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BIO
Rosamunde
(nee Scott) Pilcher was born in Lelant, Cornwall, on September 22,
1924. Following her education at St. Clare's Polwithen and Howell's
School Llandaff, she attended Miss Kerr-Sanders' Secretarial College.
She served with the Women's Royal Naval Service 1943-46. She married
Graham Hope Pilcher on December 7, 1946, she was 22. In 1996 they
celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! They have four grown
children, oldest son, Robin, daughters Fiona and Philippa (aka Pippa)
and second son, Mark.
Rosamunde
got her start in 1949 as an author of Mills and Boon romances, under
the name Jane Fraser. She published 10 novels using that pen-name.
Her first novel as Rosamunde Pilcher, A SECRET TO TELL, was published
in 1955. In 1965 she began to use her own name full time.
INTERVIEW
August
11, 2000
Rosamunde Pilcher is a beloved author whose books have won much
international acclaim, and her most recent, WINTER SOLSTICE, is
one of her best yet. Bookreporter.com's Writer Ann Bruns --- who
had never experienced Pilcher before --- fell in love with her novel
and is now a devoted fan. Find out what inspired her retirement
age romance in WINTER SOLSTICE, how she feels about the deterioration
of Scottish estates, whether she will write another novel in her
lifetime, and much more in this interview.
TBR: One of the most appealing aspects of your new book, WINTER
SOLSTICE, lies in the characterizations, especially Elfrida Phipps
and Oscar Blundell, both of whom are retirement age. Did you start
out intending to write a story that would incorporate some of the
more poignant difficulties of aging, or did that evolve some time
later?
RP: No, I started out writing
about two mature people, both of whom had come through tragic times,
finding companionship and a new love with each other.
TBR: WINTER SOLSTICE encompasses so many emotional facets. The
most prevalent is the loneliness that many of your characters experience,
in particular those who have lost a spouse. Elfrida laments, "Perhaps
that was the worst of all. Not having someone to remember things
with." Is the absence of that special companionship that couples
share the most painful type of loneliness? Do human beings have
a need to be partnered to be truly happy?
RP: I don't think people need
a partner to be truly happy. A self resourceful person can lead
a full and happy life without a companion...simply friends. But
for Elfrida, it was different --- and she missed her lover and wanted
someone to remember good days with.
TBR: Was it their desperate need for companionship that ultimately
drew Elfrida and Oscar together or would they have fallen in love
under different circumstances anyway?
RP: I think Elfrida and Oscar
were twin souls. Their relationship from the very beginning was
one of recognized compatibility, despite the fact that he was married
to Gloria.
TBR: Even though Gloria Blundell was a heavy drinker and had
been drinking the night of the accident, Oscar never seems to hold
her responsible for the death of their child. Wouldn't most people
in that situation tend to feel just the opposite?
RP: Oscar never blamed Gloria
for the accident. Simply himself, for not having the foresight to
drive both wife and daughter to the firework party.
TBR: Elfrida was such a dichotomy of moralistic values. On the
one hand, she'd been living with a man while he was estranged from
his wife, and had encouraged her cousin Jeffrey to leave his unhappy
marriage with Dodie and marry Serena, yet she abhorred the idea
of a woman stealing another woman's husband. Isn't this a rather
fine line of distinction?
RP: Elfrida's moral code was
fairly flexible. ALL she disapproved of was the single woman, divorced
or widowed, taken under the kindly wing of a good girlfriend, and
then scarpering with the kindly girlfriend's husband. This was the
situation in which she found herself, and she was to have no part
in it.
TBR: Another central feature of WINTER SOLSTICE is the focus
on family relationships --- husband/wife, mother/daugher, father/daughter,
sister to sister. Dodie's daughters, Nicole and Carrie, have both
suffered from a lack of nurturing, and Nicole is carrying on the
tradition by treating her own daughter as an inconvenience. The
implication is that Dodie's personality is the root of this dysfunctional
family; Jeffrey seems to be viewed as blameless. Isn't his emotional
absence in his daughters' and granddaughter's lives a contributing
factor?
