, is booming, especially among young people who like to listen to books on their commute, in the gym, when out cycling and running or at home preparing a meal.
Amazon’s ACX (http://www.acx.com/) can take you through the process step-by-step and made it sound fairly straightforward. They would help with everything, from finding a narrator to providing guidance on how to produce my audiobook and getting it distributed onto Amazon and other distribution channels. So far so good. ACX has a big database of narrators all waiting to audition for your book and all you have to do is decide the type of voice, tone and accent you want for your book. I listened to a few narrators and although there was nothing wrong with any of them, I didn’t feel the right connection I so wanted for my book.
In the meantime, some other options arose, which sounded a great deal more exciting. Early on, I had the chance to work with a well known British stage and TV actor and was blown away by his audition…but work got in the way and he simply couldn’t commit as he was on tour in a musical until June. Maybe he’ll be free for my next book?
Liam Gerrard narrated the audio version of The Hidden Village
My disappointment was short-lived after I was introduced to Liam, a BAFTA nominated actor, who has narrated dozens of books. Together with his audiobook producer, the delightful Catherine, an Englishwoman based in the US, they have created and produced my audiobook, and I couldn’t be more pleased.
Working with Liam was a dream. We had several phone conversations in which he asked me searching questions about the narrative, characters and foreign words. He took the job seriously and must have read my book multiple times to get under the skin of each of the characters (of which there are many!). I trusted him to go away and narrate the whole story, which I then listened to, all 9 hours and 37 minutes, over the course of a weekend in April.
It was a very strange and wonderful feeling hearing the words I’d written being brought to life by an actor. Liam added layers of meaning and tension to the story I honestly hadn’t realised were there. It made me realise that my role, as an author, is merely to tell the story – and from then on in, the reader/narrator takes over.
I did think of asking Imogen to present the audio version of her article. What do you think of audio books?
Introducing Imogen
About Imogen:
Imogen Matthews lives in Oxford, England and is the author of two romantic fiction e-novels. The Hidden Village is her first historical fiction novel. Born in Rijswijk, Holland, to a Dutch mother and English father, the family moved to England when Imogen was very young. She has always enjoyed holidays in Holland and since 1990, has gone regularly with her husband and two children to Nunspeet on the edge of the Veluwe woods. It was here that she discovered the story of the hidden village, and together with her mother’s vivid stories of life in WW2 Holland, she was inspired to write her next novel.
The Hidden Village: Deep in the Veluwe woods lies Berkenhout, a purpose-built village of huts sheltering dozens of persecuted people.
Deep in the Veluwe woods lies Berkenhout, a purpose-built village of huts sheltering dozens of persecuted people. But the Germans can find no proof of its existence. The whole community pulls together to help the Berkenhout inhabitants adjust to a difficult new life and, above all, stay safe.
Sofie, a Jewish Dutch girl, struggles to adapt to living in Berkenhout, away from her family and friends. As weeks turn to months, she’s worried they’ll abandon her altogether. Young tearaway Jan likes to help, but he also enjoys roaming the woods looking for adventure and fallen pilots. His dream comes true, until he is found out. Henk is in charge of building the underground huts and organizing provisions to Berkenhout, but his contact with the Germans arouses suspicions.
Whom can you trust? All it takes is one small fatal slip to change the course of all their lives forever.
The Lost Girl is a significant, groundbreaking novel about our troubled times. The stories of two women, born decades apart, breathes life into well documented periods of history. Marguerite, the actress, was a young woman in France during the forties. Kurtiz, a photographic journalist, began her emotional journey in the nineties. The poignant parallel between the life experiences of Marguerite’s and Kurtiz provides the engaging narrative structure of this novel.
View Paris through Kurtiz’s lens
Marguerite and Kurtiz meet in a Paris bistro, on the fatal night of November 2015. Kurtiz is searching for her missing daughter and husband. Loneliness drives Marguerite to visit the bistro daily, thus she is delighted to have an audience for her memories.
The tension surrounding Kurtiz’s search for her daughter, Lizzie, made me afraid to read on. We all know what happened, we all watched the news footage of the terrible events in Paris. This novel takes the reader into the centre of the action, via Kurtiz, and makes your heart ache with her anxiety.
