Regency - Research - Britain against Napoleon

Britain against Napoleon by Carola Oman (Georgette Heyer's friend) is out of print, but as readable today as it was when my copy was published in 1943. Apart from tracing the events in the long war it is full of anecdotes.

The Little Madeleine

I have just re-read The Little Madeleine by Mrs Robert Henrey which relates the joys and sorrows of Madeleine, a French girl loved by her mother, who earned a living as a talented seamstress, and her father, ‘a picturesque figure from the Midi.’

"Mrs Henrey’s autobiography is the story of her girlhood in Montmartre and the wasteland near the Paris fortifications, or city walls, where the apache wielded his knife. Her father was a picturesque figure from the midi. Her mother toiled as a talented seamstress, who made ‘adorable’ clothes for Madeleine."

The autobiography brings to life the people and scenes of her childhood along with its few joys and many difficulties. The author never indulges in self pity and reveals impoverished childhood with touching honesty whether writing about a street musician murdered by apaches, her experiences in the 1st world war, her intermittent ill-health probably due to being under-nourished and her determination to excel at school

As a historical novelist I enjoy reading about eras which have gone with the wind.

Memories of Kenya & The Bolter

Memories of Kenya & The Bolter by Frances Osborne


I have mixed memories of my life in Kenya from 1961 to 1982. On the plus side are my happy recollections of the coast with its golden beaches, the grasslands teaming with wild animals, the lush green highlands. On the minus side I was always a stranger in a strange land. I missed my family and friends in England and in spite of a privileged lifestyle wanted to live in England. In fact, one of the happiest days of my life was when I returned to Europe for good.

Although Kenyan life was not one I embraced, I enjoy reading about the country. Karen Von Blixen’s Out of Africa and Elizabeth Huxley’s Flame Trees of Thika are two of my favourite books. I also found The Lunatic Express about the building of the railway interesting, and shuddered at the thought of the man eating lions the workers encountered in – if my memory is correct – Tsavo on the way from Mombasa to Nairobi.

I am now reading The Bolter the biography of Idina Sackville by Frances Osborne, about which Valerie Grove of the Times writes: ‘A corker of a subject, Idina’s behaviour…probably inspired The Bolter in Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love. Osborne’s richly wrought descriptions of glittering Paris nights and lush mountainous landscapes of Kenya’s Happy Valley are fabulous…A breakneck-paced, thoroughly diverting story.’

Apart from the account of Idina Sackville’s life are evocative descriptions of Kenya – the land, its people and settlers.

Idina and her second husband, Charles, won a 3,000 acre farm in a government lottery. When they reached their land: “…ahead of them the Aberdare Hills rolled dark green in the setting sun; from them fell ice-cold brooks, swollen by the recent rains. Below these their virgin farmland glowed with luminescent grassland and thick, red soil.”

Although the land had been developed by the time I lived in Kenya, there were many such views in the Highlands and always the rich red, fertile soil. When Idina settled there “Each bush throbbed with creatures large and small. Elephant, giraffe and antelope rustled through breaking out and swaying across open land. Leopard and monkey hung from trees reverberating with birdsong….at night when Idina and Charles sat outside they were surrounded by lookouts watching for wandering elephant, big cats or buffalo – its long, curved horns the most lethal of all.”

All this I can relate to but if I regret anything it is the golden Mombasa beaches on the undeveloped, idyllic south coast where we rented a house during our children’s school holidays. We played in the surf, swam in the warm sea and searched for shells at peace with the world.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk
http://rosemarymorris.blogspot.com

Writing Historical Fiction

Writing Historical Fiction

Historical fiction embraces different periods.

Prehistory, Ancient civilisations such as Egyptian and Indian, Classical (Mainly Greek and Roman History)Biblical, From the 1st century to the 20th century, Multi-period, Timeslip, Historical Fantasy, Alternative History, Children and Young Adult.

Historical Fiction can also be divided into different genres.

Fiction based on the lives of people who lived in the past.
Adventure, Romance, Crime, Thrillers and Whodunits, Mysteries,Military

These can be further divided into subgenres.

Arthurian, Mediaeval, Tudor, Elizabethan, Stuart, Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, 1st World War, 2nd World War, Sagas, Pyschological Thrillers, Gothic (and Horror), Colonial U.S.A., Colonial, Civil War, American and its subgenre Native American Frontier, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Pirate and Naval.

More classifications can be found in Sarah Johnson’s Historical Fiction, A Guide to the Genre in which a chapter on sagas she includes authors from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and many others.

Whichever period a historical novelist chooses to write about, research is vital. The reader needs to experience the sights, sounds and smells, visualise costume and places and enjoy the reconstruction of the era the novel is set in.

I don’t think any historical novelist can get every detail about life in the past correct but she or he can research conscientiously and, without drowning the reader in facts, convey past times as accurately as possible. Failure to do this means the reader loses faith in the author. There are examples which caused me to lose faith.

In the first example, the author referred to a tea gown spread over a crinoline in the Victorian era. The Victorians did not wear gowns called tea gowns over crinolines. Tea gowns were worn by Edwardians and were not spread over crinolines.

In the second example, in the days when mediaeval castles and keeps did not have windows, a knight in full armour scaled the castle walls, (how did he find footholds?) to the turret where his lady was imprisoned. After he climbed in through the window, the lady greeted him with smile and asked. ‘Would you like a nice cup of tea and some eggs and bacon?’ Well, she might have been referring to herb tea and I’m daresay they ate eggs with bacon but the reference seemed too modern.

