What Was It Really Like?

Writers of historical fiction have various opinions about the need for historical accuracy. Some are happy to embroider an elaborate tapestry on the basic fabric of a few historical facts; others are more interested in setting their characters in an authentic historical background and weaving the plot around actual events.

When I began my first historical novel I little realised the amount of research it would involve. It began with a picture of an English country cottage on the front of a journal I was holding. I grew up in England where you stumble over history at every corner and I had a good general idea of the Puritan-Royalist conflict, with memories of visits to historic manor homes with their priest’s hiding holes and the fame of Oliver Cromwell. My story started to unfold and flowed readily onto the paper. The hard part came later when I wanted to be true to the details. What did a simple country couple eat for dinner? Did they have potatoes in 1642? What did they drink with it? And what day was Christmas day in 1643? You may be one of those people who don’t care, but I felt I was writing about real people and I wanted to make their story live with authentic data.

So began my quest of trawling the Internet for helpful information. It’s amazing what you can find on there. But there were many visits to libraries, bookshops and museums, especially those local to the setting. I had many adventures as God guided me to places and events where I could discover what life was like for my characters in the mid-seventeenth century. What fascinated me was how he intertwined research opportunities with family visits and ministry engagements. There was the time when I picked up a National Trust magazine at a friend’s home and discovered a Civil War re-enactment that my sister was happy to take me to. One day I was in need of a seventeenth century map of York to find out which streets Nell’s horse bolted down. I found myself in a museum that had no less than three maps on display and with accurate information about the siege of York. I could name many more. Suffice it to say that what could have been a tedious labour became an interesting adventure during which I began to see my homeland with new eyes and better appreciate how she came to be the nation she is today.

A historical novel is just that—a story set in the past. It is not history. Historical novels are acts of creativity, not mere enquiries into the past. But for the sake of the story, I made many enquiries and am grateful to those who provided me with all the facts I needed. Many times I was excited to discover that what I had been inspired to write did indeed measure up to the facts. Then there were other times when I had to tweak and rewrite to avoid anachronisms and false impressions.

So, I offer you Blood and Roses, the fruit of many hours of both imagining and research. I pray you read and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing and researching it. It is available from my website shop and all the usual book sellers in hardcopy, paperback and on Kindle. Take the opportunity of my present discount to buy one for yourself or give as a Christmas gift.