📖 Book review ~ Lily by Rose Tremain

 

Random House UK
Vintage
Chatto&Windus

11 November 2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Nobody knows yet that she is a murderer...

Abandoned at the gates of a London park one winter's night in 1850, baby Lily Mortimer is saved by a young police constable and taken to the London Foundling Hospital. Lily is fostered by an affectionate farming family in rural Suffolk, enjoying a brief childhood idyll before she is returned to the Hospital, where she is punished for her rebellious spirit. Released into the harsh world of Victorian London, Lily becomes a favoured employee at Belle Prettywood's Wig Emporium, but all the while she is hiding a dreadful secret...

Across the years, policeman Sam Trench keeps watch over the young woman he once saved. When Sam meets Lily again, there is an instant attraction between them and Lily is convinced that Sam holds the key to her happiness - but might he also be the one to uncover her crime and so condemn her to death?

📖 My Thoughts..

The eponymous, Lily Mortimer is abandoned as a baby and left in a London park from where she is rescued by Sam Trench, young police constable, who delivers baby Lily into the ordered world of the London Foundling Hospital. This harsh environment which shows its young inhabitants no affection comes alive in the description of what life was like for those children who had, quite simply, been abandoned to their fate. 

Lily's early fostering with the kind hearted Puck family in rural Suffolk is the only bright spot on what seems like a very dark journey for Lily, a journey which takes a decidedly darker turn when she is forced to leave behind a loving family only to return to the Foundling Hospital as a bewildered six year old. Lily's life unfolds before us in this intriguing Victorian melodrama which has both pathos and poverty. 

Well written, and cleverly researched, there is a real sense of the darker side of life which brings Victorian London alive in such an authentic way so that you practically feel the grime and sense the squalor. I found Lily's employment at Belle Prettywood's Wig Emporium absolutely fascinating especially as Lily's nimble fingers make this complicated process seem all the more realistic. 

Amidst a life of incredible harshness there are moments when the story becomes unbelievably sad, but what shines throughout is Lily's strength of spirit despite the deadly secret she carries with her. Moving between timescales Lily is a melancholic story of a Victorian orphan who is determined to make her way despite her poverty and with the fickle nature of fate stacked against her.

About the Author

Rose Tremain's best-selling novels have won many awards, including the Baileys Women's Prize, the Whitbread Novel of the Year, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Prix Femina Etranger. Restoration, the first of her novels to feature Robert Merivel, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. She lives in Norfolk and London.

Twitter #RoseTremain #Lily

Website

@ChattoBooks @vintagebooks

📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell

 

Del Rey Books
2 September 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

You are invited to enter an unusual competition.

I am looking for the most magical, spectacular, remarkable pleasure garden this world has to offer.

On the night her mother dies, 8-year-old Beatrice receives an invitation to the mysterious Winter Garden. A place of wonder and magic, filled with all manner of strange and spectacular flora and fauna, the garden is her solace every night for seven days. But when the garden disappears, and no one believes her story, Beatrice is left to wonder if it were truly real.

Eighteen years later, on the eve of her wedding to a man her late father approved of but she does not love, Beatrice makes the decision to throw off the expectations of Victorian English society and search for the garden. But when both she and her closest friend, Rosa, receive invitations to compete to create spectacular pleasure gardens - with the prize being one wish from the last of the Winter Garden's magic - she realises she may be closer to finding it than she ever imagined.

Now all she has to do is win.

📖 My thoughts...

Beatrice Sitwell is eight when her mother dies and in a house filled with silence and sadness, she takes comfort in a magical world which comes to her when the clock strikes thirteen. Entering the magical winter garden brings Beatrice solace, but, as she gets older, a deep yearning to revisit the garden consumes her but the opportunity is only ever presented to those in great need. 

The adult Beatrice is a solitary figure but she is blessed to have friends who feature strongly in the story especially Rosa Warren, an American, who has aspirations of becoming part of the British aristocracy. However, marriage doesn't make Rosa happy, and her own frightening journey takes her into some dark places in her search for the perfect life. Beatrice and Rosa interweave and twirl together, sometimes they are friends, whilst other times they are frosty towards each other, but each for their own reasons are drawn towards the magic of the elusive Winter Garden of their, rather special, imaginations.

