NK Chats To… Francesca Scanacapra

Published June 8, 2023 | By Laura

I am so pleased to be welcoming Francesca Scanacapra to Novel Kicks with the blog tour for The Daughter of Paradiso. Hi Francesca. Can you tell me about your novel, The Daughter of Paradiso and what inspired it?

This is the third book in the series and follows Paradiso and Return to Paradiso. We are now in the early sixties and the protagonist, Graziella, has left her abusive husband and is making a new life for herself and her young daughter in her old childhood home, Paradiso.

The main theme which drives the story is women’s fight for equality in a time and place where men are still very much in charge. However, the story is not all about struggle and injustice. There is also a strong theme of friendship and community.

Much of the inspiration for this has come from having moved recently to rural Lombardy, where the books are set. Social and family bonds are still very strong here. In this very moment, as I sit at my desk with the windows wide open, I can hear the loud conversations of group of elderly gentlemen who congregate outside a neighbour’s house every day to gossip and put the world to rights.

What’s your typical writing day like? From idea to final draft, how long does it take you to write a book?

My most productive time for writing is the morning and I am usually at my desk by 9am. How long I write for depends on how the inspiration is flowing on the day. Sometimes I won’t come up for air until the evening. However, if the muse isn’t with me, I’ll take myself off and do something else. For me, that works better than trying to fight against a poor writing day.

Previously, when I still had a day job, completing a novel took years. Now that I write full-time, I’m averaging around six months; although I seem to write around 80% of the book in a few weeks and the remaining 20% takes far, far longer.

What are the challenges of writing an historical novel?

It can be tempting to include too much history, and I was guilty of this when I first began writing. I had to learn the art of peppering the narrative with just enough historical information so as not to interrupt the flow of the story.

Giving a sense of time works best when little details are integrated into characters’ opinions, actions and beliefs, as well as the homes they live in, the clothes they wear and the food they eat. This makes for a far more engaging read than simply writing long paragraphs of exhaustively-researched facts.

Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?

It would be extraordinary to meet Jean-Baptiste Grenouille from Patrick Suskind’s astonishing book, Perfume, the Story of a Murderer. This character is both a victim and a villain. Although his actions are diabolical, he is able to justify them both to himself and to the reader, and even to gain the reader’s sympathy. So yes, I would be intrigued to meet him, but it would probably be prudent not to do so alone.

Which authors do you admire?

There are so many! I suppose the best way to answer this is to list the authors whose work I go back to time and again. These would include Laurie Lee, Alberto Moravia, Marcel Pagnol and Patrick Suskind. No matter how often I re-read their work, something new always comes out of it.

What’s your favourite word and why?

I speak four languages, so there are an awful lot of words swimming around in my head and choosing one is difficult. If I limit myself to English, I think it would be a word which has no direct, single-word translation into Italian, French or Spanish and which captures a concept or feeling which is unique to English culture. ‘Cheesy’ is one. ‘Embarrassing’ and ‘awkward’ also fit, as does ‘frown’. However, if I had to pick a favourite from this category, it would be ‘serendipity’ as not only does it have no direct translation, but it also sounds very lovely.

In your opinion, what are the common mistakes aspiring authors make?

As with anything, no matter how potentially brilliant you are, in order to become successful at it, you need dedication, practice and to be willing to learn from your mistakes. Dogged determination and humble confidence go a long way.

How do you research your novels? How do you know when you have enough?

The majority of my research is done online, and I enjoy the process, in particular when I discover useful gems along the way which I might not have considered when looking into a particular topic.

Knowing what to include and what to exclude can be challenging, but I have found that even when I discard something which is interesting but just doesn’t fit, it finds its way into a subsequent piece of writing. It’s like having an information bank account which can be drawn from at a later date.

Which book would you like to forget just so you can discover it again?

This happened to me recently, when I picked up Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. I realised that when I had first read it, I had been too busy with life, kids, work and everything else to fully appreciate how brilliant it was. I’d forgotten so much of it and re-reading it was like discovering something wonderful for the first time.

Any other advice for new writers?

Practise, practise, practise and then practise more! The same goes for reading. Also, disciplining yourself to edit unsentimentally and listening to the advice of people who know what they’re talking about.

Would you rather –

Have an endless summer or winter?

Definitely summer, but with an hour of light rain every night to keep the garden watered.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee. Usually too much of it.

Movie or book?

Can I have some of both, please? A movie with a great cast, dialogue and cinematography is a pleasure to watch. A book which creates atmosphere and stimulates thought and emotion through its writing is a delight in a different way.

If I absolutely had to make a choice, I think it would depend on the time at my disposal. A movie is more of a quick fix, whereas a book takes longer to read and absorb.

Morning person or night owl?

I’m definitely more productive in the morning where work is concerned, but that doesn’t mean I’m in my bed by sunset. I am often guilty of burning the candle at both ends, but there’s nothing wrong with taking a break in between for an afternoon nap.

Paperback or eBook?

Should I be embarrassed to say I’ve never read an e-book? I think my 15 year old laptop would struggle with it and I don’t have one of those newfangled tablet or kindle contraptions.

Perhaps one day I’ll catch up with technology, although the feel and smell of a paperback is hard to beat. A friend recently described the feeling as the ‘sniff and riffle’ of a book. I couldn’t put it better.

About Francesca Scanacapra –

Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. She describes herself as ‘unconventional’ and has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths – from working in translation, the fitness industry, education and even several years as a builder.

In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. Francesca now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for the Paradiso Novels.

The Daughter of Paradiso is the third of the Paradiso Novels, following Paradiso and Return to Paradiso. The Lost Boy of Bologna, was also published by Silvertail Books.

Say hello on Twitter and Instagram.

About The Daughter of Paradiso –

Italy, 1963. Graziella Bianchi returns to Paradiso, barely able to believe she has been gifted her childhood home by an old friend.

The beautiful house has fallen into a state of disrepair, but Graziella is determined to restore it to its former glory.

Although one dream has come true, life is far from perfect. She and her daughter, Lucia, are nearly penniless and the pair are on the run from Graziella’s violent husband.

With divorce not yet legal and the law still giving husbands ultimate control over their wives, Graziella must fight not only to gain her independence, but also to keep her daughter.

The villagers of Pieve Santa Clara, with their long and loyal memories, step in, and gradually a good life becomes a possibility for Graziella and Lucia.

But when her estranged husband turns up, drunk and angry, everything Graziella has worked so hard for is under threat.

The Daughter of Paradiso is a compelling and emotionally-charged historical novel perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries, Lucinda Riley, Angela Petch and Rhys Bowen.

The Daughter of Paradiso is book three in the Paridiso series and was released on 8th June. Click to buy on Amazon UK.