Ask the Author: Abigail Bok
Answered Questions (12)
Abigail Bok
Yes, I read constantly, and much of my reading is for pure pleasure. I’ve written in the genres of historical fiction and Austenesque romance and I do read books in both of those genres, but I don’t often like modern-day historical fiction because it so often seems written to serve a modern agenda. My relaxation reading is outside my genres; when I read within my genres, I’m always being a bit analytical, studying the book for what works and what doesn’t.
Abigail Bok
Hi, Nora, nice to (virtually) meet you! I checked your profile to get a sense of the kinds of things you like to read, and I see you are fond of those comfy novels of the first half of the twentieth century written by Englishwomen. That being so, I would point you toward Elizabeth Goudge. She writes in a similar vein to D. E. Stevenson, but with a richer emotional and spiritual landscape. A lot of people start reading her with The Scent of Water, but I was especially riveted by A City of Bells. She also writes some beautiful historical fiction; Gentian Hill was a favorite of mine in that genre.
Other writers of the same era who strike me as having more emotional intensity are Stella Gibbons (I never much liked her famous one, Cold Comfort Farm, but admired Nightingale Wood and The Woods in Winter) and Margery Sharp—at least her earlier books; I thought she got a bit mechanical in her later years.
My personal bias is toward books about everyday life that have a low-key romantic element but with an undercurrent of sadness. A few of Elizabeth Cadell’s books fit that mould for me.
If you venture into modern literary fiction, I’ve been touched strongly by Lauren Groff (Arcadia) and Richard Powers (The Overstory). Hope this opens some promising avenues for you!
Other writers of the same era who strike me as having more emotional intensity are Stella Gibbons (I never much liked her famous one, Cold Comfort Farm, but admired Nightingale Wood and The Woods in Winter) and Margery Sharp—at least her earlier books; I thought she got a bit mechanical in her later years.
My personal bias is toward books about everyday life that have a low-key romantic element but with an undercurrent of sadness. A few of Elizabeth Cadell’s books fit that mould for me.
If you venture into modern literary fiction, I’ve been touched strongly by Lauren Groff (Arcadia) and Richard Powers (The Overstory). Hope this opens some promising avenues for you!
Abigail Bok
Hi, Darlene, I get your confusion! I struggled with Goodreads groups at first too. The official policy is that when you join a group, the machines will send you an e-mail notification whenever a new discussion thread is created, but if you don’t visit the thread it won’t send you any more messages about it. (Lately, some Goodreads users have found that even if they visit the thread but don’t comment, they won’t get any more messages from that thread.)
The other type of message you will get is notifications from the moderators. Usually they send out a message soliciting nominations for future group reads, as well as giveaway notices.
Historical Fictionistas is a large group but participation in the group reads is pretty low, unfortunately. I find much more interesting and lively participation in group reads in other groups. But if you like historical fiction, it’s useful for finding new titles in periods that interest you.
The other type of message you will get is notifications from the moderators. Usually they send out a message soliciting nominations for future group reads, as well as giveaway notices.
Historical Fictionistas is a large group but participation in the group reads is pretty low, unfortunately. I find much more interesting and lively participation in group reads in other groups. But if you like historical fiction, it’s useful for finding new titles in periods that interest you.
Abigail Bok
Sheila, how very kind of you! I am doing okay. My sweetie continues to decline and is starting to get to the point where it's not always clear he knows who I am. I am sitting with him this week, then back home next. I moved a couple of weeks ago to a place not so full of memories and associations, so hopefully that will help me get back to writing, at least part-time. Trying to find a balance between his needs and mine. Not drowning anymore, starting to swim! Sending you my gratitude and hoping you are doing well.
Abigail Bok
Interesting question, Gary! I like to imagine not, but I suspect there are snippets of me—perhaps whole chunks—in my characters. I made Elizabeth a gardener because I love gardening and find it grounding when my life is in turmoil. When I was younger, I used to take up causes in the earnest way she does, without fully understanding the ramifications for myself and others; like her, I had to learn to stop and listen to others. And I drew some of the snobbery of the other characters from the self-satisfied, superior attitudes of my college-era peers, attitudes I had to unlearn pretty quickly in the wider world.
