December - Book of the Month: The Something Girl, Joy To The World and Storm Christopher
A Year of reading with Jodi Taylor
I never really meant to write a sequel to The Nothing Girl – it did seem to me that Jenny and Russell’s story was complete. And they all lived happily ever after. That’s usually how stories end – but that’s not actually true, is it? Life goes on. I’ve often wondered what happens to famous lovers after they leave the church and vanish romantically into the sunset. Lizzy Bennett and Mr Darcy, for example – did they eventually drive each other round the bend? How would he cope with her mother? And having Wickham as a brother in law? We know that the Pemberly estate and ten thousand pounds a year were enough to overcome Lizzy’s dislike of him but would that wear off as the years passed.
I’m such a cynic. Ignore me.
Anyway, I found myself wondering about Russell and Jenny – what did happen next? What were the chances they’d live happily ever after? Would Jenny’s relatives back off and leave her – and her money – alone? Would Francesca relinquish Russell now he was married? And what of Christopher and the duplicitous Uncle Richard?
Russell, I decided, would remain Russell Checkland throughout his entire life, but what of Jenny? Would she blossom at Frogmorton Farm or would she … um, sorry, I don’t know what the opposite of blossom is.
As I say, no plans for a sequel, but I found I couldn’t stop thinking about the inhabitants of Frogmorton Farm and the next stage of their lives. Especially Mrs Crisp and Bill the Insurance Man who definitely deserved their own happy ending.
And, of course, the stars of the show – the Patagonian Attack Chickens. They’re actually a real thing – based on the chickens living on the farm next door to us in Turkey. They were tough, aggressive, skinny, long-legged and roosted every night in the tree outside my bedroom window. I don’t know why they bothered to do that – no local dog would go anywhere near them. Guests at the hotel often remarked on them and, having had a glass or two of wine one night, I invented the Turkish Attack Chickens, their squadron, their bombing raids, the paratroop division and so forth. Betty – if you’re reading this I’m sorry but your face was a picture and I just couldn’t resist.
So – The Something Girl – Book of the Month. I usually end by saying Enjoy … but this time it’s Enjoy, or I’ll set the chickens on you …
I can remember the moment I decided to write Little Donkey – I was searching for an idea for a St Mary’s Christmas story and wondering if I could somehow insert a donkey into the St Mary’s mix – when I suddenly remembered I actually had a story with a donkey already built in. Marilyn from Frogmorton Farm. I could even think of a title – Little Donkey. I picked up a pen and got stuck in and I have to say, writing Marilyn’s professional relationship with the pregnant sheep in a church nativity play was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Note to self – try to get out more.
Sadly, there’s no such clear memory for Joy to the World. I do remember deciding to write it from Joy’s point of view and doing my best to sound like a young teenage girl. Including the spelling. I shan’t be doing that again. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who wrote to me with the correct spelling of callus.
And many thanks to the person who wrote to me saying they’d read the story to their class as a warning on the dangers of the internet. You’re very welcome. I hope that not only did they enjoy it but that some of it actually went in.
The best bit, of course, was giving Francesca the opportunity to wield her Manolo Blahniks. Does anyone else think there’s a lot of pent-up hostility there? Because, of course, she goes on to murder Christopher in Storm Christopher. Which is bad enough but not only does she lose the body but then allows herself to be sidetracked by Russell’s comments on the price of wine, her bad driving, and the stupidity of failing to dispose of the body in a sustainable and responsible manner. Which, frankly, is entirely her own fault because who in their right mind would call on Russell Checkland for assistance in the small matter of locating a corpse? The guy has all the laser-like focus of a butterfly in a Force 8 gale.
Given the pages and pages of characters in, say, St Mary’s – the Dramatis Thingummy is nearly half the book sometimes – they’re a small group at Frogmorton Farm, but I’m very fond of them. Is it bad to like the naughty characters best? From a writing point of view, they’re so much more interesting.
Enjoy these two short stories.
That concludes our year of reading - we hope you have enjoyed discovering some of Jodi’s other series. Please share your thoughts.
Next year, we will be running an audio clip competition each month where you have to guess the characters speaking and name the book. That should be fun!
How can you talk about Frogmorton Farm without mentioning Thomas?, I have recently been through a horrible fight with cancer and was finally given the all clear last Wednesday. More than a few times Thomas quite literally saved my life…oh how I wished I could smell the warm ginger biscuits for real and not in my imagination. Please Jodi, plet us know when we might see him again and that he will never disappear for good. The literary world needs Thomas
Bob
Really glad you did continue the series and looking forward to the next one. I have read them all. Having been at and in many nativity plays I found this scene so realistic and hilarious, just like the real thing.
BTW from one historian to another, there never was a nativity scene in a stable it was invented by Francis of Assisi in 1223. Also the opposite of blossom is wilt as in Wiltshire, presumably what happened to that county when the great man died there.