The Victorian fascination for pleasure gardens is brought to life in this magical story filled with soulful automatons, fantastical creatures and otherworldly delights but look closer and the story is about grief and sadness, the Victorian fascination for death and the social and moral restrictions placed upon women at that time. Beatrice and Rosa, both are women of their time, one bound by all the restrictions placed upon her because she dares to be a female adventurer in a male dominated world, and the other abused, demeaned and neglected under the disguise of marriage and motherhood.

Beautifully written, with the most sumptuous imagery, the story fills the senses and creates a wishful yearning to see all of the magical beauty of The Winter Garden laid out before you, but, remember all that glitters in the story is not gold, so be careful what you wish for...

I've read the eBook version of this story but if you can get your hands on a handsome hardback edition, you'll see the most wonderful floral design creeping up the outer edge of the book. Wonderfully different and beautifully described, I have no hesitation in making The Winter Garden my Featured Book of the Month for October.

About the Author

Alexandra Bell was born in 1986. She studied Law at university and signed her first book deal at nineteen. Since then, she has written books for both adults and young people, including the Zoella Bookclub pick, Frozen Charlotte, and The Polar Bear Explorer's Club series, under the name Alex Bell. She lives in Hampshire in a house ruled by Siamese cats.

Twitter @Alex_Bell86 #TheWinterGarden

@DelReyUK

Hist Fic Saturday ~ Daughters of Liverpool by Kate Eastham

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's go back to... Liverpool 1871

Penguin Books
August 2019
Nursing #3

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Shrouded in secrecy Alice Sampson gives birth to a beautiful baby girl.

But the former nurse's happiness is blighted by the knowledge that as a penniless, unwed mother, her future, and that of her child, can only be one of shame and disgrace.

Then a knock at the door brings a miracle: she is invited to return to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary and her beloved ward.

With the help of her friends and the welcome attentions of Reverend Seed, the hospital Chaplain, Alice slowly starts to rebuild her life.

But her hopes are shattered when her baby's father unexpectedly shows up to claim the child he knew nothing about.

Suddenly Alice is in danger of losing her baby, her position and her whole future . . .

What did I think about it..

Victorian Liverpool was a dangerous place to be for working girls and no woman was entirely safe from being picked up in the purge which raged through the city in the hopes of cleaning up the more salubrious areas.  Alice Sampson works as a housemaid in one of the brothels, quietly bringing up her baby girl, but when she gets caught up in the city's purge on prostitution, Alice realises that she must look to her own safety and that of her baby girl. Returning to her work as a trainee nurse at Liverpool Royal Infirmary opens up a whole new life for Alice, but her happiness it seems comes at a price.

This is now the third book in this Nursing series of books which follows the fortunes of a group of young women who came to the city in order to train as Nightingale nurses. This third book continues the nursing theme with a compassionate look at the struggles of being an unmarried mother and of the difficulty of finding a place in a society which is far from generous to working women. Even though I haven't read the first two books in the series I picked up the story very easily and those characters who, I think, have been consistent throughout all of the books begin to feel familiar. I was quickly interested in the way the story evolved. 

The author brings Victorian Liverpool alive in the imagination especially the difficulties of being a single woman. The story highlights the wider social issues, particularly about the rights for women and mentions the pioneer, Josephine Butler, who did so much to fight against the violation of women in a society which viewed all working women as being just one short step away from prostitution.

Alice's emotional journey as young unmarried mother, her endeavour to become a good nurse, and the difficulties she faces in her personal life make this a warm and compassionate story.

About the Author

Kate Eastham trained as a nurse and midwife on the Nightingale wards of Preston Royal Infirmary. She has well over thirty years of experience working in hospital, residential and hospice care. Born and bred in Lancashire, she is married with three grown-up children and one grandchild. Always reading, she went on to gain a degree in English Literature and was inspired to write after researching the history of nursing and her own family history, with its roots in Liverpool, northern mill towns and rural Lancashire.