Perhaps the answer is that I was retracing my own path to growth in the arc of the story. The details were different but the themes were the same.
Perhaps the answer is that I was retracing my own path to growth in the arc of the story. The details were different but the themes were the same.
Abigail Bok
Thank you, Joanne! Coming from an author I admire, that means a lot. Perhaps I should make an effort to read more challenging fiction and do us both some good! :)
I was amused to discover that the author of The Jane Austen Project, Kathleen Flynn, is a NYTimes copy editor. The author of my other favorite modern-day JA adaptation, Pen and Prejudice, is a copy editor as well! Perhaps I have a bias in favor of authors with a good grounding in syntax and an impulse toward accuracy.
I was amused to discover that the author of The Jane Austen Project, Kathleen Flynn, is a NYTimes copy editor. The author of my other favorite modern-day JA adaptation, Pen and Prejudice, is a copy editor as well! Perhaps I have a bias in favor of authors with a good grounding in syntax and an impulse toward accuracy.
Abigail Bok
This spring I finally climbed the mountain of paper to complete manuscript #1 in my series Darking Hundred, a group of novels connected by time (the year 1800) and space (the county of Surrey in England) but featuring different characters. The first one is called Coldharbour Gentlemen and is about smuggling! While I’m shopping that book to agents and publishers, I’ll need to knuckle down on research into the next book in the series, which centers on authoress Fanny Burney and her marriage to a dashing captain in the French army. (With England at war with France, how’s that gonna work out?) So I’ll be reading all about Fanny Burney’s life, her novels, her journals, her friends, and the French émigrés in England.
Abigail Bok
It’s a more interesting question than you might think for someone who has written a book categorized generally as romance. Actually, I don’t think it’s couples that draw me to the marriage plot. The first time I attempted a pastoral romance, at age 14, I couldn’t persuade my heroine to say yes! (I know, major genre violation.) I think I read romance for the protagonist’s (can be male or female) inner journey—and for how that person comes to commit to another person or his/her society. Sorry, no oohing and aahing over Bennet and Darcy here!
Abigail Bok
Hi, Martin! I wish I could be a beta reader for you, but I am so far behind in mandatory reads that I can’t see my way clear; I also don’t really read sexy things if I can avoid it (too many years of editing gay and lesbian erotica for my job!). Your book does sound interesting, and I like the way you’re thinking about it. If I do crawl out from under, I’ll let you know. Wishing you luck with it! Are you seeking an agent and a traditional publisher or flying solo?
Abigail Bok
Show more discipline than I have in my lifetime. My first novel wasn't published till I was fifty-nine--how lazy is that?
Abigail Bok
One novel set in the modern day was enough for me; I'm retreating to the nineteenth century! In the course of researching Jane Austen's unfinished novel The Watsons, I discovered the small market town of Dorking in Surrey. In the year 1800, it had the most fascinating array of characters and stories--starting with a tragicomic figure known as the Walking Dunghill. I am working on a series of novels based on these stories, called Darking Hundred (Darking was what the residents called the town in 1800). The first one, Coldharbour Gentlemen, will tell the tale of the area's smugglers, from the point of view of an eleven-year-old boy.
Abigail Bok
I've always looked at the follies and inconsistencies of the world around me and wondered, "What would Jane Austen have to say about this?" Her humor and penetrating wit color my worldview and provide companionship in solitude.
So one day, I set out to write a novel set in the modern day (well, almost modern; I chose 1999 because I didn't want to write about social media!) that could be told in Jane Austen's own language. An Obstinate, Headstrong Girl is the result of my desire to live forever in Jane Austen's mind, regardless of external circumstances.
So one day, I set out to write a novel set in the modern day (well, almost modern; I chose 1999 because I didn't want to write about social media!) that could be told in Jane Austen's own language. An Obstinate, Headstrong Girl is the result of my desire to live forever in Jane Austen's mind, regardless of external circumstances.
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