Creating Believable Heroines in Historical Fiction
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and my
novels, The Lady Evelyn Mysteries, combine this passion with another, my love
for mysteries. Yet with the task of writing in this genre before me, I have to
face the obstacle of writing historically realistic characters, in particular
heroines as I envision Lady Evelyn to be. I want her to be sassy, smart,
independent, ulnerable, in other words, I want her to be like a rounded human
being. That being said, I have to take into account certain imitations history
placed on women. My books are set in the 1920s in Europe,
and this time between the wars both offered women greater freedom and took away
some of the responsibilities and occupations they took on during the war years.
Do get a sense of how women moved through the world in the
1920s in post-war Europe, I read a lot of books, btoth
fiction and non-fiction. I wanted to learn what obstacles they faced in their
day-to-day, as well as greater, societal hurdles. For example, women under
thrity only got the vote in England
ten years after women over thirty. Or, of particular interest to me in my
latest novel, I discovered the limitations of women when it came to higher
education. Universitities such as Oxford
were very stingy when it came to accepting female scholars. I thought a lot
about how these limitations could exits, but also how women who had both means
and motivation could find ways to thrive nonetheless. I wanted Evelyn to be a
woman modern for her day, and relatable even to readers in the present. The
more I thought abut this, the more I realized that women have, throughout
history, had many aspects of their lives in common. Laws may have changed, but
especially in the current climate, when I think of the women’s movement, I
realize that historical heroines share many qualities of modern heroines. They
live in different times and Lady Evelyn certainly would have benefitted from a
smartphone every once in a while, but in the end of the day, we all just try to
make the best of our lot. Lady Evelyn is a historical heroine, but she is a
woman in whom I hope readers can find a little of themselves as well. The past
and the present are bound by what we share and that is how we learn and grow.
About the Author
Malia Zaidi is a writer and painter, who grew up in Germany
and lives in the US.
An avid reader and traveler, she decided to combine these passions, and turn
her long-time ambition of writing into a reality. The
Study of Silence is the third book of The Lady Evelyn Mysteries.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
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About the Book:
Title:
THE STUDY OF SILENCE
Author: Malia Zaidi
Publisher: Bookbaby
Pages: 448
Genre: Historical Mystery
Author: Malia Zaidi
Publisher: Bookbaby
Pages: 448
Genre: Historical Mystery
BOOK
BLURB:
Lady Evelyn Carlisle has returned home to England,
where she is completing her degree at St. Hugh's, a women's college in Oxford.
Her days are spent poring over ancient texts and rushing to tutorials. All is
well until a fateful morning, when her peaceful student life is turned on its
head. Stumbling upon the gruesome killing of someone she thought she knew,
Evelyn is plunged into a murder investigation once more, much to the chagrin of
her friends and family, as well as the intriguing Detective Lucas Stanton. The
dreaming spires of Oxford begin to
appear decidedly less romantic as she gathers clues, and learns far more than
she ever wished to know about the darkness lurking beyond the polished veneer.
Can she solve the crime before the killer strikes once more, this time to
Evelyn's own detriment?
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