Blog Tour and Giveaway ~ The Peacock Bottle by Angela Rigley

On Hist Fic Saturday

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on The Peacock Bottle Blog Tour

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
2017

My thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for my ecopy of this book and my invitation to the tour

In this Victorian dual timeline novel, Amelia Wise feels a jolt when she finds a blue perfume bottle in the overgrown garden of the house she has inherited. Several events in her life mirrors those from the past and, with the help of her newfound cousin, Olivia, the bottle's secret is uncovered.

My thoughts..

In 1893 Amelia Wise and her mother are struggling in difficult circumstances and the house they have inherited seems to pose more questions than it does answers. When Amelia finds a blue perfume bottle in the overgrown garden she is trying to restore she begins to discover more about another family, and especially two girls, who once lived in the house. The story then moves between two times frames, that of 1840 and 1893, revealing a story of long buried family secrets.

The Peacock Bottle is a nicely written dual time story which the author has set in the county which was once Cumberland in the English Lake District. The two time frames sit comfortably together but because there's not much between them in terms of historical detail, I did have to, occasionally, remind myself which timescale I was in, but on the whole I think the author has succeeded in carrying off the dual time aspect, which, it must be said, is sometimes really difficult to achieve. The author writes well and has obviously taken the time and care to make everything feel authentic.

The Peacock Bottle is a nicely descriptive story, with a good sense of history and a delightful approach to characterisation. I read the story over a couple of afternoons when the weather wasn't too good, and I found a lovely escape to the English Lake District of the nineteenth century.

About the Author

Married to Don, I have 5 children and 9 grandchildren, I live in Derbyshire, England, and enjoy researching my family tree (having found ancestors as far back as 1465), reading, gardening, playing Scrabble, meals out and family gatherings. I am the treasurer of my writing club, Eastwood 

Writers’ Group, and I also write and record Thoughtsfor the Day for Radio Nottingham. At church Ising in the choir and am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, a reader, a flower arrangerand a member of the fundraising team for Cafod, my favourite charity. I have written hymns,although I cannot read music.

Author Links

Instagram

Twitter @angierigley

Facebook

Nunkynoo

Wordpress

Pinterest

Goodreads

Amazon UK

✨✨ Book Giveaway ✨✨

Giveaway to Win 2 x Paperback copes of The Peacock Bottle (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions*

UK entries welcome

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.

I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

🎄 Review ~ Miss Marley by Vanessa Lafaye (with Rebecca Mascull)

HQ
1 November 2018

It's always been my tradition to re-read Charles Dickens', A Christmas Carol at this time of year, spending time in the company of Ebeneezer Scrooge, and the ghost of his erstwhile companion, Jacob Marley, seems to be reminiscent of so many of my Christmases past.

However, this year, I decided to read something a little different but still keeping the theme of Dickensian London, so I turned to Miss Marley, which was written by Vanessa Lafaye. Very sadly, Vanessa died earlier this year before she could complete the story of Jacob Marley's sister and so, rising to the challenge, historical novelist,  Rebecca Mascull, a close writing friend of Vanessa, completed the story.

From the opening chapter of Miss Marley and the introduction to the young Jacob Marley and his sister Clara Belle, I was immediately taken into the world of the Victorian underclass. Forced to survive by using their considerable wits both of these intrepid youngsters do what they must in order to eke out some sort of living, but circumstances can change in a heartbeat and Jacob, always brave enough to take a chance, steers both of their lives in a very different direction.

Miss Marley is as beautifully written as all of Vanessa Lafaye's previous novels. Without doubt, she is a master story and describes time and place so perfectly that you feel as if you wander the London streets hand in hand with the young Jacob and Clara Belle, seeing the shapes and shadows that framed their lives. The hawkers and the barrow boys, the street sellers and the costermongers, the shouts, the snippets of gossip, the promise of a meal and a pint of porter in the Ox and Plough, all  jostle for space against the cacophony of noise that made up the great city of London. 

