Five successful novels and two well received collections of short stories have established Tessa Hadley as a writer of note in English literature. And the comparisons with Elizabeth Bowden and Alice Munro haven’t hurt either. In her sixth novel, The Past, Tessa continues this successful streak with an engrossing family tale.
On a long hot summer three sisters and their brother reunite under the roof where they spent much of their childhood. Despite their fond memories of the place the house’s future is uncertain as the siblings decide whether to sell or not.
The house and its future are only a vessel though. The real story is about what happens between its walls.
With each sibling comes their life. Fran has her two young children in tow, Alice is accompanied by her ex-boyfriend’s son, Harriet remains the solitary eldest child, while Roland arrives with his fourth wife and teenage daughter. Though all seems rosy on the outside a familial storm brews under the old family roof.
While Roland’s teenage daughter, Molly, catches the eye of Alice’s 20-year-old ward, Kasim, the sisters take a dislike to his new wife, Pilar. All except for Harriet that is, who finds other emotions stirred by this new arrival. As Tessa describes it: “it’s a stranger kind of smitten than falling in love”.
A teacher of English literature and creative writing by day, Tessa is familiar with the inner workings of the novel and the work that is needed to marshal a good idea into a good book. Among the most important ingredients are truth and hard work. As Tessa puts it: “Words are lazy so if you don’t fight you will have something that isn’t the truth, a second hand thing will write itself”.
Tessa’s training is clearly in evidence in The Past as she builds the story - the ordinary lives of her characters building to a dramatic climax.
Meeting up at the West Cork Literary Festival Susan and Tessa spoke about The Past and the art of writing a novel. What exactly happens behind the closed doors in Tessa’s latest work? Why is the truth so important to writing a good novel? And why do women seem to be more interested in writing and developing their literary voice?
This week’s music to read to
“Ode” from Nils Frahm’s latest album opens the show with Dustin O’Halloran bringing pat one to a close with “An Ending, A Beginning”. The show ends with Zoe Keating’s “The Path”.
