April Book- Almost English

marcella

I really enjoyed the book. I noticed that it is dedicated to your grandparents and would like to know more about that

Yes, well spotted, and thank you so much. It was inspired by them - their world, chiefly, and the people they knew. Someone said they thought my grandmother would have been proud of it, which I hope is true...personally I think she'd have said both VONdareful and TAIRible.

katesheilaskate

Can't believe some of the negative comments about this book! I absolutely loved it. The food in it was great: I hate not knowing what people in books are eating and, indeed, wearing. I also loved the 1980s feel - Charlotte got it just right. Are you going to follow it through with a sequel? I would love to know what happens to everyone

Thank you! And what a wise woman you are. I agree re: food and clothes; it's fascinating, always. Glad you think the 80sness is right too.
I'm afraid I don't intend to write a sequel, although I was approached by a television company who were flirting with turning it into a series...imagine. I'd love to know what you think happens to them all...

mags62

I am another one who loved it - in fact I have just ordered another of your books from Amazon.

I suppose my thought was that the women in the book had rather a hard time of life and the men got away with murder (ain't that the truth) so I would be interested to know whether this is something you had consciously set out to portray and whether it in any way reflects your own views

hello Mags, and great to hear - thank you so much. Yes, that's right! I did want to describe a)how difficult it is for women without financial independence and b)how vulnerable girls can be to the sexual, er, expectations of boys/men if they've been quite protected. And yes, I think life IS difficult, generally, for an awful lot of women. Don't you?

locococo

Am I allowed to ask a question about another of your books (I loved this one if it helps!) When We Were Bad... Whenever I read books I form pictures of characters in my mind and when I pictured Claudia Rubin I could only see a fatter version of Julia Neuberger (not, I hasten to add, that I think there are actual similarities between them in real life). Does this horrify you?!

clafoutis

Thank you. I suppose I wondered whether you came from a family anything like the ones you write about, whether you have a family of your own, and what you do when you are not writing. That is three questions is that allowed?

I've answered them all already to some extent I think except the last...because I think the answer, shamefully, is that when I'm not writing I'm reading. Now you can ask another question!

clafoutis

"my entire life is spent either reading or writing fiction. Probably not healthy..."

Maybe not but still a very good way to spend your life!

Good point...for someone who passionately loves books, I'm clearly very lucky.

happytraveller

Hi Charlotte

Did you start with a character/characters and then build the story round that or did you inject characters into a story line/plot that you had already thought of?

Hello! Well really I started with a background, that world of Hungarian emigrees in England, and then had to work out convincing characters to people that world. And THEN the story started emerging. Hope that makes sense...

sallyc06

What a fab book, best book I read in a long time. Fantastic!!!!!!!!!

Lovely to hear Sallyc06, thank you. You might enjoy its predecessor, When We Were Bad, too. Hope so!

clafoutis

Just seen you have answered a bit of mine above but I will follow it up with an additional how old are your children and what do you do for an office job?

My children are just entering teenagehood (yes, I know)...and I'm an editor for a publishing house. So, yes, my entire life is spent either reading or writing fiction. Probably not healthy...

locococo

Am I allowed to ask a question about another of your books (I loved this one if it helps!) When We Were Bad... Whenever I read books I form pictures of characters in my mind and when I pictured Claudia Rubin I could only see a fatter version of Julia Neuberger (not, I hasten to add, that I think there are actual similarities between them in real life). Does this horrify you?!

Of course you can, and so glad you liked AE...well, you're not alone in making the Julia Neuberger connection, which I think is because she's the only rabbi, let alone woman rabbi, most people have heard of. But you're quite right, they're actually nothing like each other. Visually, to be honest, they aren't similar either, but of course I do see why you thought that. Interesting to hear!

cheshiregran

I wondered what reaction the Jewish community (partcularly the reform community) had to When We Were Bad? I loved it by the way

Thank you! Well, amusingly the ONLY bad review I had for WWWB was in the Jewish Chronicle, where they got a rabbi to go through the book deciding which bits they believed in...But luckily it's generally had a very good reaction from Jews/Catholics/Anglicans, so I can ignore that review...

CariGransnet

CharlotteMendelson

aybee

Thank you for my copy of the book which I really liked. I found it very easy to visusalise both the characters and the action - do you think it would make a good film? Are there plans for any of your books to appear on screen large or small?

Thanks Aybee - yes, there's been some interest; When We Were Bad is a bit further along that path though. I'd love it to happen, of course, but am not holding my breath...

Oooooh <keeps fingers firmly crossed>

Thank you! Hope you can still turn pages...

Mrsjunction

Thanks so much for this book... I wanted to know what fascinates you so much about being different - your books seem to focus on characters who are exotic or living far from where they came from...is this because of your own background or is it just an area that interests you?

Interesting...well, first I think that most of us who read fiction, and most writers, have some experience of feeling a bit outsiderish, don't you think? And in my own case, despite looking somewhat and sounding VERY English, I've never felt very English, because although both I and my parents were born here, my grandparents weren't. And, because I was so close to them, and saw them constantly, I never felt quite English enough to belong. Does that make sense?
Also, as a writer, I most enjoy describing characters in quite tight communities, whether it's a family, or a school, or a workplace, who have secret hopes and fears which must be kept secret.

marina

I am a Marina too! Rather different from yours I think (hope)

I really enjoyed the book and loved the old sisters - are they figments of your imagination or are they based on people you know?

Then HAALlo, darlink. So glad you liked the book; thank you. They are inspired by my own elderly foreign relatives, though very different from them...