I have to admit that reading the story was bittersweet in so many ways, not just because A Christmas Carol is one of my favourite Christmas stories and I so wanted this to sit comfortably alongside such a classic, and it does admirably, but also because I know just how important finishing Miss Marley was to Rebecca Mascull who completes the story with such love and fine attention to detail that the transition is seamless. 

Miss Marley isn't a long story, coming in at around 170 or so pages, so it's perfectly possible to read the story comfortably over the space of an afternoon or evening. It's Vanessa Lafaye writing at her best and is a lasting tribute to her absolute joy of story-telling.

About the Author

Vanessa LaFaye was an American born author living in England. A thirst for adventure brought her to Europe in 1987, first to France and then England. She spent many years in academic publishing, including the Oxford University Press. She wrote two acclaimed historical novels set in Florida, Summertime published in 2015 followed by First Light.  LaFaye was the founder of the Marlborough Community Choir in Wiltshire, England. She detailed the impact of living with cancer in her popular blog Living While Dying.

Twitter @Vanessa Lafaye #MissMarley 

@RebeccaMascull

@HQStories

Amazon UK

Blog Tour ~ Daisy Belle : Swimming Champion of the World by Caitlin Davies

Jaffareadstoo is excited to start the week off with the Daisy Belle Blog Tour

Unbound
1 September 2018

My thanks to the author, publisher and Random Things Tours for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

What's it all about..

A tale of love, betrayal and swimming based on the true stories of champion Victorian women.

Summer 1867: four-year-old Daisy Belle is about to make her debut at the Lambeth Baths in London. Her father, swimming professor Jeffrey Belle, is introducing his Family of Frogs - andDaisy is the star attraction. By the end of that day, she has only one ambition in life: she will be the greatest female swimmer in the world. 

She will race down the Thames, float in a whale tank, and challenge a man to a 70-foot high dive. And then she will set sail for America to swim across New York Harbour.

But Victorian women weren't supposed to swim, and Daisy Belle will have to fight every stroke of the way if she wants her dreams to come true. Inspired by the careers of Victorian champions Agnes Beckwith and Annie Luker, Daisy Belle is a story of courage and survival and a tribute to the swimmers of yesteryear.

My thoughts about it..

There's a real sense of Victorian charm about Daisy Belle. She's feisty and funny and determined to make her presence felt in the competitive world of swimming. That she is a girl, in an almost exclusively male dominated sport, doesn't seem to bother Daisy Belle as she knows from a very early age that she was born to swim. Nicknamed the tadpole by her determined father, Daisy is happy to spend all her time in the water, although how she ever remained buoyant in the cumbersome swimming costumes she had to wear remains to be seen.

The author has captured Daisy's forthright personality to such a high degree that I raced through the book almost as fast as Daisy propels herself through the water. I was totally mesmerized by the story, and more than a little in awe of  Daisy Belle's talent.  She swims so beautifully  and  dives headlong from huge heights with absolutely no fear and yet, there is also a tremendous sadness to Daisy's life, as. it would appear, that behind every Victorian young woman lurked a man who wanted to control her.

Beautifully written, the world of Victorian sportsmanship comes alive and because the author has taken her inspiration for Daisy Belle's character from the lives of real Victorian female swimmers there is a great feeling of authenticity, so much so, that it's almost as if you were actually doggy-paddling alongside as Daisy Belle goes swimming in Lambeth Baths in London, or competitive swimming in the River Thames.

If you like well written Victorian drama with a remarkable heroine who will tug away at your heartstrings then Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World is highly recommended.

On my table

About the Author

Caitlin Davies is a novelist,nonfiction writer, journalist and teacher and likes nothing better than outdoor swimming. Many of her books are inspired by the stories of forgotten women from the past, and several have a watery theme.

