The Fact and the Fiction

All my novels have been set in the past so when asked what I write, I always reply, 'Historical fiction'. But what does that mean? Setting a book in a particular era is not enough, surely. For me, it's getting the right balance between fact and fiction. Too many facts and it risks becoming a history book. Not enough historical detail in the fictional story and it will lose its authenticity. 

In Writing Historical Fiction by Celia Brayfield and Duncan Sprout, Sarah Dunant describes historical novelists as '... time travellers, creating worlds that no longer exist and peopling them with living, breathing characters that both remind us of ourselves and yet are subtly - sometimes dramatically - different.' Research is an essential part of writing a historical novel. Before starting to write, I spend hours finding out what the world I'm creating was like by reading books, articles, personal diaries and blogs in libraries and online. During the writing of the first draft, I make a note of anything I need to research further and after completing the first draft, wherever possible, I try to visit the place where the novel is set, visiting museums and galleries there that show life and events in the era in which the story is set and generally absorbing the feel of the area. I then make final adjustments to the manuscript before submitting to my editor.  

My latest novel, The Silent Sister, is partially set in 1953 at the time of a devastating earthquake that decimated the island of Kefalonia. The novel tells of a young girl who is pulled barely alive from the rubble of the earthquake in which her parents and grandparents perished. As always, I started researching facts and the impact of the earthquake online. In one blog, I learned about an excellent book, Time After Earthquake by Evan John (published in 1954). He had visited the earthquake area of the Ionian islands very soon after the disaster happened. I managed to track down and buy a second-hand copy and the sections on Kefalonia and Argostoli, its capital, proved to be invaluable for my research. The fact that the author had been on the island at such a crucial time helped me when creating my characters. His book contained photographs of the devastation and these, together with the ‘before and after the earthquake’ photographs in Korgialenios Historical and Cultural Museum, Argostoli, that I viewed on a research trip to the island, were a reliable source of inspiration. I visited Kefalonia with a list of places to visit and facts to check before submitting my final draft to the publisher. 

 As well as the wonderful collection of photographs, the displays of homes and local crafts in the museum gave an insight into what my characters' lives would have been like. Examples of stunning lacemaking and embroidery inspired me to make Cassia, one of my main characters, a lacemaker.

Here I am with Theo, the curator of the museum, who gave me so much help.

A visit to the cemetery in Argostoli was a moving experience when noting how many tombstones had the 12th August 1953 as the date of death, the day the earthquake struck. 

It was important not to let the historical facts override the human story I was telling. Just being on the Greek island again meant I could enjoy the wonderful beauty of Kefalonia, sample the delicious foods, as well as the welcome hot sunshine to add a real sense of place to the story. I hope the accuracy of my research has made The Silent Sister a credible and authentic novel of the time and place in which it is set. If you've read it, please let me know what you think. Thank you.

My next novel, The Stolen Sister, will be published in February next year. The research for that story also involved a research trip, this time to Crete. There, a woman in Chania Information Office was keen to help and answer my queries. She even rang her cousin, who was born in the early sixties, to check whether she was born in a clinic or at home and definitely not in a hospital. 

Thank you for reading. Readers, do you enjoy historical fiction? What do you like most about it? Writers, how do you achieve a balance between fact and fiction in your stories set in the past?

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