Andrew O’ Connor discusses the inspiration and writing of his 17th novel The Expectation.
The famine had been on my mind this past couple of years. It’s such a turning point in Irish history that as a historical author I have been naturally drawn to it. I had touched on that dark period in my 2012 novel The House and so when it came to writing my new novel, I was drawn back to it. But I wanted to look at those years from a different viewpoint. In all the analysis of the famine there has been little attention given to the perspective from the landlord class. Readers of my fiction will know that many of my historical novels revolve around the Big Houses of Ireland and so when it came to writing a story based during the famine I set my new novel The Expectation in a grand manor called Thornbury Hall.
The Expectation: the catalyst
The catalyse of the story is when the owner of the estate Sir Louis Thornbury, a widower, marries a young woman named Caroline much to his daughters’ horror. Caroline’s arrival at Thornbury Hall coincides with the onslaught of the great famine and the scene is set for a bitter dispute that culminates in a terrifying mystery set against the backdrop of a country falling apart. So, I began research what life was like in a Big House during that time as I started to write. The Thornburys belonged to a class that has evoked little sympathy, mostly been cast as evil landlords. The hatred that was directed towards them especially in such an afflicted county like Kerry caused a siege mentality for the family. Cut off from the outside world as the famine worsened, Thornbury Hall was the perfect setting for a mystery thriller.
Social Upheaval
During my research what I found intriguing was discovering how a landlord’s family life was turned upside down so quickly during the famine. Overnight they went from having a very nice lifestyle to not being able to pay the mortgages on their estate, and most had very large debts. Compared to people starving in their thousands their plight is not comparable, but my novel does show the fascinating social upheaval they suddenly faced. Daughters who had been promised a secure future suddenly had their dowries seized as emergency funds by their fathers leaving them unmarriageable. In the Thornbury’s case, add into the mix a new young wife for their father and the scene has been perfectly set for a desperate crime.
The Devastation of the Famine
The Expectation also has characters who are in service for the main family. Because of the famine, household staff find themselves in a scarily vulnerable position. Jobs were already scarce before 1845, but the arrival of the famine meant that a position in a Big House was the difference between life and death. This causes the domestic staff to look the other way when things become sinister at Thornbury Hall.
However, the arrival of the new housekeeper Nancy changes this dynamic. One of the main characters, Nancy arrives at Thornbury Hall to take up the position of the new housekeeper in 1846. Through her eyes we witness the devastation the famine has inflicted on the area. The suffering of the community sits in stark contrast to life within the manor. It was important for me to capture that contrast. I have scenes set in the local workhouse where one defenceless young woman is unknowingly about to become a pawn in the deadly game being played out in the local Big House.
A Writer’s Responsibility
As a writer tackling a big theme like the famine a certain responsibility accompanies it. Despite the horror, I didn’t want this to be a depressing story but rather show the reality of how those times affected people’s lives in different ways. For some people the famine forced new opportunities – to emigrate to a new life abroad, to exploit the vulnerabilities of others or to cover up a despicable crime. I also feature how superstitions and ignorance played their part. As Louis’s wife Caroline arrived on the Thornbury estate at the same time the famine began the locals blame her for their bad luck. Believing she is cursed, the locals turn against Caroline increasing her isolation as her situation at the Hall worsens.
Desperate Times
During these desperate times people began to turn to soothsayers and herbalists to cling for hope. A doctor was a luxury that few could afford. And even in the case of the upper classes medical knowledge was frightfully and badly informed. One of the most remarkable aspects I uncovered and featured in the novel was the widely held believe in the medical profession that a pregnant woman should eat as little as possible. The plot of the novel has always been the most important part for me but to transport the reader to the times the story is set requires significant details such as these.
Atmosphere
Details and atmosphere are central to a gothic thriller. In The Expectation readers discover that nobody is quite who they appear to be. Most notably the new housekeeper, Nancy. It soon becomes apparent that Nancy has been sent to Thornbury Hall for a more important reason than to oversee the running of the household. She has come on a mission to discover what on earth has happened to Lady Caroline Thornbury.
About The Expectation:
Ireland, 1846. As the Great Famine ravages the countryside, Nancy Spencer arrives at Thornbury Hall in County Kerry to take up a position as housekeeper. Beyond the estate gates she has witnessed starvation, desperation and unrest—but inside the grand manor there is a different kind of fear. Armed guards patrol the grounds and the Thornbury family lives behind locked doors, determined to keep the chaos outside… and their secrets within.
Nancy, however, is not who she claims to be.
She has come to Thornbury Hall with a purpose: to discover the truth about Lady Caroline Thornbury, the young wife of the late Sir Louis Thornbury, who has not been seen in public for months. Rumours swirl—whispers of illness, scandal, even murder. Nancy must learn whether Caroline is dead, hidden away, or still alive and in desperate need of rescue.
Two years earlier, Sir Louis believed himself blessed when the beautiful and enigmatic Caroline Chadwick agreed to marry him. But his daughters, Lucy and Grace—closer in age to their new stepmother than to their father—feared the one thing that could destroy their future: a male heir.
Then Sir Louis died in a suspicious accident… shortly after changing his will.
Now, as famine tightens its grip on Ireland, Nancy begins to uncover the truth about what really happened inside Thornbury Hall—and how far a family will go to protect their inheritance.
Order your copy of The Expectation online here.
And read more Meet the Authors of Historical Fiction on Writing.ie here.