Website

Twitter @ CaitlinDavies2 #DaisyBelle

@Unbounders

#RandomThingsTours

Hist Fic Saturday ~ The Prince of Mirrors by Alan Robert Clark

On Hist Fic Saturday 

Let's go back to ...Victorian England

Fairlight Books
7 June 2018

My thanks to the publishers and Animate Communications for my copy of this book

Prince Albert Victor, known as Eddy, is the grandson of Queen Victoria, and the heir presumptive to the British throne. Eddy is a quiet and sensitive soul, often overshadowed by his more rambunctious younger brother, George, and completely at odds with his philandering father, Bertie. Never quite sure of his place in the world but with the weight of future responsibility lying heavily on his young shoulders Eddy finds the strength of purpose he needs in his relationship with the man appointed as his tutor at Eton. The charismatic, Jem Stephens, is everything that Eddy strives, and wants to be, and yet, this close relationship is also filled with a powerful sense of destiny.

Moving between locations in London and Norfolk, the world of the nineteenth century aristocrat is brought sharply into focus. As a young man, Eddy moves, almost aimlessly, amongst society, and as he struggles to come to terms with his sexuality, so society eventually starts to dictate how Eddy should behave. His entrée into the clandestine world of Victorian homosexuality is explored in some detail where it is debatable whether any of the, sometimes sordid, relationships he embarked upon brought him any degree of happiness.

The Prince of Mirrors is an interesting combination of weaving together a fictional tale alongside what is known in history. Of course, there is speculation about Prince Albert Victor, as some of the more lurid gossip of the time tried, and it must be said, failed to pin the Whitechapel murders, more associated with Jack the Ripper, on Prince Eddy. That the Prince moved in the secretive world of homosexual London is also the subject of conjecture, however, his close association with Jem Stephens is certainly based on factual evidence.

The author succeeds in bringing into focus the vagaries of Victorian morals whilst at the same time bringing this rather forlorn Prince to life and although there were times when I felt that the story appeared a little disjointed in places, overall this didn’t detract from my enjoyment in reading, and learning more about, Prince Albert Victor, The Prince of Mirrors.

About the Author

Alan Robert Clark was born and educated in Scotland. He briefly attended King's College in London, before starting his career as a copywriter and creative director with a number of leading London advertising agencies. With a background in journalism, Alan has ghost written and co-authored a number of biographies and has one previous novel. Alan now works as a freelance writer.

 Website

Twitter @FairlightBooks

@AnimateComms

Hist Fic Saturday ~ The Pharmacist's Wife by Vanessa Tait

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's go back to ...Edinburgh,1869

Corvus
12 April 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

The Pharmacist's Wife takes us back in time to the mean and moody streets of Victorian Edinburgh, back to a time when it was commonplace for women to be at the absolute mercy of the men who married them.

When Rebecca Palmer marries Edinburgh pharmacist,Alexander Palmer, she imagines that her life will be comfortable and even though the marriage is largely passionless, she doesn't question her husband's ability to know what's best for her. However, the controlling nature of her husband, and his experimental foray into the dark world of drug and drug addiction, leads Rebecca into some very dark places, especially when Alexander's experimentation of these new drugs threatens Rebecca's very sanity.

Whilst this is a dark and disturbing visit to Edinburgh, with all its shadowy and shady places, there is no doubt that everything comes alive beautifully, and so atmospheric is the narrative that you really feel as if you are living life alongside Rebecca, and watching in horror as her husband's controlling grip pulls ever tighter.

The author writes of Rebecca's struggle and manipulation so cleverly that the horror of what's unfolding makes you reel in disbelief and yet, it is Rebecca's strength of character and her determination to pull herself out of the darkness which gives the story its absolute strength.

The Pharmacist's Wife is a beautifully written Victorian melodrama which brings mid-nineteenth century, Edinburgh to life in all its dreadful detail and the story vividly highlights the plight of so many Victorian women who were never allowed to have their own voice.

About the Author

Vanessa Tait grew up in Gloucestershire. She went to the University of Manchester and completed a Master's degree in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths College. The Pharmacist's Wife is her second novel.

Twitter @vanessa_tait

@corvusbooks

Amazon UK

Review ~ The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola

Tinder Press
2016

...A Good Lie always comes back to haunt you...

The Blurb..

Set in London in 1837, this is the story of Sarah Gale, a seamstress and mother, sentenced to hang for her role in the murder of Hannah Brown on the eve of her wedding. 