RP: Dodie's personality IS the
root of her dysfunctional family. She is bone selfish and always
has been. Jeffrey, not blameless, has nevertheless done his best,
cared for his wife and children, and seen the children on their
way. His wife, divorced, is well off and independent. As for him,
I think he deserves a little happiness with Serena, at the end of
it all.
TBR: Village life in rural England and Scotland is portrayed
as one of community involvement, sharing responsibilities and caring
for those in need. Even the elderly employees of the now defunct
estate were watched over by local residents. In fact, one resident
comments that if Oscar returned to his hometown after a 50 year
absence he'd be welcome with open arms. We seldom see that kind
of kindred, neighborly spirit today. Is our more mobile society
impacting our sense of belonging to a community?
RP: I think in Scotland, where
life jogs along at a slower pace, people do stay and live in small
communities and take care of each other. All the inhabitants of
Creagan would have remembered old Mrs. McLellan, the "doyenne" of
the Big House, with much affection and respect. Her grandson would
automatically have been welcomed back into the fold for her sake.
TBR: Elfrida and Oscar were concerned that their "living arrangements"
would appear scandalous in the eyes of the local residents as well
as her family, yet no one seemed the least bit offended by it, not
even the minister and his wife. Was it because of their age or a
reflection of more relaxed social morès?
RP: Life and moral values move
on and change. Elfrida and Oscar's design for living would have
been of no concern to any person provided they fit in, were friendly,
and became part of the community, which they did. Oscar was also
the grandson of old Mrs. McLellan, which would automatically give
him carte blanche. The Minister, Peter Kennedy, is a wise man, and
would be nothing but benevolent. He recognizes a truly good man
when he sees one.
TBR: Despite her lack of a stable home life, Lucy appeared to
be quite well-adjusted and resilient. She exhibited many personality
traits of a typical teenager --- except perhaps her willingness
to tackle household chores. Does this suggest that those born with
a survivalist nature will endure despite the quality of parenting?
Or does it require some positive influence from another source to
ensure their success?
RP: Lucy is perhaps a little
old-fashioned and biddable. She is not a modern, self assertive
child. Such children still exist. She is simply looking for a bit
of colour, companionship, and love in her rather boring life. A
normality which she knows she is missing out on.
TBR: At one point, you alluded to the origins of the celebration
of the Winter Solstice? Can you elaborate any on the history behind
this?
RP: Winter Solstice, really
nothing more to say.
TBR: Your descriptions of the deterioration of many local estates
painted such a tragic picture. Are there actually a great many old
estates crumbling and neglected in areas of Scotland? If so, couldn't
they be put to some useful purpose while preserving them as much
as possible?
RP: Yes, large estates do go
downhill. Many of them were built and the land farmed and used for
sport during the rich Victorian years, when labour was cheap, workmanship
excellent, and a whole different sense of values existed. They could
be put to some useful purpose, except that they are isolated and
often situated in countryside which cannot be used for anything
agricultural. That was part of their charm. It is hard to find a
useful life for them, and the families who inherit them either take
in paying guests, let out the shooting and fishing, or turn them
into historical tours. Dubrobin, the home of the Duke of Sutherland,
is typical. A historical tour, while the Lord Strathnaver lives
in a converted dairy.
TBR: When you write a novel like WINTER SOLSTICE, do you begin
with an outline of a story in mind, or do you create the characters
and work outward as they develop?
RP: I started WINTER SOLSTICE
with five characters. The story is what becomes of them.
TBR: With such a long career in writing, do you have any sage
advice for budding authors out there?
RP: Budding authors, be self-disciplined.
It is a lonely job. And LISTEN to experts.
TBR: What authors influenced you when you began your writing
career? Who do you enjoy reading for pleasure today?
RP: I read my first Monica Dickens,
called MARIANA, when I was about twelve. From her I learned a great
deal about writing novels.
TBR: Will it be another 5 years before we see another Rosamunde
Pilcher novel, or do you already have something cooking?
RP: I have no new book cooking.
At my mature age, I shall probably not write another novel, but
we shall see.
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