Welcome to my blog, Sonja! I love hosting fellow member of the RNA Bath/Wilts chapter and looking forward to hearing all about your latest release, THE GIANTS LOOK DOWN. Let's kick off with my questions....
1.) What
was your first job? Did you like or dislike it? Why?
My first proper job was
teaching if you don’t count holiday jobs such as waiting on tables and filling
jars in a gherkin factory. I always swore I’d never teach, even avoiding that
option on the year abroad as part of my degree. But when I finally stood in
front of the class, I found it came to me easily. I think I’m a bit of an
entertainer; in another life I’d be an actor or singer.
2.)
Do
you have a pet peeve? If so what is it?
I know this sounds silly,
but I do want to be left alone when I’m out shopping for clothes. I know
they’re only doing their job, but I hate being hassled by shop assistants.
3.)
Would
you describe your style as shabby chic, timeless elegance, eclectic, country or
____?
I think it’s classical, but
not in the sense of old-fashioned (I hope) and sporty but of course I’m
actually sitting here in denim shorts and a T-shirt answering this.
4.)
Tell
me about your book {THE GIANTS LOOK DOWN} and where you got your inspiration
for it?
I was listening to a report
on the terrible Great Earthquake that hit Kashmir in 2005. Despite the tragedy
I got inspired by the description of the stunning Vale of Kashmir, which is
surrounded by some of the tallest mountains on this Earth. It boasts a string
of lakes among emerald green valleys and fields of saffron. I went on to write
the story of young Jaya, who wants to become a doctor against the wishes of her
mother and the patriarchal society she lives in.
5.)
Who is your role model? Why?
Iris Murdoch and A.S. Byatt
simply because they write so beautifully
6.)
How
much of your book is realistic?
I hope it’s quite realistic.
It was difficult for a girl to become a doctor in 1960s Kashmir and this
stunning location has been troubled since Partitian. The story is primarily one
of perseverance and romance, but I was very conscious to depict the conflict
that afflicts Kashmir (Pakistan, India and China all fight over it) as best as
I could. My final draft was checked both by Indian doctors and publishers.
7.)
What are your ambitions for your writing
career?
My next book BLACK SNAKE
will hopefully soon be published. It tells the story of a widow’s quest to
solve the mystery of her husband’s death out in the Canadian Wilds against the
background of a pipeline being built across sacred Indigenous Canadian Land. I want
to continue writing literary fiction, that entertains people.
8.)
Share one fact about yourself that would
surprise people.
I’m hooked by The Bachelor
on TV. My husband loves to watch it and it was a case of if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
Author Bio:
Sonja’s short stories appeared in Stories For Homes, the Shelter Anthology
of Short Stories and In these Tangles,
Beauty Lies, an anthology in aid of the Beanstalk Trust for children with
reading difficulties, before her first novel The Giants Look Down came out in 2016. Longlisted for the Mslexia
First Novel Competition, it also made her a finalist for the Joan Hessayon
Award. Born in Bristol, Sonja studied at the University of East Anglia. She
completed a PhD in English Literature and teaches English at Jena University in
Germany. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Links
Website:
www.sonja-price.com
Twitter: @PriceSonja
Facebook: Sonja
Price Author
Buying links:
Blurb: At the age
of ten, Jaya Vaidya decides to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a
doctor against her mother’s wishes and all that the patriarchal community of
1906s Kashmir expects of her. When disaster strikes, Jaya is faced with
obstacles as insurmountable as the Himalayas. She is transplanted to Scotland,
where she has to navigate both a foreign culture and the rapids of love. Just
how far will she go to achieve her dream? (Published by Robert Hale, 2016)
Excerpt: Soft moaning sounds, like the ones my
Granny made in her sleep, were coming from the house. The moans turned into
cries of pain and the dog pulled away. Why wasn’t Pa doing anything about it?
That was why we were here. Even with my hands over my ears I could still hear
the woman. On and on it went. The man started shouting and the dog collapsed on
the ground with a sigh. The woman’s cries reminded me of a Tibetan fox caught
in a trap up in the forests around Lake Gangabal. Kaliq had to shoot it as the
iron teeth had bitten clean through its back leg.
Silence.
Even worse! Only swallows swooping overhead as the entire valley held its
breath. Shattered by the cries of a baby and a jubilant ‘A boy!’ Brahma be praised, it was over. We could go
home.
The
dreadful screaming recommenced. Perhaps Pa had done something to her. I had to
see what was going on. Like a snow leopard stalking a deer, I crept into the
house, which was only slightly larger than our woodshed. It reeked of animal
hide and smoke. My eyes took a moment to get used to the gloom. I could make
out two rooms: a kitchen and another one where the woman lay. Our house was all
sunny rooms and places where I could be by myself. I edged my way towards the
grown-ups, towards the man with the bundle in his arms and Pa tending the
woman, still writhing in agony.
She
was so young. Why was the old man putting her through this? She could have been
his granddaughter. Why choose a girl, in a place where so many women had been
widowed by the troubles? Cast out by their families with children in tow. They
would have been happy to have a husband, any husband. But this poor girl. It
made me sick. I wasn’t going to have a baby, ever. She screamed and screamed
and then I caught a glimpse of something round between her blood-smeared legs.
Not another one! Pa eased out a head, then a shoulder and then the rest before
the woman fell back onto the messy covers.
Limp,
lifeless and smeary-white, it looked more like a skinned rabbit than a real
baby. Pa tried to rub it to life but the woman was not moving either. He looked
to the man for help but he merely shrugged his shoulders as if to say why
bother with a girl? Pa laid the baby carefully in the cot by the fire, turned
to the woman and drew up a syringe.
I
ran around the bed and picked the baby up. I couldn’t believe how small she
was. Tiny hands and feet just like my dolly. Only she was warm. The boy was
crying for all he was worth, loud screeches that you’d never believe could come
from someone so little. He was rosy and angry, and she was pale, almost white.
Shiva! I wanted to shout. She was slipping away before she had even arrived. Pa
was doing everything he could for the woman and there was no point in talking
to the man if he wouldn’t even listen to Pa. I rubbed her like Pa had done
before he put her down but she was growing colder and colder.
I stared into the flames and then my eyes
rested on the one set of baby’s clothes laid out in front of the fireplace. It
wasn’t fair! Why should she have to die? A ragdoll nobody wanted to play with.
No! I wouldn’t allow this to happen.
What had the herdsman done to the newborn yak? I bent and blew into her tiny
mouth. Her cheeks soft and cool like goat’s cheese. No reaction. I blew more
strongly into her. Nothing.
Tears pricked my eyes. I couldn’t help her.
There was absolutely nothing I could do. Stupid of me to think I could make a
difference. All I wanted to do was run outside. I went to kiss her goodbye but
instead found myself trying one last time. The baby’s lips puckered; her face
screwed up. She turned a deep red before letting out the most wonderful cry I
had ever heard. The woman opened her eyes. Tears ran down her face as she
reached out for her little girl. Pa looked from the baby to me and smiled.
Half
an hour later we climbed back into the car, ‘When I’m big Pa, I want to be a
doctor just like you!’
He
stroked my head and switched the radio back on.
Oh, this book sounds lovely! And I agree with you, Sonja. I hate when people bother me while shopping.
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