After Sarah petitions for mercy, Edmund Fleetwood is appointed to investigate and consider whether justice has been done. Idealistic, but struggling with his own demons, Edmund is determined to seek out the truth.

Yet Sarah, despite protesting her innocence, refuses to add anything to the evidence given in court: the evidence which convicted her.

My thoughts..

At this time in the year I had thought that I had compiled my list of favourite books only to have another come at me right out of the blue. It must be said that this book conjures up the dark and rather dismal world of the Victorian penal system like no other book I've read in  a long, long time.

The opening to The Unseeing is quite vivid and you immediately feel immense sorrow for a woman who you suspect is a victim, as yet unknown who, it must be said, starts the book off in a particularly macabre sort of way. The story, as it then develops, has a distinct Dickensian feel to it as both the plot and the content of the story are suitably dark. However, there is a thoughtfulness to the narrative which lulls you into a sense of security, only to have that safeness ripped away as snippets of clues are revealed tantalisingly slowly. From the start of the story I found that my allegiances slipped sideways and as I was taken further and further into a deep web of lies I became engrossed in trying to determine just who, if anyone, was telling me the truth.

The sights and sounds of Victorian London come alive in glorious detail and I think what makes the story so fascinating is that it is based on a true story and the author has obviously done considerable research in order to bring Sarah Gale's story alive, The snippets of information revealed at the start of each chapter come from actual journalistic writings of the time and there are authentic details of Sarah trial and subsequent punishment, which I won't reveal as that would spoil things !

This really is a commendable debut novel from an author who I am sure will only continue to go from strength to strength. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Best Read with ...A meat pudding and a pint of London ale...

About the Author

Anna Mazzola is a criminal justice solicitor, based in London. Whilst THE UNSEEING is her debut, it has won awards including the Brixton Bookjam Debut Novel competition and she came runner up in the 2014 Grazia First Chapter competition judged by Sarah Waters.

For more information visit the author's website by clicking here 

My thanks to Tinder Press for my review copy of The Unseeing.

~***~

The author in my spotlight is...Thushani Weerasekera

I am delighted to welcome Thushani Weerasekera

Author of 

JMendel Books
2015

London, 1866. Beautiful, unworldly Jemima - the Indian ayah of William Hayward's family - is abandoned in a shabby lodging house in Hackney by her once-trusted English memsahib. From that moment forth, she is driven by one goal: to return home to her humble but familiar existence in India. But life for Jemima is far from easy and she finds that she must compromise her morals in order to survive the dark underbelly of Victorian London. Will she remain in England as the low-class, native mistress of a high-class white man? Or will the call of the East take her back to her life in India?

Hi Thushani and welcome to Jaffareadstoo....

Tell us a little about Thushani Weerasekera, author. 

Well, I’ve actually been a professional, jobbing actor for much of my life. I started out in T.I.E (Theatre in Education) productions but I have also acted in shows for television, theatre and radio, as well as independent and short film productions. In 2012, I decided to take a risk by quitting acting temporarily to concentrate my efforts in completing ‘Ayah’, as well as trying to get it published. I took on a ‘normal’ job to pay the bills by working at the V&A Museum in London and then left to work at the Houses of Parliament, all the while, still dreaming, hoping, wishing that ‘Ayah’ would one day be published. I currently still work at Parliament and earlier this year, I was on the verge of giving up on my dream, but the gamble paid off and ‘Ayah’ is finally here, and I am a very relieved little bunny.

How long have you been writing and what got you started? 

From a young age, my school reports always said things like, ‘Thushani is a very good writer,’ or ‘Thushani has a great imagination...her stories are enjoyable and well written.’ However, coming from an Asian background, where I was encouraged to pursue a career in dentistry or medicine, I never really entertained the idea that I could one day be an author. I have always loved reading books and writing stories but I never quite developed enough confidence in my teenage years to pursue a career in that field. I really think that when I stumbled into acting in later life, my imagination was fired up again and I began dabbling into playwriting for community theatre. I then tried my hand at radio play-writing, but nothing solid really came from that. It was only when I thought about learning to write for television in 2003, I realised that everything I wrote seemed to lend itself well to novel writing. It was then that I had an epiphany... to write a novel!

