The story is entirely fictitious; the characters grew in the writing and followed their own paths. But a lot of things around them are true.
The novel has a backdrop of royal milestone events, from the investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales in 1969 to the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant of 2012, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
The story shows how attitudes to the Royal Family have altered as society, too, has changed.
It also shows how attitudes and legislation aren’t always in sync, and the frustrations this can cause within families.
The novel is set mostly in Devon, where I have lived virtually all of my life. Whilst I’ve named some locations like Exeter and Topsham, others are either unnamed or invented, so it might be fun for local readers to try and guess which is which.
And, along the way, there are family sayings and also family stories from before I was born, re-imagined and fictionalised in the post-war parts to help ground the story in a believable world.
At its heart, it’s a novel about the relationships of the women of one family, across eight decades and four generations.
It has a suggested reading age of 16 because, as a relationship novel, it contains mature content.
It also has ‘wit, warmth and emotional depth.’Â
