Ask the Author: Clare McHugh
Answered Questions (12)
Clare McHugh
Hello Dianne! You have put your finger on, I'm afraid, an issue with my novel about Vicky. Having written over 100,000 words of her story, I had to wrap it up quickly to fit it into a single book!! I do have the outline for the sequel, but at the moment no one wants to publish it—the thought being that the second half of Vicky's life is very sad....I went on to write a novel about Vicky's nieces, Ella and Alix of Hesse, THE ROMANOV BRIDES, but I hope one day to return to Vicky, whom I love and adore despite her many flaws. Thank you for writing, and I am delighted to hear you enjoyed the book.
Clare McHugh
Christina, yes! Sorry for my delay in answering.
1. Alix was only six when she suffers a dual loss. How do you think this impacted the woman she becomes?
2. Were Ella's aspirations for her life realistic?
3. Should all of the Hesse sisters have listened more closely to their grandmother?
4. Why do you think Serge married Ella?
5. Do the challenges that Ella faces make her a better person, or just a stronger one?
6. What does Nicky see in Alix?
7. Is life in this royal circle enviable?
8. Would you call Alix or Ella the more willful personality?
9. Which of the sisters did you end up admiring?
1. Alix was only six when she suffers a dual loss. How do you think this impacted the woman she becomes?
2. Were Ella's aspirations for her life realistic?
3. Should all of the Hesse sisters have listened more closely to their grandmother?
4. Why do you think Serge married Ella?
5. Do the challenges that Ella faces make her a better person, or just a stronger one?
6. What does Nicky see in Alix?
7. Is life in this royal circle enviable?
8. Would you call Alix or Ella the more willful personality?
9. Which of the sisters did you end up admiring?
Clare McHugh
Dear Kaye, I come back to you with an answer after two years. Please excuse the delay! I decided to write my second novel about two of the Queen's grandchildren, Ella and Alix of Hesse. They both married into the Romanov Family, and Alix became Alexandra, the tragic last tsarina of Russia. The book will be out in March. It's entitled THE ROMANOV BRIDES. I hope you will read and enjoy! Thanks for writing to me, Clare
Clare McHugh
Thank you Sally, for writing to me. The son of Victoria that most intrigues me is Leopold who you will see makes an appearance in my new novel. You must tell me, after you read it, whether you approve of my characterization and whether I should do a full book on him! Best Clare
Clare McHugh
Thomas, I love her strong too! And I wanted to demonstrate this whenever I could, based on the record. I knew that Vicky and her mother-in-law had a kind of rapprochement after alberts death based on what she wrote to her own mother about their discussions. I used some of the language in fact, lifted directly from those letters. However, in the arch of Vicky’s life, she was often bullied despite her strength, and at other occasions she was not tactical, sometimes she failed to read the room. But she was nearly always right about politics. Not as good on family relationships. Let me know what you think of her confrontations with Bismarck!
Clare McHugh
Thank you for writing to me Thomas. I am so pleased to hear you are enjoying the book. The history of German unification was something that interested me starting in college. I was aware that Vicky played a role but I didn’t know exactly what it was until I researched her life and read her letters. Then I saw the arc of the story….how all these personal circumstances: who she was, who her father was, their view of the world, all impacted the course of history. But also the role of luck, the difficulties of her first delivery etc. It was that interplay between personality and circumstance and luck that made it a story worth telling in my view.
Clare McHugh
Hi Lynn, I think my book is good for young people who want to try fiction because it takes a real life person as the basis for the novel. And the first half is Vicky before age 21! Two things, it does have a fair bit of history in it so if your daughter doesn’t like history it won’t be good. The other is there are two PG rated scenes. I felt I couldn’t write about Vicky’s passionate marriage without including these . I think 13 is old enough for them, but others might say 16. Thanks for your interest , Clare
Clare McHugh
Hi Kaye!
Thanks for writing to me. I hear from a lot of Australian readers. I hope one day to come down under!
I am thinking about writing about Queen Victoria’s other daughters Princess Alice or Princess Beatrice. I had such a wonderful time researching Vicky’s life.
Right now I am writing a novel set in the US, the sixties, seventies and eighties—more fictional. But I miss the history and hope to get back to it soon. If you are in a book club, I’m happy to Zoom with you guys. Let me know.
Best Clare
Thanks for writing to me. I hear from a lot of Australian readers. I hope one day to come down under!
I am thinking about writing about Queen Victoria’s other daughters Princess Alice or Princess Beatrice. I had such a wonderful time researching Vicky’s life.
Right now I am writing a novel set in the US, the sixties, seventies and eighties—more fictional. But I miss the history and hope to get back to it soon. If you are in a book club, I’m happy to Zoom with you guys. Let me know.
Best Clare
Clare McHugh
It was the night before Christmas, and not one present was bought.
Clare McHugh
Thank you so much for you interest, Elaine. And please let me know what you think of Vicky's story. I am tempted to write a sequel, but the second half of her life is very difficult and I am not sure I can make it a terrific read. I AM thinking about other women in history to write about....maybe royal maybe not...and I would like to try to write an American-based book---I have three drafts going! Thanks again, Clare
Clare McHugh
I love history, and writing historical fiction gives me an excuse to learn all I can about long-dead people and the scandals, dramas, and romances they became entangled in. I'm interested, too, in how things that happened in the past echo in the current day. American actress Meghan Markle and Vicky, Queen Victoria's daughter could NOT be more different. But they both were subject to ferocious criticism in their adopted countries.
Clare McHugh
I have been interested in Queen Victoria for a long time and in several of the biographies about her, authors quoted letters she sent and received from her closest confidante, her daughter Vicky, who at age 17 moved to Berlin in 1858 to marry the Prince of Prussia. That got me interested in Vicky herself and how she navigated what turned out to be a very tricky life in Germany.
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