The Dragon Lady - June book club

For Mapleleaf

Q - I wonder if Louisa intends writing another book following on from this one about the couple, or has she got another philanthropist she is interested in following up and writing a story based around them, using the same style of fact interspersed with fiction?I do hope something is in the pipeline.

A - As I said to another Gransnet Book Club member, I felt while I was writing The Dragon Lady that the Courtaulds’ lives could have filled several volumes. So I wouldn’t rule out writing another book about them!

But my next novel continues my theme of strong women who live by their own rules. It’s about Nellie Bly (1864-1922), America’s first female investigative journalist. She grew up without privilege or education, knowing that her greatest asset was the force of her own will. My novel will focus on her stay in the infamous Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, off New York. Rumours of
abuse were rife, but no one had dared investigate it until Nellie managed to fake insanity and get herself committed in order to write an undercover story.

Nellie’s reportage brought her fame and led to a grand jury investigation and financial increase in the Department of Public Charities and Corrections.

For ayse

Q - The descriptions of the renovation and later bombing of Eltham palace were riveting showing how ancient and modern can be married to produce sensational architecture.I’d like to know why current authors write between periods rather than recount a story chronologically.

A - I am glad you enjoyed the descriptions of Eltham Palace! I can’t speak for all authors, but the reason I structured the book the way I did was that I wanted to foreground the Rhodesian story. My mother was born in South Africa and I have always wanted to write about that part of the world. It then made sense to recount the earlier parts of the Courtaulds’ lives as flashbacks, bookended
by the Rhodesian sections.

For GranEd

Q - A beautifully written combination of fact and fiction.I liked the short chapters which made it an easy read.I wondered if the author has any connections to the Courtauld family as the finer details are impressive?(I also loved the rich colours and design of the book cover).

A - Thank you! I love the cover too – Bloomsbury really did me proud!

I have no connection to the Courtaulds. I found them fascinating and did a lot of research about them, including a trip to Zimbabwe, where I slept in Ginie’s bedroom at La Rochelle. I was also given access to family letters by a
Courtauld cousin. All of this helped me grow close to Stephen and Virginia in my imagination.

For reelashosser

Q - Is it documented that Ginie had an abortion in her youth? I would have thought that this would have been kept very much secret in those days, so is this another example of skin and tissue?

A - No, the abortion isn’t documented. What is documented is that Ginie couldn’t have children and that nobody knew the reason why. I needed to make up a reason for my storyline.

For itsmyfirstrodeo

Q - My question is, how much of an embellishment was Jongy and did his sorry fate play out as in the book?

A - Jongy was real. His personality, his incredible quarters at Eltham Palace, his travels with the Courtaulds, and his closeness to Ginie are taken from real life. His fate was my embellishment.

For GeminiJen

Q - It’s clear that the author undertook a great deal of research to bring to light the fascinating life of Virginia Courtauld. It was beautifully written and a pleasure to read. I should be interested in hearing from the author how she approaches the intermingling of fact and fiction: for instance, given that events are fairly recent, with characters in the novel still alive today.

A - I look at the factual information as a skeleton on which to hang my story.

Fiction gives me licence to imagine myself into the characters’ private thoughts, to invent conversations and details which animate their conflicts and draw out themes I find interesting. At the same time, I try and stay as true to
their personalities as I can. In other words, the outline of the plot is already there and within that framework, I create my own image of real people.

For ranorman45

Q - I loved reading about the Courtauld family and what life could have been like in Africa at these times of great change, it was quite thought provoking for me. I wonder if the author or her family have ever experienced life as an expat or just where she went to for research in this subject.

A - My mother’s family have lived in South Africa since the beginning of the twentieth century. And I spent time with my grandparents in Durban as a young child. I also went on a research trip to Zimbabwe a few years ago and I
read all I could about Rhodesia in the 1950s.

For aspella

Q - My question is why didn't you write a non-fiction book about Ginie?

