After reading Tinney Sue Heath’s historical fiction novel, A Thing Done,set in 14th century Italy , I thought that it is curious and stimulating to getto know how people living in distant countries see your own. This is why Iwanted to interview the author and ask her the reasons for her loving mycountry, especially medieval Italy, somuch. Giveaway! Read the interview, then take your chances to win one of the two e-book copies of A Thing Done. (see the rafflecopter form below the post)
First of all, welcome to Fly High, Tinney, and for accepting to answer myquestions. I’d like to start asking you,what is the fascination of Dante's Italy to a person with such a differentbackground? For us Italians it is compulsory to study Dante Alighieri and readhis “Divina Commedia” at high school.But you? How did you come to discover the greatest Italian poet, his work and his Florence?
Thank you. I'm delighted to be here. Your question made me smile, because when Ifirst learned about your blogs, I wondered what attracted an Italian to JaneAusten! I first encountered Dante inhigh school. In my case it was not becauseeveryone studied his writings, but because I was fortunate enough to read themin a Great Books class I had chosen to take. There I also read Boccaccio and Machiavelli. I loved the art of the Italian Renaissance,and my tastes in opera and other classical music also tended toward theItalian, but it was Dante who focused my interest on pre-Renaissance Florenceand Tuscany. After all, it seems he putmost of his neighbors in the Inferno, and he made 13th century Florencesound like such an interesting place.
Why a fool asthe protagonist of your novel?
The fool is ahistorical character, recorded in the chronicles, though we know nothing abouthim beyond his original action. I foundmyself wondering how all of these tumultuous struggles among the nobles wouldlook to a man who was just trying to make a living, and how he would feel abouthis own role in the chaos that followed, however unwilling a part he played.
He is the protagonist but also the narrator ofthe story. Is his perspective on facts special because of his job?
Yes, I think he is in a good position to tell this story. A fool had to have a quick wit and be able tothink on his feet, yet he would be so insignificant in the eyes of the noblesthat they would tend to forget he was there, watching them.
Men and womenin your book, men and women in the middle ages. What did you discover whileresearching about social roles?
I discovered that women of thelower social classes (like my character Ghisola, who spins wool for a living)had more freedom and mobility than the closely-guarded women of the upperclass. Certainly in the eyes of the lawand of the church, men held most of the power in the 13th century. Yet, looking at legal records, one seesexample after example of strong-willed women stubbornly insisting on the rightsthey did have. I don't think medievalwomen were particularly docile, nor were they completely without rights orpower, but they did live in a society that didn't make things easy for them.
How did you work on the research for thehistorical context of your book? Did you travel or just used printed sources/the Net?
I did travel to Italy manytimes. Of course it was all for research– never mind the art, the music, the food, the wine, the incredible beauty ofyour country. All work, I assureyou! Two things that have been a hugehelp are that I can read Italian (better than I speak it, though I'm working onthat), and that I have access to a good university library. I do use the Net for certain things butmainly because many of the resources I used to get from the library for are nowonline. The Dizionario Biografico degliItaliani is a good example – I was so pleased when I realized I could have itinstantly available.
What is theappeal of writing historical fiction?
I think it's the headycombination of the strange and the familiar. The past is in many ways so different from our own world, and thosedifferences are endlessly fascinating. Yetpeople are not so different. They havethe same strengths and weaknesses, the same needs and desires. Thus, when we think about the way peoplelived in the past, it is not so hard to imagine ourselves living in thosetimes.
What isinstead the hardest task for a hist/fic writer?
It's either marketing your book– lots of writers are just no good at that – or getting it published in thefirst place, if it's something a little unusual. (The most irritating thing, though, is thatmedieval chroniclers almost never named the women. They were only listed as wives anddaughters. I just studied eightgenerations of a family's history, and there was only one woman named. You can't even have eight generationswith only one woman. Drives me crazy!)
How would you present your book to ourreaders? Let’s say in about 50 words (if you want to give a longer synopsis, please feel free to dothat)
In 13th century Florence, tensions simmer below the surface. A jester's prank-for-hire spirals out ofcontrol, and the city reels on the brink of civil war. A marriage offered to make peace resultsinstead in an unforgivable insult and an outraged cry for revenge. Trapped in the middle, can the jester savehimself and those dear to him? What doyou like reading when not writing or reasearching for your books?
I read a lot of historicalfiction set in many different time periods. Dorothy Dunnett's historical novels are my favorites. I also can't resist good fantasy, so I lovethe George R.R. Martin Game of Thrones series and everything by GuyGavriel Kay. And I read othercontemporary authors, Ian McEwan, Neal Stephenson, and Margaret Atwood, forexample.
What are you up to right now? Working at a newproject?
I had beenplanning to base my next book on the life of Dante's wife, Gemma Donati. But there's a generation in between AThing Done and Dante, and the more I researched the Gemma Donati book, themore fascinating I found the time of her parents' generation. So the next one is set in the 1260s, and itwill involve several of the poets of that pre-Dante generation.
Thanks forbeing my guest and … see you in Italy sooner or later!
Thank you forhosting me, and yes, I hope to see you in Italy!
The Author
Tinney Sue Heath writes historical fictioncentered on Dante's Italy. When notwriting, she's playing medieval and Renaissance music on a wide variety ofinstruments, ranging from shawms to portative organ. She loves doing research (especially insitu), and she blogsregularly about historical fiction research. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, USA with her husband Tim, and she'sgamely trying to become fluent in Italian.Learn more at her website, her blog, or her FireshipPress author page.
The Book - A Thing Done
Florence, 1216: When Corrado the Jester's prank-for-hire goeswrong, a brawl erupts between two rival factions. Florence reels on the brink of civil war. One side makes the traditional offer of amarriage to restore peace, but that fragile peace crumbles under the pressureof a woman's interference, an unforgivable insult, and an outraged cry forrevenge.
Corrado is pressed into unwilling serviceas messenger by both sides. Sworn tosecrecy, he watches in horror as the headstrong knight Buondelmonte violatesevery code of honor to possess the woman he wants, while another woman,rejected and enraged, schemes to destroy him.
Corrado already knows too much for his ownsafety. Will Buondelmonte's reckless acttrigger a full-scale vendetta? And if itdoes, will even Corrado's famous wit and ingenuity be enough to keep himselfalive and protect those dear to him?
Excerpt
It wasa fool that beganit, but it tooka woman to turnit murderous.
Prideand lust, spite, greed,and folly split Florencedown the middle inthat harsh spring. By late March,when the Feast ofthe Incarnation gave birth toChrist's year 1216, thedamage was done. Ourcity by then hadrent herself into twowarring parties. She split, like astone splits when the stonecutterdrives his wedge intoa crack and sundersthe rock into jagged pieces, neverto be whole again.Askany Florentine how the riftbegan. He'll tellyou it started witha banquet, a fight,a man hurt. A marriage offeredto make peace. A woman's interference, abetrayal--maybemore than one--and acry for vengeance. He'll tell you,in wonder, that thegreat strife began atthat banquet with nothingmore than a fool'sjest.Hemight even tell youthat the fool playedhis prank, collected hispurse, and danced away,not caring what hehad set in motion. Hewould be wrong.Allthat he's told youwill be true untilthat last. True, butincomplete. There's nothing inhis account of blackmail,nothing of secrets, nothingof the bitterness ofa rejected woman. Nothing of loyaltybought and sold. And most ofall, nothing of violentconflict coldly planned andset in motion forpolitical gain.Afool began it; thatmuch is true. I should know,for I am thatfool, fool by professionand more fool bymy actions. But before you judgeme, know that therift, like the crackin the stone, wasalready there.
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