STORY BEHIND 'THE COUNTRY GIRL' WITH SALLY TARPEY

Sally Tarpey was born in rural Hampshire and now lives close to the sea in Essex. She began writing short stories when she was a VSO volunteer in Cambodia and hasn’t stopped writing since.

A retired teacher, she now volunteers with two community projects, her local community shop and an EAL support group. She is currently working on her second novel. When she’s not writing, she can be found enjoying time with her family, striding out in her walking books, battling with weeds on her allotment or planning her next adventure.

Learn all about Sally's writing journey for The Country Girl below. 

What's your inspiration for the book?
When researching my family history, I discovered that my grandfather had a previous wife and child.

Did anything surprise you during the writing process?
Yes, how much a character like Kate can take hold and almost write herself. She took me in unexpected directions. Also, when conducting research, how obsessed I became with searching maps and old photographs to picture Kate’s physical journeys.

Three writers that inspire you?
Margaret Forster for her exploration of the role of women in society and her ability to transport the reader back in time. Colm Tóibín for the slow-paced quietness of his work, his exploration of human relationships and the poetic rhythm of his writing. Maggie O’Farrell for her ability to make you feel that you are actually there, in the room or the place, watching her characters go about their daily lives.

Hardest thing about writing?
Knowing when to stop and keeping time factors consistent. I found writing a timeline invaluable.

Anything interesting or funny that happened while you were writing the book?
Some strange coincidences. I discovered that my grandfather’s first wife was born in the same village as my grandmother and was in service in an area of London that I have had personal connections with in the past.

What’s your favourite thing about this book?
How Kate is a survivor despite all the odds. How she overcomes the many obstacles in her life, including the social class barriers of the time.

Tell us about the characters ?
The main character, Kate, is a strong-minded young woman. She knows that she doesn’t want to pick potatoes and work in the fields of her Hampshire village for the rest of her life. She begins her job as nursemaid to the Winton children with excited anticipation and a gentle innocence. Soon her eyes are opened to the wider world and she experiences love for the first time.

Philip and Clara Winton are both privileged young people eager to break out from the confines of their protected lives. Despite the social divide, they become firm friends with Kate. The outbreak of war catapults them into a life that they could never have imagined and Philip suffers as a result.

Mr Winton is an absent father who leaves household matters to his wife. Mrs Winton has enough strength of character to break away from her husband’s control and becomes involved in the suffragette movement.

Mrs B, the housekeeper, runs an efficient house. She has a jolly, no-nonsense approach to life. She provides much of the humour in the book.

Tell us about the setting?
It was an absolute joy to be able to absorb myself in describing the Hampshire villages and countryside where I was brought up. I revisited the area many times during the writing process and read historical records of the county during the early twentieth century.

What’s the biggest distraction in your writing day?
The sunshine and wanting to be outside walking or in my garden.

What really inspires you?
The small details of lives lived in the past. People’s resilience and how they survive change and adjust to a different way of life, even in the face of huge personal loss.

How do you want readers to feel when they’ve finished your book?
That they have been taken to another time and place and lived Kate’s life alongside her.

THE COUNTRY GIRL, a WW1 novel inspired by the true story of Sally's grandfather, is out NOW.