‘She hugged the building, bouncing her shoulders off walls as she advanced, keeping herself clear of the line of fire…’
This happened in Paris, in 2015, and we are taken into the heart of the terrorism. This is such a stark contrast to the relaxed scene before the attack. The guests in the bar were ‘such fresh young faces rouged by the cold November air, energized by life. Paris gearing up for the weekend.’ As a reader, one instantly connects with the irony of the statement, and raw emotions are exposed.
We view the atrocities of Paris, 2015, through the lens of Kurtiz’s camera, filtered with the anxiety for her daughter and husband. The rhythm of the camera clicking is conveyed in the pace of the language and repetition; a vivid visualization of the scene.
‘Heads in laps, heads thrown backwards, eyes closed or open, staring, dead-eyed, fisheyed. Locked in a nightmare.
The fragility of civilization is cracked via the words! This document of events is then viewed through Kurtiz who asks, ‘Was he shielding Lizzie? Was she also in the old theatre at gunpoint, or had she managed to escape?’ I was there, with Kurtiz shouting ‘LIZZIE!’ My head pounding with the intensity, involuntary tears escaping.
The terrorism in Paris is contrasted with Kurtiz’s time in the Middle East where a mother loses her son. Kurtiz worked a photographer in conflict zones, in the Middle East . During Kurtiz’s time in the Middle East the reader observes her despair at the death of the young boy, whilst also gaining insight her relationship with her daughter.
Kurtiz’s emotional life is explored from the beginning of her relationship with Oliver, her husband. The tenderness and hope of love is beautifully conveyed after her first night with Oliver. She wakes up to the ‘glorious summer morning. A morning like no other, blossoms abounding, soaking up the heat, bees and butterflies flitting from one flower head to another.’
The colours of Marguerite’s love for Charlie
Similarly, the colours of Marguerite’s love for Charlie are conveyed in La Cote d’Azur when ‘she was happy. She was energised, shot through with a rush of joy as she had rarely known before.’ Until then, Marguerite’s joy had been blighted with events that happened during a screen test: such a relevant message in the wake of the #metoo campaign.
Perspective shifts from close-up of the character’s life to the long shot of the world issues. The texture of this novel reliant on skilful blending of time-frames and layers of emotions. Marguerite felt ‘such a tangle of emotions’ while Kurtiz deals with ‘more emotions than she would ever be able to identify’. The movement from disequilibrium to disequilibrium across time-frames is both exhausting and powerful.
I lingered on each word and viewed the book from different angles. There were infinite and subtle shades of colour in this outstanding writing. Drinkwater explores the shifting light between troubled times and people’s lives. The cruelty of war, cruelty of innocence and cruelty of waiting are explored in the perfect language choices.
‘I have come to realise that kindness and laughter are two of the richest gifts I can share and enjoy.’ Carol Drinkwater
Like Kurtiz, I released a ‘strangled cry’ as I moved towards the end of the novel. Marguerite’s loss continues to ‘gnaw’ at my thoughts. Despite the trauma, there is a message of hope. This novel rendered me speechless. I cared deeply for the characters, and the power of the mother’s love guided me until the end. The emotional landscape of this novel will never leave me!
I would like to thank Carol Drinkwater for this brave and beautiful novel.
‘It is a story with a miracle at its heart and, from time to time, we all need one of those. Through the bleakest of days, though we may not be aware of it, hope and redemption are always present. The light always returns. The sun always rises.’
Carol discusses The Lost Girl, in my Chat Room. Find out about the inspiration behind the novel and what motivates Carol to write.
Carol is an award-winning actress and Sunday Times bestselling writer
About Carol Drinkwater:
Carol is an award-winning actress and Sunday Times bestselling writer. She was probably most famous for her role of Helen Herriot in the fantastically popular TV series, All Creatures Great and Small. She lives on an olive farm in the south of France with her husband, Michel, and several dogs.
‘Autumn is the best time of year for me to write because the tranquillity inspires reflection.’
The light is magical in October and bathes everything in a warm glow. There is also a stillness in the air, suggesting nature is waiting to go to sleep so that it can create more colour in the spring. Autumn is the best time of year for me to write because the tranquillity inspires reflection.
As leaves flutter to the ground, characters come to life. The promise of the festive season hovers as winter waits patiently to present the first shimmer of frost. It is no wonder, then, that I am delighting in penning a Christmas scene at the moment.
