I always write to music. I make a different playlist for every novel and spend a great deal of time searching for the right tunes to inspire me. I love John Barry, Howard Shore and Ennio Morricone, but for The Beekeeper’s Daughter I discovered a very talented composer I hadn’t heard before; Guy Farley writes music for movies, I can’t imagine he ever thought he would be the constant soundtrack to the conception of a novel. I downloaded every one of his tracks and played them on a loop. I know them all by heart and love them passionately. Thank you, Guy, for transporting me to the windy beaches of Tekanasset Island and the lush green hills of Dorset. The moment I switched on my iPod nothing could distract me from the beauty of your music and the splendour of the scenes it inspired.
I have dedicated this book to my uncle Jeremy Palmer-Tomkinson. Along with his wife, Clare, Jeremy has always been an enthusiastic supporter of my books. So, when I needed advice on a particular scene that takes place during the war, I invited him out to lunch, knowing what an expert he is on World War II. Clare came as well and I told them the plot over a hearty meal. Jeremy duly told me what I needed to know in order to write the scene, but more importantly he gave me a word of advice about the general plot. Now you have read the novel you may know what I am referring to, but all I can say is that the entire novel depends on that small but important thing. I hadn’t planned for the plot to go that way at all, but Jeremy’s idea was a very good one, therefore, I felt it right and proper to dedicate the book to him, and to him alone. When I told him he was very embarrassed, because he didn’t think he deserved it. But he hasn’t read the book yet, so how could he know? Well, I can tell you, Jeremy, that you really do deserve it. Sometimes angels don’t have wings, they have lunch with me and share a bottle of wine!
I would like to thank my mother, Patty Palmer-Tomkinson, who is always the first person to read my manuscripts. She read The Beekeeper’s Daughter with a sharp eye for detail and saved my editor a lot of work on correcting bad grammar and ill-chosen words! Thank you, Mummy, for taking the time and trouble to save me from myself.
I’d also like to thank my mother-in-law, April Sebag-Montefiore (what would we do without generous-spirited mothers!) who read through the sections of the book that related to the 1940s. She was crucial. Without her help I would not have captured a sense of time. I can’t thank you enough, April, for giving me so much of your time and energy, and for your constant support and enthusiasm.
My old friend Harry Legge-Bourke was also helpful in answering questions about the army, having been in the Welsh Guards (not during the war!) – really, research can be very pleasant when it’s done in the sunshine outside Colbert over a cocktail or two! Thank you, Harry, for your help.
I’d also like to thank Bob and Nancy Phifer, my friends from Boston, who have been incredibly helpful in answering questions and recommending books to read in order to bring my Tekanasset scenes to life, and their local book shop, The Brewster Bookstore, who have been so supportive and kind.
My father is evident in the book as the wind is evident in the rustling of the leaves in the woods. I have absorbed his philosophies and wisdom over the years like an eager sponge and it all goes into my characters as they learn lessons from the cards life deals them and the choices they make. That is the part of writing I enjoy so much, because it is the part of life that interests me most. Thank you, Daddy, for arousing my curiosity.
My darling children teach me more about life than anything else. Love is why we’re all here and it’s what we take with us when our lives are done. They are a constant inspiration and I’m so grateful for them. My husband, Sebag, is my dearest friend, my most fervent ally and my greatest champion. I extend my deepest gratitude to him for giving me the time and space to be creative.
I wouldn’t even be published if it wasn’t for my wonderful and dynamic agent, Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown. Sheila, you are a brilliant agent and I couldn’t do without you! I really do believe you are there for me and only me, because every time I need you, you appear like my fairy godmother and wave your magic wand and tell me I can go to the ball if I want to!
I’d also like to thank Katie McGowan and Rebecca Ritchie at Curtis Brown for all their hard work.
An enormous and big-hearted thank you to my fabulously effective team at Simon & Schuster. My commander-in-chief, Ian Chapman, my editor, Suzanne Baboneau, and their colleagues Clare Hey, James Horobin, Dawn Burnett, Hannah Corbett, Sara-Jade Virtue, Melissa Four, Ally Grant, Gill Richardson, Rumana Haider and Dominic Brendon. You are all talented, energetic and passionate about what you do and I can’t thank you enough for being the wind in my sails and pushing me so far!
Table of Contents
PART ONE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
PART TWO
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
PART THREE
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
The Beekeeper's Daughter A Novel Page 34