Who or what inspired you to write We That Are Left?
I’ve been
fascinated by the First World War since studying the war poets like Wilfred
Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. But I knew that I wanted to write about the
experience of women and the civilians, who are so often forgotten. I was lucky
to stumble across a wonderful book, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elsie-Mairi-Go-War-Extraordinary/dp/1848091354 - Elsie and Mairi go to War by
Dr Diane Atkinson, which tells the true story of two friends who set off to
help the men on the front line. They were amazing women, and from their story I
also learnt about the many women who set up field hospitals, drove ambulances
and braved horrific conditions and danger to help both the soldiers and the civilians
caught up in the fighting.
My other
inspiration was my mother, who as a teenager was in France France Britain
What is this novel about?
We That Are Left is the story of Elin, young woman leading a conventional, comfortable
life on the family estate in Cornwall France
How did you organise your research?
The locations
were the most straightforward. Because I’ve family in France London Anglesey is just across the water from me.
What was more
difficult was finding out details of women’s experience in the war, as it has
been less studied than the actual fighting. I found some great books and first
hand experiences. One of the best things I did is a subscription to the British
Library’s collection of online newspapers of the time. They have proved
invaluable, not only in getting a sense of early 20th Century life
an attitudes, but also some of the recipes that Elin uses in the book. As
shortages began to bite, there were plenty of recipes and advice on meals
without meat (unthinkable for even modestly well-off families before the war)
and how to make the most of what was available. There are also traditional
Welsh recipes that Elin uses, that she has inherited from her mother, so I had
great fun trying them all out!
Who is your favourite character in the story?
I think it has
to be Elin’s friend Lady Margaret, known as ‘Mouse’, who is headstrong and
reckless and gets herself into all kinds of trouble, but beneath all the
bravado has a heart of gold. She can be exasperating at times, but is
determined not to be constrained by being a woman. She flies an aeroplane and
teaches Elin to drive, but it’s when she takes herself off to the front line to
help soldiers and civilians that she really finds a sense of purpose, despite
the dangers.
What did researching the period teach you?
One of the big
surprises was just how much women did in WW1. I knew that they took over much
of the work at home, but I hadn’t realised how much they also did on the front
line, including picking up bodies in No Man’s Land and driving ambulances. This
was when women were considered too fragile to work or even study, and who were
there simply to support their husbands – with marriage being their only
respectable option in life. It also taught me how much we owe to these women,
as they were also the women who after the war forged careers and created the
freedoms and opportunities we have today.
The other thing
that surprised me was just how much WW1 echoed the experienced of WW2. Although
there was not rationing until the end of WW1, there were shortages and people
had to find different ways of living. There were air raids, too, with first
Zeppelins and then early aeroplanes making their way across the Chanel. It was
clear that lessons had been learnt, so that things like rationing were put in
place right at the start of WW2.
What does a typical writer's day hold for you?
Thank you for chatting to me, Juliet. Congratulations on the publication of this lovely new novel!
If you would like to win a copy of We That Are Left, please leave a comment on this blog post.
Juliet will choose a winner and I will ask the winner to contact me in March 2014.
http://www.julietgreenwood.co.uk/
‘We That Are Left’: http://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Are-Left-Juliet-Greenwood/dp/190678499X
