For former head-teacher and linguist Mary Grundberg, retirement has given her the time she needed to delve into creative writing. Her new novel The Divine is inspired by the story of her grandfather’s rise from humble beginnings to a career in the ministry.
Mary, who was born in Aberdeen in 1952 believes that her love for the written word came from the fact that she was surrounded by: “plenty of books of all types. I was regularly given them for birthdays and Christmas.”
Her early literary loves included classics children’s authors such as Enid Blyton but she soon developed a passion for historical stories: “ranging from The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy set during the French Revolution, through the heart-breaking 19th century novels of Thomas Hardy, to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit, both set in Edwardian times.
“It is therefore probably not a surprise that I was drawn to historical fiction when it came to my own writing,” she says.
She studied French and Italian at university and her love of language and words shines through in her writing. “I feel words are a bit like colours in painting or notes in music,” Mary explains. “When I write, I want to create a sensual and visual experience for my readers. I give a lot of thought to which words I use and how they are combined to give the maximum effect. I want to transport my reader to that world, so that they are seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching the same things as the character.
“Although historical novels are set in a different time, the people feel and react the same as contemporary characters.”
Family inspiration
For her debut novel, Mary was inspired by the life of her great-grandfather. The book is a work of fiction, she says, but it is based around the experiences of; “Alexander Whyte, who was born in a two room but‘n ben in Kirriemuir, to a single mother in 1836. Despite this challenging start to his life, he won a bursary to study Divinity at Aberdeen University and went on to have a successful career in Edinburgh as a charismatic preacher in the newly formed Free Church of Scotland, eventually becoming the Moderator.
“I was aware of his career but it was only fairly recently that I looked at it in more detail. I was fascinated by this tale of social mobility and decided to use it as the basis for my novel, embellishing it with some stories of my own.”
Despite the historical basis for the book, Mary’s tale concluded in the present day, and she changed her writing style to fit the two periods in time. “I do like a bit of time travel,” she confesses, “Readers will notice a complete change in my writing style. Sounding equally authentic in Victorian times as well as modern times is an interesting challenge for the author, but one I enjoy.”
Timeless emotions
Despite the different time-frames, Mary believes that the themes of her story are largely relevant whether they are played out within the rigidity of Victorian society or the present day. “people’s emotions when dealing with bereavement, parental expectation, love and ambition, which often conflict, have not changed and I consider are very much relevant today,” she explains.
She has been delighted with the feedback that The Divine has received so far and has already delved into a new story, set this time in the roaring 20s between London and Shanghai, “something completely different!”
The Divine by Mary Grundberg is available now £6.99
