The exciting aspect of writing historical fiction inspired by immigrants is that they all came from somewhere else. I get to learn about and write about all these different places, and since we travel a lot, I can also visit many of these places as well.
Daniel, the protagonist in the time-slip novel, ‘The Disenchanted Soldier’, I tracked down in Derbyshire, even though he was born in Liverpool. The delight in finding family headstones, family houses, and streets named after family members will stay with me always. Follow the researcher as she uncovers the family secrets.
Megan, of ‘The Cornish Knot’, is a modern Kiwi woman through and through. It’s not until she is sent the journal her great-grandmother wrote a century earlier does she learn about her family connections in Cornwall. The journal takes her on a journey from Cornwall to Paris, Florence and Venice as she unravels the secrets Isabel took to her grave. I grew up in Cornwall, so it was even more of a delight to revisit my old haunts and remember my childhood while I was developing a totally different story-line.
Charlotte is English. Preferring her roses to people, Charlotte doesn’t make life easy for her counter-protagonist, Emma. She never quite admits where she was born to the journalist as she delves into the story behind the famous author in ‘The Art of Secrets’.
Lace-making is the skill Brigid uses to find a new life for herself away from the poverty and starvation of her native Ireland. She tries first in Australia, but has better success in New Zealand in ‘The Girl from County Clare’.
If you have a sweet tooth, then Gwenna’s story is for you. The young confectioner is determined to bring her Pa’s dreams to life despite her step-brother Elias, despite Black Jack Jones, and despite being young and female in Victorian New Zealand. She is so determined to succeed she is blind to the obvious and risks losing that which matters to her the most.
My current WIP doesn’t stray beyond the streets of Auckland during the Edwardian era, as the children in ‘The Girl from County Clare’ and ‘Gwenna’ grow up and forge a new life.
Meet Vicky Adin
Multi-award-winning historical fiction author, Vicky Adin is a genealogist in love with history and words.
After decades of research Vicky has combined her skills to weave together the intriguing secrets she uncovered with historical events in a way that brings the past to life.
Fascinated by the 19th Century pioneers who undertook hazardous journeys to find a better life, especially the women, Vicky draws her characters from real life stories: characters such as Brigid, the Irish lacemaker in ‘The Girl from County Clare and Gwenna, the Welsh confectioner, or Megan who discovers much about herself when she traces her family tree in ‘The Cornish Knot’.
Vicky Adin holds a MA(Hons) in English and Education. She is an avid reader of historical novels, family sagas and contemporary women’s stories and enjoys travelling.
For more information, visit her website http://www.vickyadin.co.nz