Q&A with Louise Fein

  

 

 

Louise Fein is the author of the new novel Book of Forbidden Words. Her other books include The London Bookshop Affair. She lives in Surrey, UK. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Book of Forbidden Words?

 

A: We are currently living through a technological revolution, the consequences of which are unknown to us all. I began with the thought that I wanted to find a time in history when a revolutionary idea had a profound effect on humankind and changed the course of history.

 

That idea, for me, was the printing press. The explosion of readily available printed materials in the years that followed, arguably, brought about the Protestant reformation, the enlightenment and all that followed, and moved society from the feudal Middle Ages into the modern era.

 

But of course, the spread of new ideas also brought fear, repression, and many years of violent religious wars. The theme of suppression of the freedoms of thought and speech runs through my novel, as well as that of the silencing of women.

 

My research uncovered some fascinating historical figures and nuggets!

 

One of the nuggets was an encrypted manuscript called the Voynich manuscript which, despite multiple attempts at decryption, remains a mystery to this day. The subject matter of the illustrations in the manuscript, however, has led to the theory that it was written by women. It inspired the fictional manuscript in my novel.

 

The novel explores the characters who contributed to this manuscript, why they were forced to hide its contents, and then 400 years later, the consequences for the woman who unlocks its secrets in the midst of the paranoia of McCarthy-era America.

 

Q: Can you say more about how you researched the novel? What did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: My novel is set in both the first half of the 1500s and the 1950s. Having the two timelines so far apart when the characters lived in very different worlds was a challenge. However, the more I delved into the subject matter, the more parallels I found between the eras, and eerily, with today’s world.

 

It took around six months of research before I really began writing. I read very widely around both eras.

 

The book features some real historical figures, including Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII, Desiderius Erasmus and Charlotte Guillard, a prominent 16th century printer in Paris. So, I read biographies, nonfiction historical accounts and research papers, and translated works written at the time. I also did a considerable amount of research into methods of encryption in early modern Europe.

 

My research into 1950s America also involved a good deal of reading, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as listening to music, watching YouTube videos, and other archival material.

 

The action is mostly set in Levittown, Long Island, and I happily made a trip there to walk the streets and get a feel of the place. Although of course it has changed since the 1950s, I still find these trips incredibly useful as everywhere you look, there are reminders of the past and I was even able to speak to people who remembered how it used to be in the 1950s and ‘60s. I also delved into local library archives of photos and memories which was extremely helpful.

 

With the book set partly in Paris, my research wouldn’t be complete without a trip there too, where fortunately there was an exhibition on the printing press, and I wandered the areas where my book is set. Of course, Paris now is very different from the city of the 1500s, but there are a few remaining buildings and sites from that era if you know where to look!

 

I was surprised to learn that some feminist writings were published as long ago as the 1500s. I was also very surprised at how possible it was for women to flourish in business in certain professions in Paris at that time, where the guilds permitted it. Charlotte Guillard, who is one of my three female protagonists, herself was extremely successful and well respected.

 

But I think the most surprising aspects I encountered were the parallels I was able to draw with today’s world, discussed further below!

 

Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The title was a joint effort by William Morrow, my publishers, and me. I had come up with “The Forbidden Word” or “Forbidden Words” and they changed it to “Book of Forbidden Words,” which I think is a perfect title! It really sums up what the book is about, which is the key to a great title.

 

Q: The author Kelly Rimmer called the novel a “gripping and compelling tale of powerful women who refuse to be silenced,” adding, “This is exactly the kind of story the world needs right now.” What do you think of that description, and how would you compare the worlds your characters inhabited with today's world?

 

A: I’m thrilled with what Kelly so kindly said about my novel! It was exactly the message I was hoping it would convey. Time and again in history, attempts are made to silence voices of dissent that threaten certain vested interests.

 

We may no longer burn people at the stake, but efforts to control the narrative persists. That’s why we see efforts to ban books, spread fear, and place the blame for complex problems on one set of people or a single cause.

 

These matters, it seems, are as relevant today as ever. The progress of women in society has been significant, but we haven’t, perhaps, come as far as we think, and women’s rights should continue to be protected and not taken for granted.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I never make my life easy by sticking to one era! But I think that is because I like to explore themes in a novel and it is a question of finding a brilliant story that allows me to explore those themes in the most gripping and powerful way.

 

So, my latest novel is set in the mid-1800s. It features a friends-to-lovers relationship, immigration, a mysterious disappearance, and chocolate. There will be a lot of chocolate, but not in the way you might imagine. It is currently entitled “The Chocolate Book,” but that, I guarantee, will change!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I adore hearing from readers! I am also happy to chat to book clubs wherever I can if they are keen on visiting authors.

 

I have a reading group guide/book club questions on my website for Book of Forbidden Words (and my other books) if people might find this helpful. It can be found here: https://www.louisefein.com/book-club-discussion-questions

 

Do get in touch either via my website https://www.louisefein.com or on social media: Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/louisefeinauthor/  and Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/louisefeinauthor.

 

I also send out a newsletter to my subscribers, no more than three or four times a year and with the occasional perk such as a giveaway or a short story. Do sign up, again, via my website!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Louise Fein.