I am writing a novel set in World War Two. It is a joy to escape to the era where my grandmother was a young woman and the festive season required creativity. At Christmas time, my grandmother made her own festive wreaths and table decorations with foraged holly, ferns and berries and added bows and gold paint. She told me stories of how my great grandfather spent months making and renovating toys in the lead up to Christmas. I have given this resourceful nature to the characters. Everyone was creating Christmas decorations the last time I visited my novel.
‘Thanks to my grandmother’s memories of the era, love and laughter are shining in the scene packed with friends and family.’
Thanks to my grandmother’s memories of the era, love and laughter are shining in the scene packed with friends and family. Furthermore, families are collaborating to celebrate Christmas and there are some heartwarming moments, especially when gifts are exchanged. Romance is also sparkling but a mystery lurks beneath the Christmas magic.
‘As leaves flutter to the ground, characters come to life’
When I listen to the characters chat, I reflect on how we can create a unique Christmas without all the expense. Recent events have made me very aware of how much people matter and my characters teach me new things all the time. I am excited to share this heartwarming story one day, but for now I am enjoying the process of cutting back the scenes and walking amongst the words that have fallen.
Wishing you all a calm and creative autumn.
For more information about my writing and how Wales inspires my stories, please click on the links to the Frost Magazine below.
Jena C. Henry, boomer blogger, podcaster and author, convinced me to end my blogging drought, grab a golden handbag and share an exciting new release with you. With an exclusive peek at opening chapter of Jane Cable’s ‘Endless Skies’, Jena could not wait to share her views. Without further ado, I will hand my blog over to the lady with the golden handbag crammed with reviews of opening chapters.
Jena C. Henry, boomer blogger, podcaster and author.
Like many of you, I have spent most of my days sheltering at home, reading books for hours. Thanks to the Handbag Gallery, I was able to safely browse and find good reads to keep me company. Thank you Author Friends for writing so many “take me away” books.
And now, a Golden Chapter opportunity has appeared, like the sun from behind the clouds. Endless Skies by Jane Cable, published by Sapere Books, will be released on July 27, 2020.
“Endless Skies” evokes a word picture for me. I gaze up, then turn my face even higher to the arc above, endless and infinite.
The sky has its own blue color, not an ordinary blue jean blue. The height and expanse for this blueness makes me feel small, but at the same time, full and boundless. The curve of sky is a structure solid and strong, yet it must also be soft and sheer, able to be pierced by a weightless beam of sun. Is heaven on the other side? All things are possible and eternal on a radiant day.
But too often in this blue arc, dark clouds pile up, lightning flashes, the wind blows away the peace. An enemy aircraft roars over the horizon, a black mark on the perfect sky. Bombs drop. Where is heaven now?
This is not a story one skims, rather it is a leisurely walk through a beautiful garden with lovely word pictures and emotions.
Having pondered the title, “Endless Skies”, let’s look at the Prologue and First Chapter. Jane Cable’s romance begins with a Prologue that introduces a pilot in his aircraft nearing his base, returning from enemy lands. The fighting is over for him, at least for this night. The skies do seem endless and he has a woman and a promise the size of the sky waiting for him. But trouble seems to be close to him, too.
The First Chapter introduces us to Rachel, in the present day, who tells her story in the first person. Rachel has been forced to uproot her life and move to a new university teaching position. She is an intelligent young woman and a woman who appreciates antiques and fine objects and accessories. She carefully unpacks her beloved Gran’s Royal Albert Festival tea service in her new, stark apartment. Her setting is important to her and this place does not suit her or comfort her.
At this point in the book, there are no boundless, optimistic, endless skies for Rachel. She has had to end yet another awkward romance, and a memory of a sad event when she was only eighteen is never far away, always ready to hurt and shake her. A few things do interest her in her new surroundings, including an old RAF base and a houseboat.
Author Cable writes dense, lyrical prose. This is not a story one skims, rather it is a leisurely walk through a beautiful garden with lovely word pictures and emotions. The timelessness of the writing, the setting and the introduction to Rachel, all with the hint of an airman from years ago, and the promise of endless skies, makes for an inviting opening to the rest of the story. I plan to keep on reading when the book is released.
Ms. Cable says, “I write romance with a twist, that extra something to keep readers guessing right to the end. While my books are character driven my inspiration is always a British setting.”
And now, a Golden Chapter opportunity has appeared, like the sun from behind the clouds. Endless Skies by Jane Cable, published by Sapere Books, will be released on July 27, 2020.
