Scent of the Story

Stories are like seeds, I think. You plant more than you need, tend the shoots in the dark, sacrifice the weaker ones, choose those which will grow tall and strong. ‘The Perfume Garden’ took root years ago. I grew up in a wild and beautiful part of the West Country, and for a time a mysterious couple lived in the empty farmhouse nearby. The wife had designed costumes for Fellini and as a teenager I was in thrall to her glamorous stories. She told me she had met her husband in Paris. I overheard my father saying one night that this man had fought in the Spanish Civil War – on Franco’s side. Auden said that ‘evil is unspectacular’ and the realisation that someone who had supported fascism was living quietly among us never left me.

How did you become interested in the Spanish Civil War?

We were lucky enough to live in Valencia for three years while my husband was learning to fly. It’s a beautiful part of the world – we lived out in the orange groves and mountains where Emma’s fictional village is set. I was curious that even the younger generation didn’t want to talk about the war, and started reading as much about it as I could.

What about your interest in perfume?

I’m fascinated by fragrance, and wanted to write a book with perfume at its heart. Emma’s character was always going to be a perfumer, and Spain is such a rich country in terms of fragrance. When I think about our years there, they are tied up with the scent of neroli in the fields around our house, incense in the churches, saffron and woodsmoke in the cafés out on the Albufera.

Did you find the research for this book difficult?

I did, it was heartbreaking. I couldn’t believe this beautiful country that we had grown to love had been through such a terrible time, and that there was still this ‘pact of forgetting’ in place. I found it devastating, particularly as a mother hearing the accounts of the treatment of the women and innocent children. There were plenty of times when I felt unable to carry on and research yet another devastating battle or atrocity. But, among these were examples of such humanity and courage that I wanted to write this story, and I hope ‘The Perfume Garden’ is uplifting and redemptive.

Why does your work blend fact and fiction?

I’m interested in forgotten histories – Gerda Taro’s incredible photographs are a case in point. Quite a few people may have heard of the legendary Robert Capa, but not many know about the remarkable woman who shared his life, or realise that they invented ‘the greatest war photographer in the world’ between them. I think historical accounts are always partial, and based on interpretation and opinion. From the base of facts, I see where there are gaps in the reports, or unnamed people in photographs. This often gives me space for the fictional framework which interweaves with the true events and people.