Angela Petch, bestselling author of The Lost Garden on becoming a published writer: ‘Dreams do come true and it is never too late . . .’
My Italian mother-in-law passed away last year at the age of ninety-eight. Her memories faded as Alzheimer’s cruelly struck. A war bride, who had never been further than her native Urbino, she fell in love with a dashing English captain in the Eighth Army. He took her back to Peterborough, where she wondered where the mountains were and what on earth toad-in-the-hole was. I married her son, dear reader, and from time to time Giuseppina told me stories of wartime Italy: how Urbino was occupied by the Germans; how her partisan father spirited a wanted partisan into their family flat knowing there were German soldiers billeted in the block opposite, how on one of her trips out with her aunty into the countryside to look for food, a swarm of British planes strafed a line of German tanks and she hurried to a farmhouse to hide. Inside a young German soldier directed fire at the planes and she begged him to stop: “They’ll kill us,” she said. “Yes, but if I shoot one down, I get ten days’ leave, signorina.”
I jotted down all her anecdotes and somebody suggested I write a book.
“What, me?” I retorted. (People like me didn’t write books. That was for famous, talented folk).
Writing from the Heart
Nevertheless, I went ahead and I am so glad I did, because her illness robbed her of her past. In my sixties, I wrote a story loosely based on my parents’-in-law story and backed it with research. I’ve read since in a writing manual that “when you base your descriptions on reality, you are less likely to fall back on cliches”. But at that time, I was writing from the heart, my book was purely intended for my mother-in-law, Giuseppina, a Christmas present.
The fact-finding spiralled: where I live for half the year in eastern Tuscany, the Germans constructed the Gothic Line, a defensive barrier across the Apennines to stop the advance of the allies. I speak fluent Italian and many elderly friends contributed their memories. There are still remains of trenches and fortifications in the woods in this wild countryside. Very soon I’d reached 100,000 words and I indie-published. (What a learning curve that was). I followed with another indie book telling the story of a fictitious family in our area who were split apart (like so many here) by the annual transhumance: a trek down from the winter mountains to the shores of the Maremma plains with their cattle and sheep. So many questions filled my mind about how the women survived during the five months of separation. I was fascinated by this aspect of social history.
Both my books were picked up after a couple of years by commercial publishers. The first went into voluntary liquidation. Bookouture took me on, helped edit the books, designed new covers and the first, The Tuscan Secret now has over 14,000 reviews, became a best seller and has been translated into several languages. A Tuscan Memory is less commercial but I am pleased I wrote it.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, to become an author was a wild dream, one I never imagined happening. But on September 11th my ninth book will publish. Dreams do come true and it is never too late, people. I am now in my seventh decade and writing is a passion that will never leave me. Over the past years, I have learned a little more about the craft but am still eager to perfect.
The Lost Garden
The Lost Garden is also set in war-torn Italy but the style is a slight departure from my usual books. I want to stay fresh, not fall into a formulaic pattern and I have decided to take a break for a while to step back and allow my brain to explore new genres.
I am in the fortunate position of being retired. I don’t have to make a living through writing so there is no urgency to write three of four books per year and to “keep on keeping on”.
“One of the great acts of bravery is to go slowly… the best books are those that take their own time… The real challenge is to make products as beautiful and as individualistic as possible.” Harriet Rubin, chapter 13 of Jurgen, Wolff Your Writing Coach.
I have learned:
- To write inspiring lines, ideas, words down as soon as they hit me, in a notebook small enough to carry around. It’s maddening when I forget them.
- To be honest and open up with other writing friends when I feel burdened by my work. A writing buddy or faithful group are gold dust and it isn’t always easy to have perspective when immersed in my own story.
- To pace myself. A tired brain makes for tired writing.
- To enjoy the process and be thankful for the opportunity.
(c) Angela Petch
About The Lost Garden by Angela Petch:
It hides a family secret that could change the course of the war.
Italy, 1930s.Tina lives in the crumbling castle of Montesecco with only her strict father and their maid, Allegra, for company. She’s never been allowed to ask questions about her mother, who died in childbirth. But the day Tina discovers a hidden, crumbling door, everything changes.
Inside is an overgrown garden. Ivy and roses adorn the stone walls. Fresh water springs from a fountain and the scent of wild herbs fills the air. How did she never know this beautiful place existed? Excitedly begging Allegra for answers, the elderly woman’s face turns pale. ‘You must never mention this to your father. It’s not safe. You’ve found your mamma’s garden.’
The Count believes Tina’s mother died because of the garden: but Allegra refuses to say more. Certain she can feel her mother watching over her, Tina secretly tends to the garden herself. And when war breaks out, Tina’s encounters with local resistance fighters mean the garden becomes a place of refuge, a place of hope – and a place of great danger when Tina must prove where her loyalties lie once and for all…
Will Tina ever discover the truth about her mother? Or was the garden, with all its secrets, never meant to be disturbed?
An absolutely breathtaking and stunning historical novel about the incredible risks people took in wartime, family secrets, loss and love. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore.
Order your copy of The Lost Garden by Angela Petch online here.
And see here for more Meet the Author articles on Historical Fiction.
