I am very lucky to be able to bring you a guest post by Kathryn Hughes whose latest book, The Key, is due to be published today on March 1st 2018 as an e-book. Kathryn's first novel, The Letter was a Kindle Number One bestseller. Kathryn is going to be talking about her inspiration for this marvellous book. First though, here is a little bit about the story:
1956
It's Ellen Crosby's first day as a student nurse at
Ambergate County Lunatic Asylum. When she meets a young woman committed by her
father, and a pioneering physician keen to try out the various 'cures' for
mental illness, little does Ellen know that a choice she will make is to change
all their lives for ever...
2006
Sarah is drawn to the abandoned Ambergate Asylum. Whilst
exploring the old corridors she discovers a suitcase belonging to a female
patient who was admitted fifty years earlier. The shocking contents lead Sarah
to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy, lost love and an old wrong that only
she may have the power to put right . . .
Welcome to Books, Life and Everything, Kathryn. We can't wait to hear about your inspiration for The Key. Over to you!
INSPIRATION FOR THE KEY
Writers are often asked where they get their ideas from, as
though there is some special shop or website specialising in ideas for
writers. Every writer is different but
for me, ideas come from all around, from people I know, from the newspapers or
magazines or something will just simply pop into my head and I wonder if I can
produce a novel from it. (Mostly, I can’t!).
With my first book, The Letter, I began with the simple
premise of someone finding a letter in the pocket of a suit which had been
donated to a charity shop, a letter which was still firmly sealed and even
though there was a stamp, there was no postmark. At that point I had no idea who would find
this letter, who had written it, who should have received it but didn’t, why
did the writer not post it and what happened to them both? So many questions
and not enough answers.
It was a similar story with The Secret. I wanted to write about the discovery of an
old newspaper cutting describing a bus crash in which the driver and two other
people died. Who was on the bus, where
were they going, why did they crash, who found the cutting and how were they
connected to the passengers?
I cannot explain where these two ideas actually came from,
but they didn’t come fully formed. There
was a lot of work involved in expanding a mere premise to a novel of ninety
thousand words, but that’s the exciting part about writing a book. At this
early stage, even I’m not sure how it will all come together.
With my third book, The Key, it was slightly different. I can definitely pinpoint where this idea
came from. I read an article online
about the Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane in upstate New York. Long after the asylum had closed its doors
for the final time, over four hundred suitcases belonging to former patients
were discovered behind a locked attic door.
This poignant collection really got me thinking. How did one pack for a stay in an asylum,
especially when you had no idea how long you would be detained? What happened
to all those patients and why didn’t they take their cases with them? During my research, I discovered that
patients arriving at an asylum in the UK, had their cases taken from them and
put into storage. They had no need for
their own clothes as communal ones were provided, including underwear. If and when the patients left, their case was
returned to them. When our asylums began to close, patients were dispensed into
the community and the buildings, many of which were Grade II listed, were left
derelict, awaiting demolition or redevelopment. Lots of things were left behind
- beds, equipment, patients’ records.
These buildings were a haven for urban explorers because there was so
much still left to see. So, based on
true events, this is where I began the Key, with the discovery of an attic full
of suitcases in an abandoned asylum, one of which contains something truly
shocking…
Thank you, Kathryn. It is amazing to think that true events led you to write this story and good luck on Digital Publication Day!
My Thoughts
What an affecting book this is. I always enjoy stories told over two timelines and this one blended together the events of 1956 and 2006 beautifully. Ellen, a nurse, and Amy, a mental patient arrive at the Asylum at Ambergate on the same day but their lives are very different. In some ways though they are both powerless against the medical establishment and attitudes of the time. Ellen looks in horror at the treatment which is being inflicted on the patients but is very firmly told to know her place. As a committed patient, poor Amy has no rights at all. It is fascinating to discover how their lives panned out.
Decades later, Sarah is researching the building with a view to writing about the Asylum. Deserted and abandoned, she finds some old suitcases in the attic which belonged to inmates. She sets about uncovering some of the secrets of the past. This is a book which involves the reader who can only look on as the story unfolds. There are some surprising twists and outcomes to discover. With finely researched detail and period touches, the two time periods are distinct but never jarring. I believed in the story which is emotional, heart wrenching at times and deeply affecting.
In short: an emotional but intriguing read.
About the Author
Kathryn Hughes was born in Altrincham, near Manchester.
After completing a secretarial course, Kathryn met her husband and they married
in Canada. For twenty-nine years they ran a business together, raised two
children and travelled when they could to places such as India, Singapore,
South Africa and New Zealand. Kathryn and her family now make their home in a
village near Manchester. Her first novel, The Letter, was a Kindle Number One
bestseller.
Thanks to Kathryn Hughes, and Becky Hunter of Headline Press for a copy of the book and a place on the tour via Bookbridgr.
Don't forget these other great bloggers!
Comments
Post a Comment