This is Jane Cable’s fourth book. Are you looking forward to reading it? I’m sure you are! Care to have a chin-wag about this book? I adore discussing books I have read. Here are some questions to get us started.
Do you like World War II stories?
Will Rachel find happiness?
What twist is coming?
“I write romance with a twist, that extra something to keep readers guessing right to the end. While my books are character driven my inspiration is always a British setting.” Jane Cable
Jane Cable says, “The past is never dead.” Do you agree?
A big thank you to Jena for this sensitive review of the opening chapter. ‘Endless Skies’ sounds like a fascinating insight into World War Two.
Travel with Jennifer S Alderson to Amsterdam and find out what has happened to some missing Dutch masterpieces. Jennifer asked me to hide the paintings in the Handbag Gallery, but if you read the novel then the secrets will be revealed. A pesky amateur sleuth will guide you through the mystery. Sit back in your armchair, turn back the clock to World War Two. Time to immerse yourself in a narrative, inspired by detailed historical research, and meet the author’s favourite characters.
Dear readers,
I am delighted to share an extract from my art mystery set in present-day and wartime Amsterdam – The Lover’s Portrait.
Home of Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Dutch Jewish art dealer. His story, along with others, inspired the novel.
It is the second novel following the adventures of my travel and culture loving protagonist, Zelda Richardson. This time she’s discovered a cache of priceless artwork is hidden somewhere in Amsterdam. Trouble is, someone else is prepared to do anything to find the missing masterpieces first – even murder.
This extract is set in Amsterdam in the spring of 1942 when the Nazis occupied the city. Since the German Army stormed into the Netherlands two years earlier, bombing raids, neighbors disappearing, and food shortages have become normal occurrences. Philip Verbeet and Arjan van Heemsvliet are hiding the artwork Zelda will later search for. Their actions and conversation provide clues as to why these paintings must be hidden away.
I have chosen this extract because it introduces you to heart of the mystery, as well as two of my favorite characters in the novel.
Based on the many lovely reviews posted about my novel, if you love art, history and a good mystery, you will enjoy The Lover’s Portrait. And reading it now is a great way to prepare for the release of my next art-related mystery, Rituals of the Dead, on April 6th!
Happy reading!
Take care,
Jennifer
Presenting the extract
EXTRACT (From Chapter One):
June 26, 1942
Just two more crates, then our work is finally done, Arjan reminded himself as he bent down to grasp the thick twine handles, his back muscles already yelping in protest. Drops of sweat were burning his eyes, blurring his vision. “You can do this,” he said softly, heaving the heavy oak box upwards with an audible grunt.
Philip nodded once then did the same. Together they lugged their loads across the moonlit room, down the metal stairs and into the cool subterranean space below. After hoisting the last two crates onto a stack close to the ladder, Arjan smiled in satisfaction, slapping Philip on the back as he regarded their work. One hundred and fifty-two crates holding his most treasured objects, and those of so many of his friends, were finally safe. Relief briefly overcame the panic and dread he’d been feeling for longer than he could remember. Preparing the space and artwork had taken more time than he’d hoped it would, but they’d done it. Now he could leave Amsterdam knowing he’d stayed true to his word. Arjan glanced over at Philip, glad he’d trusted him. He stretched out a hand towards the older man, “They fit perfectly.”
Philip answered with a hasty handshake and a tight smile before nodding towards the ladder, “Shall we?”
He was right, Arjan thought, there was still so much to do. They climbed back up into the small shed and closed the heavy metal lid, careful to cushion its fall. They didn’t want to give the neighbors an excuse to call the Gestapo. Not when they were so close to being finished.
Philip picked up a shovel and scooped sand onto the floor, letting Arjan rake it out evenly before adding more. When the sand was an inch thick, they shifted the first layer of heavy cement tiles into place, careful to fit them snug up against each other.
As they heaved and pushed, Arjan allowed himself to think about the future for the first time in weeks. Hiding the artwork was only the first step; he still had a long road to go before he could stop looking over his shoulder. First, back to his place to collect their suitcases. Then a short walk to Central Station where second-class train tickets to Venlo were waiting. Finally, a taxi ride to the Belgian border where his contact would provide him with falsified travel documents and a chauffeur-driven Mercedes-Benz. The five Rembrandt etchings in his suitcase would guarantee safe passage to Switzerland. From Genève he should be able to make his way through the Demilitarized Zone to Lyon, then down to Marseille. All he had to do was keep a few steps ahead of Oswald Drechsler.