A - I love the form of fictionalised biography because there’s an interesting framework of facts on which to hang the narrative, yet at the same time, the fictional aspect gives me enough wiggle room to imagine and create. I’m
particularly interested in the emotional lives of my characters, and to explore this aspect, I wanted to make use of the extra licence fiction affords. Also, detailed biographical information about the Courtaulds’ lives in Rhodesia was simply not available.

For nanabanana1

Q - What a lovely looking book, I really enjoyed the story and the obvious research that has been done by the author. Virginia Courtauld must have been a very fascinating and strong woman. My question is has the author any plans for another book along these lines i.e a fiction/nonfiction about another not very well known but fascinating historical figure?I very much hope so.

A - I am delighted you enjoyed The Dragon Lady! My next book is another historical novel based on the life of a real person and it continues the theme of boundary-breaking women who lived by their own rules. It’s about Nellie Bly
(1864-1922), America’s first female investigative journalist. She faked insanity convincingly enough to be locked up in the Asylum for the Insane on Blackwell’s Island off the coast of New York, and when she got out, she exposed the terrible conditions.

For mbody

Q - A beautifully written book, now halfway through, mixed thoughts, I like the short chapters give me time to take in each one. How long did it take the author to find out all the details?

A - I researched the story for the better part of a year before I started writing. And while I was writing, I carried on reading everything I could about Rhodesia and Europe during the period The Dragon Lady was set.

For grannyscott

Q - I didn’t expect to enjoy this book but I did. The research must have been very thorough as it took me straight to Rhodesia. What a woman! How do you go about such research particularly as it needs to be of the time?

A - I did quite a bit of research from a variety of sources! The highlight was staying at the Courtaulds’ house in Zimbabwe and sleeping in Ginie’s bedroom. The Museum and Library in Mutare were treasure troves of information. In the UK, I visited Eltham Palace several times and listened to ‘An Oral History of the Courtaulds at Eltham Palace’ at the British Museum. George Courtauld, Stephen’s cousin, gave me access to family letters and photographs, and shared his memories of Stephen and Ginie with me. And I read everything I could about Europe and Rhodesia at the time the novel was set.

For gillgran

Q - My question is, how much & what/which, is fact, & how much &what/which is fiction?

A - The Dragon Lady broadly follows the known biographical facts of the Courtaulds’ lives, especially in the English and European sections. Their private thoughts and conversations are my invention, but I always stayed as true to their personalities as I could. In Rhodesia, there was far less biographical information available, so there is more fiction. Nevertheless, fact forms the backbone: everything the Courtaulds did to help Rhodesia was true, including meeting Mugabe and other politicians, and it really did bring them into conflict with their white neighbours. The child’s unmarked grave is real and so is the sad and spooky atmosphere hanging around it.

For maisie46

Q - Obviously much research went into this book which made me want to find out more about the fascinating Virginia Courtauld. Presumably the abortion & shooting were fiction?

A - Yes, though they were linked to facts. Ginie couldn’t have children and nobody knew the reason why. I needed to make up a reason for my storyline. The Courtaulds were shunned and threatened by their white neighbours because of their liberal views.

For Dannydog1

Q - From the start I loved this book.Easy to read but with depth, it made me want to find out more about conditions for all in Rhodesia at that time, and more about Victoria and the family.Thank you for this brilliant book. Louisa, will you be writing another book in the same style, and how did you come across the story?

A - Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback!

Yes, my next book continues the theme of boundary-breaking women who
lived by their own rules. It’s about Nellie Bly (1864-1922), America’s first female investigative journalist. She faked insanity convincingly enough to be locked up in the Asylum for the Insane on Blackwell’s Island off the coast of
New York, and when she got out, she exposed the terrible conditions.

I came across the story because my best friend asked, ‘Have you heard of Nellie Bly? She’s the sort of woman you write about.’ I Googled Nellie Bly and was instantly hooked!

Dear GN
Please let Louisa know how much her comments are appreciated
For me, receiving feedback from the authors is one of the best things about taking part in the GN Book Club.
All the more disappointing though when authors don't respond: e.g. still waiting to hear back from the authors of the February and April books The Suspect and The Heart beats in Secret...?