Spinach and Curd Cheese Curry

I am writing a novel set in Queen Anne’s reign in which the hero lived in India for some years. He became a vegetarian and this is one of the recipes he brought back to England. I hope you will enjoy the receipt – as he would have called it - as much as he did.

Spinach and Curd Cheese Curry

¼ kilo paneer – curd cheese
½ kilo baby spinach
¼ kilo fresh or frozen peas
3tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oi
2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger
1 or 2 chillis optional.
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

1. Cut curd cheese into cubes. Deep fry until golden brown and put in a bowl of cold water to keep it soft until needed.
2. Shred and cook the spinach until tender in four tablespoons of water. Add more water if necessary to prevent it burning.
3. Cook the frozen or fresh peas.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the ginger and chillis and stir fry for one minute. Add the spinach and peas with the salt and pepper. Cook for two or three minutes on a high heat stirring all the time. Add the curd cheese and, if necessary a little water to keep the ingredients moist, and cook for two minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve with lemon wedges, chappatis and or rice with or without a dahl, a spiced soup and green salad tossed in lightly salted yoghurt.

Withdrawal symptoms

One of my grandsons stayed for the night - we had a lovely time but there was little time to write. I did turn on the laptop but he plonked himself next to me and ...aged five...began reading the new novel I'm writing. (According to his teacher is reading age is seven plus.)

Later I made 5 and a half pounds of rhubarb chutney, tidied up the house and pulled up some potatoes to make potato salad. The potatoes are growing on last year's patch and need to be pulled up so that they won't cause disease in this year's newly planted patch. I made a mixed salad useing greens from the garden, including young dandelion leaves and some feverfew, which is very bitter but hardly noticeable if it is chopped very finely. I added chopped chives to the potato salad and fresh basil to the green salad.

This afternoon I had my hair coloured and cut and when I came home had to tidy up the house and water the garden and now ... at last the withdrawal systems are decreasing,

The Cathedral and Abbey Church of Saint Alban

Yesterday my daughter and I visited the Cathedral Abbey Church of St Alban.

St Alban lived in the Roman city of Verulimium. His life was transformed by a Christian priest who he sheltered from persecution. When St Alban professed his faith before a judge he was flogged but still refused to deny his Christian faith and was sentenced to death.

"St Alban was brought out of the town across the river and up a hill to the site of execution where his head was cut off. Legend tells us that on the hill-top a spring of water miraculously appeared to give the martyr a drink. Also moved by his witness the original executioner refused to carry out the deed, and that after his replacement had killed Alban, the executioners eyes chopped out. This account is based on that of the Venerable Bede."

The children enjoyed their visit and the picnic in the beautiful grounds at the rear of the abbey.

When I visit Westminster Abbey, it fills me with awe but St Albans gave me a sense of welcome as though the ancient building had opened its arms to me.

I will vist the Cathedral again, go on the guided tour, spend time in the library and make notes.

Historical Fiction - Research

I have begun a Restoration Novel set soon after Charles II was crowned King of England.

My bedside table is piled high with reading material about the period. Another, smaller pile of books borrowed from the library are in a heap on my desk in the spare room. I woke up at 5 30 a.m. and decided tecord the tit-bits about customs, fashion, food, gardens, husbandry etc.

Recreating times past to the best of my ability requires meticulous research which I enjoy.

Our well-to-do ancestors ate well. In one book asparagus, Spanish cardoons, grapes and figs are mentioned.

Rainy Day

After cold, icy weather during winter, when I was housebound, I've enjoyed a few sunny days in the garden. Yesterday was cool but pleasant so I planted my maincrop potatoes, which had been chitting indoors. Then I potted up Idli tomatos. Last year this variety provided dozens of small, sweet yellow fruits. I also sowed some mustard seeds, on Thursday I'll sprinkle some cress seeds over them and in a short time have mustard and cress for salads or sandwiches.

Back to the main topic. Today is rainy so I shall remain cosy indoors while e-mailing, blogging and, of course, writing in the hope that my new work will be published,

All the best,

Rosemary Morris

Forthcoming release. Tangled Love. 27.01.2012 Reprint of Tangled Hearts

About Rosemary Morris

Rosemary Morris was born in 1940 in Sidcup Kent. As a child, when she was not making up stories, her head was ‘always in a book.’

While working in a travel agency, Rosemary met her Indian husband. He encouraged her to continue her education at Westminster College. In 1961 Rosemary and her husband, now a barrister, moved to his birthplace, Kenya, where she lived from 1961 until 1982. After an attempted coup d’état, she and four of her children lived in an ashram in France.

Back in England, Rosemary wrote historical fiction. She is now a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Historical Novel Society and Cassio Writers.

Apart from writing, Rosemary enjoys classical Indian literature, reading, visiting places of historical interest, vegetarian cooking, growing organic fruit, herbs and vegetables and creative crafts.

Time spent with her five children and their families, most of who live near her is precious.





Website. www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Blogsites www.rosemarymorris.blogspot.com
www.penwoman.gather.com
www.enspirenpress.com

Member of:

The Romantic Novelists Association of Great Britain
The Historical Novel Society

Affiliations.

http://www.myspare.com/rosemarymorris

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