Just thinking about the hawk-nosed Nazi made him work faster. So far he’d been able to clear out his house and storage spaces without Drechsler noticing. Their last load, the canvases stowed in his gallery, was the riskiest, but he’d had no choice. His friends trusted him – no, counted on him – to keep their treasures safe. He couldn’t let them down now. Not after all he’d done wrong.
When a Dutch art dealer hides the stock from his gallery – rather than turn it over to his Nazi blackmailer – he pays with his life, leaving a treasure trove of modern masterpieces buried somewhere in Amsterdam, presumably lost forever. That is, until American art history student Zelda Richardson sticks her nose in.
After studying for a year in the Netherlands, Zelda scores an internship at the prestigious Amsterdam Historical Museum, where she works on an exhibition of paintings and sculptures once stolen by the Nazis, lying unclaimed in Dutch museum depots almost seventy years later. When two women claim the same painting, the portrait of a young girl entitled Irises, Zelda is tasked with investigating the painting’s history and soon finds evidence that one of the two women must be lying about her past. Before she can figure out which one and why, Zelda learns about the Dutch art dealer’s concealed collection – and that Irises is the key to finding it.
Her discoveries make her a target of someone willing to steal – and even kill – to find the missing paintings. As the list of suspects grows, Zelda realizes she has to track down the lost collection and unmask a killer if she wants to survive.
The Reviews
“Gripping mystery that explores the provenance of artwork that was hidden from the Nazis during World War II and reappears in 2015… As the narrative unfolds and the truth is revealed, the suspense is intensely magnetic and the characters equally captivating.” – BookLife Prize for Fiction 2016, No. 14 in Mystery category (8 out of 10 stars)
“Well worth reading for what the main character discovers – not just about the portrait mentioned in the title, but also the sobering dangers of Amsterdam during World War II.” – IndieReader
“The Lover’s Portrait is a well-written mystery with engaging characters and a lot of heart. The perfect novel for those who love art and mysteries!” – Readers’ Favorite, 5 star medal
Jennifer S Alderson, author
Jennifer: I am an avid traveler, journalist, art historian, and long-time expat, who draws inspiration from my own adventures and interests when writing.
Writing this novel was a three-year labor of love that combined several of my passions. Finishing it was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Of all the characters I’d invented, I missed Arjan van Heemsvliet the most. He was such a kind soul; I’ll miss chatting with him.
In a nutshell my novel is about: missing masterpieces, Nazi blackmailers and a pesky amateur sleuth.
About Jennifer
Jennifer S. Alderson worked as a journalist and website developer in Seattle, Washington, USA, before trading her financial security for a backpack. After traveling extensively around Asia and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands. There she earned degrees in art history and museum studies. Home is now Amsterdam, where she lives with her Dutch husband and young son. Jennifer’s travels and experiences color and inform her internationally-oriented fiction.
I am delighted to showcase Jennifer’s The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery. She has been inspired by art, travel and history – a perfect trio for me. I adore books that give me an insight into an unknown history. The strapline is intriguing:
When a Dutch art dealer hides the stock from his gallery – rather than turn it over to his Nazi blackmailer
Jennifer S Alderson Rituals of the Dead
Jennifer’s next mystery – Rituals of the Dead – is available as pre-order – release April 6th.
Zelda is pulled into a world of shady anthropologists, missionaries, art collectors, and smugglers, where the only certainty is that sins of the past are never fully erased. Set in Amsterdam and Dutch New Guinea, art, religion, and anthropology collide in the exciting thriller, book three of the Adventures of Zelda Richardson series
M. W. Arnold is celebrating the release of his saga novel – A Wing and a Prayer. When I discovered the novel is about women pilots, I had to find out more. I invited Mick Arnold to tell me why he decided to write A Wing and a Prayer.
‘How many people do you know who say, often as a throwaway, I could write a book! Then go on to say, if only I had the time.
‘A Wing and a Prayer’ isn’t one of those books. However, it also wasn’t planned. A couple of years ago, I wrote and had my first book published, ‘The Season for Love’, a contemporary Women’s Fiction story. I followed this up with a bout of ill health which lasted the best part of two years. Good author friends suggested it would help to write something new, instead of taking up an unfinished project. The theory was, by going for a new, unrelated project, I could take myself somewhere I hadn’t been before. It worked.
