This summer I am releasing my parents’ novella, originally called ‘Heaven on Earth’ Since it is the prequel to my first novel Riduna, I have returned to the romantic mythological title, calling it Janus, who was the Roman gateway to heaven on Earth.
Here is my parents’ Forward, which explains the original inspiration for their story:
“THE ISLAND OF Alderney, the third largest in the Channel Island group, was our family’s favourite holiday destination.
This is a story of life in Alderney, during the latter part of the 19th Century. It is about the members of our family who lived there. Our grandmother Harriet Hopkins was born on the island in 1871 and we now believe her family had lived there since 1600.
During our research we found a fairly extensive maritime record of Harriet’s father, Captain John Hopkins and that Harriet’s step-grandfather John Taylor, was a Scotsman who had been in the army. We decided to focus our tale on these two characters, although we changed the captain’s name to Harry to save confusion.
During the period covered in this story the island seems to have been a very happy place. Travel to the outside world was not easy and few of the Islanders ventured beyond the island shores. In contrast between that of the poor in London for example.
As for our grandmother’s life on Alderney we had very few facts. We discovered that Harriet’s grandparents were publicans from various census records and that they lived in ‘The Reading Rooms’ in Braye Road. Also, that John Taylor eventually married our great grandmother and farmed four acres.
With so little to go on this story is essentially fiction, constructed around available genealogical information. We have also adapted island customs, practices and folklore contained in island literature.“
Part 2: Why have I decided to publish my parents’ novella? to follow next week.
Diana Jackson 