GETTING IT RIGHT!

By definition, fiction is a type of literature that describes imaginary people and events. The reader is aware of this when choosing a book and accepts the writer’s narrative as real or at least possible – within certain limits, of course. Thus the author is faced with the challenging task of making sure the reader is able to lose him/herself in the pages of a book. The story, the characters, everything must be credible, otherwise the reader will be disappointed.

When writing “A Tarnished Life”, one of the most rewarding and engaging aspects was researching historical references and collecting witness accounts. I was often assailed by doubts regarding things I had taken for granted as a child or simply forgotten. An example of the former is when I describe Emma’s brothers playing ‘Snakes and Ladders’, a game that I played times out of number as a girl. My concern was whether it was available in the 1930s. I learnt that the game originated in India as far back as the 13th century. It is said to have been invented as a tool for teaching children about morality and the consequences of their actions. You live and learn!

As an example of things you tend to forget, I was feeling pleased with myself for creating the homely atmosphere around the fire while this game was being played. I used expressions like ‘dancing flames’ and ‘crackling sound’. Then I realized that I was describing the wood fires common in Italian homes. It was necessary for me to rewind my brain back to the days of my childhood to recall the reddish glow of coal smoldering in the hearth!

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