‘Strong female characters and the true British stiff upper lip to keep calm and carry on in order to find out what happened! This book was more than a wonderful story, it was also a history lesson and I just loved it!’ Amazon Reviewer
Write what you know; is also said. I love history and the same day this was suggested to me, I caught a program on television about the women (men did the same job) pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary who ferried aircraft to the operational squadrons. Now, that sounds interesting, I thought. So, I spent the whole of the rest of the day scrolling through the internet for anything along the same lines.
I’m usually a pantser but on this occasion, I found myself planning out a saga novel. I’d only ever read a couple but with help and suggestions, again from the same friends, I knew what it needed to read like. Quicker than I’ve ever done, this novel came together and the The Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club was born! I didn’t set out to write a mystery into the story of how four girls from different parts of the world find a way of living and working together, yet the first scene in the story sets the scene with one of the girls sisters being found dead in the cockpit of a Tiger Moth biplane!
I served for over sixteen years in the Royal Air Force, travelling all over the world and, of course, the United Kingdom. Some of the bases I served on were once visited by these brave people I’ve written about and I feel honoured to play a small part in keeping their story alive and in, perhaps, bringing it to a new audience. Their bravery needs to be heard about and with this story, the first in the ‘Broken Wings’ series, I hope to be able to perform this task I’ve set myself.’
M W Arnold lives near Northampton, UK and is known to his family and friends as, Mick.
M W Arnold lives near Northampton, UK and is known to his family and friends as, Mick. He was in the Royal Air Force for 16 years, visiting many different countries and very much enjoying himself. If he ever meets the Queen, he will have to thank her. He began writing as these characters needed their own voices. For a few years now, he’s been a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, a wonderful group of writers who’ve welcomed this bloke into their fold with open arms.
This historical saga of an extraordinary Australian pioneer family continues into a new generation
I have been idle for two days and it is Rosemary Noble’s fault. I travelled from innocence to experience with her character, Sadie. She had my ear as soon as I walked into this thrilling family saga. This hard-hitting, realistic document of challenging times deals with: propaganda, inequality, domestic violence and loss. Insight into Australia and England placed me in the centre of the historical periods.
Strategic juxtaposition of Sadie’s life during World War One Australia and World War Two Grimsby is brilliant. Noble explores how our experiences make us react in the future thus providing depth to Sadie’s character. Wounded by past troubles, Sadie makes decisions that made me want to sit her down and give her advice. Tempting questions hang artfully in each chapter of this novel. The trajectory of the plot is driven by the intense drama: the action never stops.
A photo of Sadie (she is the standing bridesmaid). This is the only one I have. She is a bridesmaid for her brother, Joe and his wife, Olive. Grandma Jane is sitting next to her. (I found this photo on the author’s website).
I moved from the air raids and community spirit in Grimsby to Sadie’s privileged life in Australia. Neither the ‘uninterrupted sky changing from purple to cobalt’, nor the ‘endless grey skies’ of Grimsby can shelter Sadie from the harsh reality of life. In her innocent years, she is brainwashed by war propaganda then learns about the impact on people as she moves through her life. Sadie is raised to ‘obey your father until you marry then obey your husband.’ Like her contemporaries, the social straightjacket causes Sadie pain. Noble shows the inequalities between men and woman at the turn of the century and contrasts it with changing attitudes in post Second World War Britain. Historical events, attitudes and politics are artfully woven into the narrative fabric of the novel.
Chateau Yering as it is today
Details of a wealthy life in Australia at the turn of last century intrigued me. I lingered on the verandas and looked at the ‘rich grassland and vineyards as far as the eye could see, framed on by majestic mountains.’ I admired Sadie’s wardrobe of beautiful clothes but realised her wealth and over-protection of her father made her more vulnerable. At every turn, I felt empathy for the young Sadie who is isolated by her ignorance. ‘Her marriage seemed like a distant dream and her husband merely an actor in it’, and I wanted to chat with Sadie. Noble explored love so beautifully in the novel. There is an enchanting, exciting love story, as Sadie learns what real love means.
