I was amazed at how much there was to the funeral business beyond black dresses, black bunting on the windows, and those silly bell-ringer coffins. R8: What prompted your interest in undertaking and funerary occupations for your characters? In your research, did you find examples of women undertakers? Was this an unusual occupation for a woman?ĬT: The idea for Lady of Ashes actually came from a writer friend of mine, Mary Oldham, who suggested to me that an undertaker would be a “fun” profession to explore for a heroine. In By the King’s Design, the hero is a cabinetmaker, which is homage to my husband, who is my very own talented cabinetmaker hero. I’ve also visited Madame Tussauds in several cities, and have always been fascinated by the art of waxworks. The ideas for the professions mostly stem from my own interests.įor example, I have an extensive doll collection, and when I learned that Marie Antoinette collected dolls, it really made me wonder about who would have supplied them to the queen.

I think a lot of traditional professions (seamstresses, fan-makers, lacemakers, and so forth) have been done really well by several authors, and I thought it would be interesting to explore more off-beat professions a woman might have. I’ve also written about an apprentice to the great waxworker, Madame Tussaud ( A Royal Likeness), as well as having written a Regency-set piece about a cloth merchant ( By the King’s Design). The Queen’s Dollmaker, about a dollmaker to Marie Antoinette, was set in France and England of the Revolutionary period.

What draws you to create stories about working women during this time period?ĬT: Well, I’ve actually written about working women from the late 18th century through the middle of the 19th century. R8: Christine, most historical fiction focuses on women of leisure but Lady of Ashes (LOA) is the fourth in what I call your 'career woman' series. Let's chat with Christine and learn a little bit about her heroine, her creative process and historical research. As the story evolves, the reader quickly learns that it is Violet-her business savvy, hard work and empathy-that makes Morgan Undertaking a success. When the book opens, Violet Morgan operates a funerary business with her then-husband Graham. Undertaker? That's right the book's feisty and resolute heroine is a dismal housekeeper, but a very successful undertaker.

Perhaps you're wondering if I mistyped that. Her newest novel, Lady of Ashes from Kensington Books, was released in March 2013 and tells the story of Violet Morgan, a Victorian lady undertaker.

Christine is the author of four novels set in England and France during the Industrial Revolution. The Rockville 8 is pleased to welcome historical-fiction writer Christine Trentto our blog.

Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent