It is always great to find a book inspired by real people, and even better to find one inspired by the writer's own family research. For today's #HistFicThursdays blog, I am thrilled to be welcoming Alison Huntingford to the blog with a guest post about her book Beyond the Dark Ocean , as part of her Coffee Pot Book Club tour! Read on to find out about how her own family history inspired her new book, and her process of researching it. But first, let's meet the book... Blurb A family united, a family divided… In 1906, the Huntingford family leaves England for a hopeful new life in Canada, but for eldest son Georgy, the promise of opportunity quickly becomes a test of endurance, responsibility, and fate. As he comes of age amid the hardships of immigrant life, the outbreak of the First World War pulls him back across the ocean and into a world forever changed by loss and sacrifice. When Georgy’s brother disappears in the chaos of war, grief and...
There's a real treat for you here this week for #HistFicThursdays! I'm once again teaming up with The Coffee Pot Book Club for author Victoria Atamian Waterman's blog tour! Today, I'm sharing an excerpt from her fabulous book, Who She Left Behind!
First of all, let's meet the book...
Who She Left Behind is a captivating historical fiction novel that spans generations and delves into the emotional lives of its characters. Set in various time periods, from the declining days of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey in 1915 to the Armenian neighborhoods of Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the 1990s, the novel completely immerses its reader in a lesser-known era and the untold stories of the brave and resilient women who became the pillars of reconstructed communities after the Armenian Genocide.
It is a story of survival, motherhood, love, and redemption based on the recounted stories from the author’s own family history. The narrative is framed by a mysterious discovery made almost six decades later of a pair of Armenian dolls left at a gravesite.
And here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:
The night before Lucy's wedding, Vicky crawled into bed long after midnight, sore and chilled, but the dress and veil were finished and pressed, waiting on a hanger for the bride to arrive before church in the morning.
“You give us all so much, my love,” Pesa whispered into the dark. “I hope your sister knows how fortunate she is in you.”
Vicky kissed her husband’s shoulder and lay still while his breathing slowed, and he slipped back into sleep. Her heart banged against her chest, as though all her secrets might burst from her chest.
I failed everyone who needed me most.
I failed my living child. I lost her forever.
I lied to everyone I loved and hid her from the world.
I failed our baby girl. My body wasn’t strong enough to keep her alive.
I failed you, my love.
Rolling over, Vicky let her silent tears soak into the pillowcase. She would not fail Lucy and that would make up for all the secrets.
Now, let's meet the author:
Her empowerment of today’s women and girls makes her voice ideal for telling the little-known stories of yesterday’s women leaders. Her TED Talk, Today’s Girls are Tomorrow’s Leaders has been seen by thousands of viewers. When she is not writing and speaking, she is reading, puzzle-making and volunteering.
Victoria lives in Rhode Island and is enjoying this next chapter of life with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Who She Left Behind is her first novel.
Thanks so much for hosting Victoria Atamian Waterman today.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club