The wiser, experienced Sadie charmed me. I sat with her as she waited to discover if her sons would return safely from the RAF. Noble takes the reader into the heart of air raids in Grimsby. The air raid provides a backdrop to the inner turmoil Sadie suffers, and all these emotions are vividly connected to experiences of the past. Events in post-World War One Australia were shocking. An intelligent, powerful and deeply moving novel from Rosemary Noble.
About the Book
An astonishing tale, spanning continents, where truth is stranger than fiction. This historical saga of an extraordinary Australian pioneer family continues into a new generation.
Sadie is brought amongst the vineyards of the Yarra Valley whilst her work-obsessed father reaps riches from the boom years before the Great War.
With post-war depression looming, Sadie’s only option is to flee from her disastrous marriage, seeking refuge in Cleethorpes, a small seaside town in northern England.
Years later, when her sons are in RAF Bomber Command, she receives a letter from her long-lost brother which forces her to confront the past and her part in her family’s downfall.
Can old wounds be healed?
Will she find new love?
Will this second war destroy everyone she saved?
Rosemary Noble is the author of Sadie’s Wars and the Currency Girls Trilogy. This is her favourite writing spot.
About Rosemary
Rosemary worked as a college and university librarian and has a life-long love of social history and reading. Researching family history led to an interest in Australia where Search for the Light ends and provides the setting for the sequel, The Digger’s Daughter. A third book in the Australian series, Sadie’s Wars, is now available.
Rosemary is a member of Arun Scribes Creative Writing Group and a member of CHINDI (Network of Independent Authors). Her third book, Ranter’s Wharf is set in England during the first half of the nineteenth century. In odd moments, she writes flash fiction for Paragraph Planet and Drabble.
I am honoured that Angela wrote a letter to explain the inspiration behind Tuscan Girl. Sit back and enjoy a writer’s tour of Italy.
Bestselling author, Angela Petch, released ‘Tuscan Girl’ last week. I started to read the novel on a stormy Saturday night and awoke at dawn to finish the book. Lost stories of war, hidden treasure and buried memories gripped me. As a writer, I wanted to learn how this talented author manages to weave such captivating stories. I am honoured Angela wrote a letter to explain the inspiration behind Tuscan Girl. Sit back and enjoy a writer’s tour of Italy.
In the Tuscan Apennines, where I spend six months of every year, I can step out of our front door straight into wild countryside. Our area is less populated after post war exodus, when people left for work abroad and in big cities and so I come across many ruined houses along the mule tracks that crisscross our hills and valleys.
Each abandoned dwelling holds a potential story and my imagination goes into overdrive, trying to guess what might have gone on within these walls, now strangled with weeds.
Many of the old houses are being eaten up by old man’s beard
When I was seven years old, my father accepted a job in Rome as deputy head of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. They were formative years and I picked up Italian like a little sponge. I’ve wheedled out stories behind these houses by chatting to elderly friends and through my research. We are lucky to have the national archive of diaries in nearby Pieve Santo Stefano and I’ve spent hours poring over handwritten resources.
Bruno sitting outside the house owned by his son, who had just returned from collecting wild mushrooms.
One of my friends is Bruno Vergni, one hundred years old last January 13th. I met him seven years ago on one of my hikes. I stopped to chat as he pruned an apple tree and, to my huge surprise, he responded in English. He explained that he had been a POW in Nottingham, having been captured in Libya early in the war.
I researched more about Bruno’s war and he is now one of the main characters in “The Tuscan Girl” (albeit tweaked with my own ideas). He now lives with his son, but in my story I have placed him in one of the semi-deserted hamlets called Tramarecchia.
Pieve Santo Stefano holds Italy’s collection of diaries – a wonderful resource
A favourite walk is up to the beautiful Alp of the Moon, (1,400 metres). We stopped to picnic by a pile of stones and read a sign posted by the local partisan association. Up here, in the summer of 1944, a group of young men planned their resistance missions. After researching and meeting a local historian, Alvaro Tacchini, more ideas for my book were gleaned.
An abandoned chapel, two houses on the outskirts of the village, empty because of a brothers’ squabble, the outline of a Medici fortress… all ruins waiting to be written about in future books.
Angela’s explanation connected me to Alba who treks around the remote Tuscan villages and rebuilds the ruins in her paintings. She discovers ‘The paths…like arteries leading to the heart of new stories.’ I enjoyed treading these paths with Alba and look forward to more stories.
