Dear Readers, this
book is from a company that isn’t a Christian publishing company, so I wanted
to read it before I put it up on the blog. The author lives in a suburb of London , England .
Here’s my review of the book.
I love Elizabeth
Gifford’s writing. It’s often lyrical and intense. The characters really came
alive to me on the page, and her setting took me to the islands off of Scotland . I’d
never read any novel set here, and I loved learning about them.
The novel is actually
two stories woven together—one from the mid 1800s, the other from the late
1900s. The way they came together gave me an even greater understanding of life
on those islands. And other historical events revealed where some of the folk
tales came from. And some of them were from Norway, and I'm one-fourth Norwegian.
At times, I wished I
had a better understanding of some Scottish words, but taken in context, I understood
what she meant. The contemporary story deals with post traumatic stress
syndrome, and in one of the scenes, a word was used twice
that I really don’t like in the books I read. However, they fit the
circumstances. I just wanted to alert you to the fact that they are there.
Welcome, Elisabeth. Tell
us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
There’s almost always a bit of myself in all of the
characters. I can’t write a character unless I can empathize with them and try
and walk in their shoes for a while. I don’t, of course, always share their
logic and views but drama comes from the way characters see things and the
choices that they make, often initially shooting themselves in the foot before
seeing – or not seeing – that there might be another way to do things. You also
use what you know to make new and imagined characters, and it feels a bit like
making patchwork quilts, constructed from snippets of things you recall in
yourself and others, but sewn together to make a new pattern and a new
creation. If I don’t feel a sort of love or sorrow for a character as I write,
and especially when I really know them, then it’s not a good sign. However, if
you get too autobiographical, it makes it difficult to let the story breathe
and things can go flat for the reader.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
It’s not very quirky, but an impulse decision set off the
chain of events that led to The Sea House. While visiting Scotland , St Andrews ,
I saw an ad for a tiny white cottage on a remote Scottish island and was so
entranced by it that within a few days we were there - after a long drive and
ferry trip. It was in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of the sea, with only
a wheelbarrow to get the luggage to the cottage across the turf field. It was
like traveling back in time to an almost lost Gaelic lifestyle. We explored the
island, made friends with people who lived there, and heard the story of the
seal people. That was where The Sea House began, writing the
first pages upstairs in the cottage in Harris.
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
In primary school, the class was allowed an afternoon to do
the thing they really wanted to do – in a school setting - and I chose writing.
It was a natural extension from reading stories all the time; I began telling
my own stories.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I read everything and anything. I love page-turners and
thrillers, and also romances. I studied French and loved reading my way through
most of the great French novels such as Madame
Bovary. Anything with beautiful writing such as Home by Marilynne Robinson or books by Marquez, I read slowly,
enjoying every word.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
I try and have a time of quiet at some point in the day – or
week - where I remember what really matters and what my purpose is. Knowing why
you do things is both energizing and gives you permission to stop and not work
towards burnout. I also try to get out and walk in Richmond
Park nearby or along the Thames .
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
They come out of the air sometimes, but I do assess if that
name will reflect their personality and history in some way. You don’t want a
name to stick out or jar the reader. I look at period names if a book is set in
the past.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
My three kids, and not because of anything I have done but
because of who they are. A little loving neglect, it turns out, is an old
fashioned parenting skill that is very healthy. Children need love and care,
yes, but they also need the space to think for themselves, be creative, and
find out who they are. They always surprise me and make me very proud.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
A seal. Having written a book based on the legend of the
seal people and watched films of seals under water, I’d love to experience the
way they swim as if they are flying through air.
What is your favorite
food?
I prefer chocolate but fish oils are essential for my diet
as I have immune issues and this really makes a big difference in keeping down
symptoms. It’s also really important for the brain and especially for a child’s
brain. So for writing purposes I keep the alcohol off the menu as I have no
tolerance and I actually can’t think and drink, but fish oil is really helpful.
Beginning to wonder if there is some seal in my background in fact!
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
I was a working mum, but as the children grew up, I began
taking writing classes for fun and loved it so much I kept going. By the time
the kids left for university, I found I had enough for almost two novels. I
also had to give myself permission to write! Now I think that everyone writes
in a unique way, just like everyone has a unique face, with stories that only
you can tell. If my writing feels stale, I read a good book and get inspired by
the way it’s written.
Tell us about the
featured book.
The Sea House is based on a real letter to The Times newspaper reporting a mermaid
sighting by a Scottish schoolmaster in 1809. There were lots of mermaid sightings
in Scotland
200 years ago, and also some very old stories about seal people or Selkies. I
was amazed to find from Gaelic historian John MacAulay that some very real
events lay behind these stories, which were in fact a form of oral history
about a lost tribe of Sea Sami from Norway . I also fell in love with
the wild and remote beauty of Harris, where the church services are often held
in Gaelic. It’s a really intense experience to hear the congregation singing
psalms in Gaelic. The old mansion there in Scarista became the focus of the
story, and I pictured a young couple coming to restore it from its past
dereliction, making a disturbing discovery as they did. The island’s villagers
were shipped to Canada
during the clearances just over a hundred years ago and the voice of a girl
from that time, Moira, also entered the story. Cross and feisty, red haired
Moira became my favourite character in the end!
Yes, I loved Moira. Please
give us the first page of the book.
Prologue
My grandmother’s grandmother was a seal woman. She cast off
her sealskin, fell in love with a fisherman, had his child, and then she left
them. Sooner or later, seal people always go back to the sea.
At least, that’s the story that Mum used to tell me.
‘But is it true?’ I wanted to know.
‘It’s as true as you and me, Ruthie,’ she said. ‘There’re
plenty of people up in the islands that come from the seal people.’
And later, I used to think, of course, that’s what must have
happened. That’s why she left me. She couldn’t resist going back to the water,
because she was a Selkie.
For a long time, I liked to think that. Because it meant she
might come back one day, and then I could go home.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
My website is www.elisabethgifford.com
and Facebook page is Elisabeth
Gifford Author. I’m also on Pinterest as Liz Gifford
where you can find photos of Harris and the Hebrides
on my Secrets
of The Sea House board.
Celebrate with Elisabeth by entering her Kindle giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire
- The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford
Watch the trailer:
Thank you, Elisabeth,
for sharing these two stories with us. I found them interesting.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Sea House: A Novel - Amazon
The Sea House: A Novel - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Sea House: A Novel - Amazon
The Sea House: A Novel - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
14 comments:
Oh wow! I loved the music in the trailer and am drawn to this book. I would love to win a copy of The Sea House. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
I live in Indiana.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
Lena - I pray you are doing well.
Great review, Lena! The Sea House sounds like a winner and I would love to be one too! Thank you for the opportunity and I hope you are getting along well.
Melanie Backus, TX
The Sea House really sounds great!
Amy C
VA
What an interesting story! Would love to read this book.
Amanda from Michigan
Wonderful interview with Elizabeth! I can't wait to read "The Sea House"!
Caryl
TEXAS
What a wonderful story line. would love to read The Sea House.
dkstevens from SE NEBR.
thanks for the chance to read this wonderful novel...
karenk....from PA
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
I love the prologue thank you.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
Portsmouth, VA
The setting for this sounds absolutely beautiful!
Beth from IA
Thanks for the interview!
I live in Oregon.
Enter me!!
Conway, SC.
I love the sound of this and I'd love to win it (and read it!). Sheila D. sheiladeeth at gmail dot com
I love your review, Lena, and am certainly intrigued by this book. Thanks for the chance to get to know Elisabeth Gifford and for the chance to win THE SEA HOUSE.
Britney Adams, TX
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