If anyone is going to be at the Du Maurier festival in Fowey tomorrow, then I do recommend the event with Hannah Rothschild, discussing her new book, The Baroness, an enthralling tale of her great aunt Pannonica, (otherwise known as Nica) who ran away to New York in the 1950s, having fallen in love with the jazz of Thelonius Monk. The narrative swoops from European Jewish ghettos to English mansions and French chateaus; from the Roaring Twenties to the Second World War; from edgy low life to haute bohemia. It's a musical odyssey, but also a search for hidden family truths: and, as Hannah says, whether 'we can ever really escape from where we come from?'
For those of you who are in London on Monday, I'll be talking to Hannah at Daunt Books in Marylebone High Street (7pm on May 14th). Meanwhile, here's an interview with her and an extract from The Baroness.
13 comments:
Hi Justine.
Our names are Naomi and Lindsey, and we are in National History Day. National History Day is a competition, and for the competition we made a website, all about Coco Chanel. With our website we have made it to the National competition. We were wondering if you could contact us back, because we think an interview with you would be a great aspect for our website. For more information, you can reach us at naomithestar1@hotmail.com. Thanks!
Thanks for your message -- have just emailed you.
We never escape where we come from however hard we try. It is imprinted in us, mixed with our DNA and has made us who we are. I have my copy of The Baroness and am looking forward to starting it this weekend.
Enid -- I'm sure you'll find Hannah's book resonates with you.
I haven't got The Baroness yet but I will. Currently reading the biography of Elizabeth Gaskell and just getting to the part where she meets Charlotte Bronte and it's fascinating to read their correspondence as is the descriptions of Victorian life in northern England.
Which biography of Mrs Gaskell are you reading?
Dear Justine,
I am Nicolas from Chanel Japan. We had a nice chat after your beautiful stories in Paris last week. I told you about my wedding story and I have just ordered "if the spirit moves you" following your advice !
It was very nice meeting you...
I wish you a great weekend !
Nicolas
nicolas_lefeuvre@chanel.co.jp
The Baroness sounds fascinating. I can't wait to read it.
We are all castaways into foreign lands at birth, all of us searching for our place in our families. This journey follows us into the outside world and onwards throughout our lives. I keep thinking of Buck Henry's words: "The pleasures of the past live on, mixed in all of us. So do the pains. But we can outrun them if we try."
Justine - the one by Jenny Uglow. I was inspired to read it as a result of buying the DVD TV series of Wives and Daughters from amazon which we hadn't seen since its original airing. (It's winter here and nothing much on the local channels).
'm now thinking I should read 'Mary Barton' which I never have. Interesting stuff about the conflict of writing about "fallen women" and physical love conflicting with Victorian morals and early feminism.
Justine: Do you have any speaking/reading events scheduled yet for July 2012? Would love to know if you do.
I love that quote from Kairu -- thank you so much -- I'd never heard it before.
Jaywalker, perhaps you should read Mrs Gaskell's biography of Charlotte Bronte, if you haven't had a chance to do so already? It's more like a novel -- quite fictional, in places -- but v. interesting.
Nicolas -- it was lovely to meet you in Paris, and the story of your wedding day is one that I will never forget.
Kfox: I'll post details of events here, when I get them, so please do keep checking!
Have just downloaded the first volume of the biography on to my ipad - free from Gutenberg project.
Dear Justine,
My name is Lisa Stead, I’m a Lecturer in English at the University of Exeter and I met you recently when you gave a fantastic talk about literary manuscripts at the British Library. I was wondering whether it would be possible to get in touch with you regarding quoting a short section from your talk in an academic book about literary archives? You can contact me at: lisa.stead@hotmail.co.uk
Thanks!
Post a Comment