When I set out to write my Australian-set family sagas, my focus was initially on the relationships between siblings, their partners and their parents. I'd planned for those relationships to drive the story forward. However, it quickly became apparent that the districts and the towns where I'd set the novels had become characters in their own right and integral to the books.
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| https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781489251190/daughter-of-mine/ |
Daughter of Mine is set in the Western District of Victoria, the home of the squattocracy. (Not Victorian? Think Bowral in NSW). The ancestors of many families still living in the district made a fortune in wool, built massive mansions and public buildings, entered politics and became the closest thing Australia had to an aristocracy. Today, their descendants still wield some social power in the district so that's exactly what my fictitious family does. Birrawarra's social hierarchy became an integral part of the plot and I had fun creating two glorious 1880s blue stone mansions for my families to live in.
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| https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781489246745/birthright/ |
Birthright is set in the heart of the north-east of Victoria because gourmet food, tourism, snow-skiing and a history of logging was a vital part of the book. Once again, the setting quickly became a character, adding an extra dimension to the book. I spent a lot of time craving gourmet goat's cheese, sourdough bread and red wine while I wrote Birthright!
When I was a child, I read Anne of Green Gables as well as the other five books in the series. Lucy Maud Montgomery used words to paint such vivid pictures of Prince Edward Island that I visited it as an adult. I know some readers have visited some of the mansions in the Western District as a result of reading Daughter of Mine.
When you read a novel, do you notice the setting? Have you ever visited a place because you have read about it in a novel?
Fiona Lowe has been a midwife, a sexual health counsellor and a family support worker--an ideal careeer for an author who writes novels about family and relationships. A recipient of the prestigious USA RITA award and the Australian RuBY award, Fiona's books are set in small country towns and feature real people facing tough choices and explore how family ties impact on their decisions.
You can find her at https://www.facebook.com/FionaLoweRomanceAuthor/,
https://twitter.com/fionalowe, https://www.instagram.com/fionaloweauthorrom/
and Goodreads. Daughter of Mine and Birthright (HQ Fiction) are her current releases.
Love to Love: the peace of the Victorian high country.
Love to Laugh: The Good Place on Netflix is making me smile a lot.
Love to Learn: I always thought latex was a man-made product but in the Age quiz I learned that latex is the white sap from plants like spurge and rubber trees.
Hi Fiona
ReplyDeleteOh I loved these two books and yes I love a book that describes the setting and takes me there and I would love to visit some of the places I have read about I should get out more here in Australia but there are a lot overseas that I would love to visit especially in England, Scotland and Europe.
Have Fun
Helen
Helen there are many places in the world I’ve Travelled because I read about it in a book!
DeleteFiona, I love books where the setting is almost another character, taking on a life of its own. 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier instantly springs to mind, with Manderley. Thornfield Hall from 'Jane Eyre', Pemberley from 'Pride and Prejudice'. I wanted to visit one of Mr Darcy's houses when I first went to England, and chose Chatsworth, because it featured in the Keira Knightley version. Marvellous. I always get such a buzz when I visit a house or place featured in a fiction book (or movie). Such fun!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, some of those English mansions ooze story!
DeleteThanks so much for this interesting article, Fiona. I love settings and I can say that some settings I've read have made me want to visit a place. I remember reading a romance, "Moonlight over Mombasa" and wanting to go there,but have to say I was disappointed when I got to Mombasa! Other places I visit inspire me to write a book! One of the first romances I wrote was set in Machuu Picchu. The story was never good enough to be published, but as I set off to return to Machuu Picchu, I'm thinking about that first story and hoping I might rewrite it for publication!
ReplyDeleteI’ve never been to South America but I hope your return visit inspires you to revisit your novel.
DeleteHi Fiona. When setting is done well it really can take you to that place and make it feel read even if it's made up.
ReplyDeleteI confess to creating towns as it gives me freedom and one one says ‘ oh but there isn’t a park there!’ But I do set my fictional town in a real district.
DeleteHi Fiona, I've recently returned from a research trip to Wales, where my wip is set. You can go to google maps, or find a heap of info by googling a place name, but there's nothing that beats actually visiting to make that setting come to life (like a character) on the page. Your books sound right up my alley. :)
ReplyDeleteYes there is something special about being able to smell the air and physically experience a place. My son is off to Wales at the end of the year to do a clinical placement for his medical degree.All the best with your book.
DeleteHi Fiona. I love stories where the the setting is so real you feel as if you are there with the characters. When visiting Ireland I just had to go to the Cliffs of Moher. They were so much a part of Nora Roberts's Born In...' series, they seemed so real. And they were as spectacular as she'd shown.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed Ireland! I have visited many places because I read about them in books.
DeleteHi Fiona, I think settings are an integral part of any novel. I am hoping to visit the ruins of Tiberius' villa on Capri in August after reading about it in the romance novel, "Rosamanti".
ReplyDeleteAh Capri! I wish you better weather than I had when we visited 😊
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