Without revealing too much, what can you tell us about your style of writing?

Gosh, I am not really sure if I know the answer to that after only having written one novel. What I can tell you... and this is where being an actor has helped... is that I think of myself as a traditional ‘story-teller’ first and foremost. I see things very vividly in my head and then I describe the pictures I see as if I am telling the story to someone in front of me. I then write my sentences as if I am writing a musical phrase – sounds odd but I have to balance a sentence out and if a word doesn’t fit the rhythm in my head, I’ll find a similar one that does so my sentence sounds lyrical. Does that make sense? I bet you’re sorry you asked now.

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for your novel, Ayah?

It was when I was asked by the Museum of London to write and perform a monologue based on an actual figure from the past. The character chosen for me was ‘Jemima’ an Indian ayah abandoned in London by her English memsahib. I would walk around and talk to visitors in character, telling them how I (Jemima) was left stranded in an Ayahs’ Home in East London, and that I was trying to find a way to make it back to India. Yes, ‘Jemima’ actually existed and she was the inspiration for the ‘Jemima’ in my novel. 

What can you tell us about the story which will pique the reader's interest? 

I think people are still attracted to the relationship between India and Britain harking back to colonial times. I am guessing (and hoping) that readers will love the fact that the story is set in Victorian London but it’s about a lowly, Indian servant... not the usual run-of-the mill female protagonist you find in the genre of Victorian Romance. Although ‘ayahs’ have been written about in various ways, they are usually secondary characters or feature in the supporting cast of stories about the British in India. I’d like to think my story is original and unique in that it puts an ayah centre stage in the setting of Victorian London and sees life through her eyes in a period of time that I and hopefully, readers are fascinated by. Also, readers of ‘Ayah’ have been lovely enough to tell me that the first paragraph in the opening chapter, describing the sights, smells and sounds of the port of Calcutta, is what lured them into ‘Jemima’s’ world and I’m thrilled about that. 

In your research for Ayah, did you discover anything which surprised you?

I am a great fan of the period drama, especially BBC productions like Pride & Prejudice, Bleak House, Jane Eyre etc and as an actor I had always wanted to appear in one, but my earlier naivety and ignorance made me believe that there were no roles for Asian actors in such dramas because Asians and Blacks were not around in British society back then. I really thought Asians did not arrive in Britain en masse until the 1940s and 50s, which is why they were not depicted or referred to as much in these types of productions. Imagine my surprise, when I started researching their stories to find that they were, in fact, brought over to this country as far back as the late 17th century. To me it was a huge revelation to know that Asians were around in British society centuries ago; however, they were not deemed worthy enough to be written about in great detail...females in particular...which is why I could not find much in depth information on the ayahs and had to rely heavily on guess work and imagination to write my book. 

When do you find the time to write, and do you have a favourite place to do your writing? 

Whenever I have free time really and nowadays that would be in the evenings after work and at the weekends. I don’t really have a favourite place, but I like to have absolute peace and quiet, and a couple of cups of fresh coffee to start off with. I finished writing the first draft of ‘Ayah’ with no one around but my two cats: Pob and Moomin. Pob would always jump on my lap, demanding cuddles and Moomin would walk all over my laptop keyboard, whilst I was trying to type. It was a bit annoying and disrupting at the time but now I like to think that some of their feline energy and love went into ‘Ayah’ as I wrote it. I also find their presence really comforting and so they are the only living creatures I will allow into my writing space...those cats and I have been through a lot together! 

Can you tell us if you have another novel planned?

Yes, I do. I am working on it at the moment. It’s called ‘The Seventh Child’, and that’s all I can say for now! Thank you!

For more info on ‘Ayah’ with links on how to buy, visit Thushani’s Facebook page

Twitter @ThushaniWeeras1

Amazon UK

Watch a short video describing'Ayah'...

Thushani , thank you so much for being our guest today and for sharing your lovely book with us. Jaffa and I wish you continued success with your writing and look forward to you returning to tell us all about The Seventh Child... 







~***~