Natasha Lester on Her Upcoming Book, The Riviera House
I’m always excited when Natasha Lester is bringing a new book out. The Riviera House has everything to fascinate readers.
For those of you who have read my books Wild Lavender, Golden Earrings and The Invitation, you will know that I have a love for Paris and its artists, writers, dancers and entertainers. Fellow Australian author, Natasha Lester, has a similar love for Paris as the home of couture fashion. We both share an interest in France during the turbulent period of the Second World War, so I’m always excited when Natasha is bringing a new book out. The Riviera House has everything to fascinate readers: an atmospheric setting, a gripping plot line and a story based on a real historical character and event. I was very excited to touch base with Natasha and ask her about her new book.
WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RESEARCHING AND WRITING THE RIVIERA HOUSE?
I started researching The Riviera House before the outbreak of Covid, which meant I was able to travel to France and visit the key locations in the book. In particular, I spent quite some time scouring the various towns of the French Riviera to find the perfect setting for the contemporary storyline. When I came across Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, I knew I’d found it. This magical enclave retains the charm of a fishing village but is also home to some of the most spectacular renaissance mansions you’re ever going to see.
But The Riviera House is about so much more than glamorous homes. It’s actually about the extraordinary bravery of the resistance fighters of WWII who risked their lives to stop priceless French artworks from falling into Nazi hands. In particular, I wanted to tell the story of Captain Rose Valland – one of the most highly decorated women in French history – a woman who pretended she couldn’t understand German when in fact she could read all the documents relating to the paintings the Nazis were trying to steal, documents she then copied. She was the only person in Paris who truly understood the extent of the Nazis’ thieving and their terrible ambitions when it came to removing every important artwork to Germany. It’s a privilege to give her story the attention it deserves.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT FRANCE IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR THAT FASCINATES YOU?
It’s fascinating to explore the moral conundrum that the war presented for everyday citizens. Some collaborated with the enemy, driven by the will to survive. Others chose to fight for their country as part of the resistance, at great personal cost and sacrifice. And there was another group again, who appeared to be collaborating but who were secretly working for the resistance. Good fiction is built on conflict and moral dilemma and the tragedy that befell France in WWII is full of both. At least two of my books, The Paris Secret and The Riviera House, explore this theme.
DO YOU FIND ANY PARTICULAR CHALLENGES WITH WRITING ABOUT THIS PERIOD OF HISTORY?
People are fascinated by history but they also read for an escape – an enjoyable one at that! As a writer of historical fiction, I’m conscious of the need to be truthful, but war was horrific and I don’t want people to put the book down because it’s too hard to read. Getting the balance right is a challenge.
It’s why I often try to include a fashion storyline in my books. For a start, I love fashion history but it’s also a great way to have a beautiful pause in the midst of a story that might otherwise seem too tragic.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT RESEARCHING A NEW NOVEL?
Some authors research first and then start writing, but I work a little differently in that I do the bulk of my research after the first draft is done. I find this is the most efficient way, as I’ll know exactly which aspects of history I need to understand for my story. Also, I’m not a planner so it’s actually hard to know what I need to research before I write the first draft!
Before the pandemic, I was able to physically travel to the locations I write about but that’s all changed! Archives are also a key source of information and, fortunately, most are available online or are run by archivists who love to help novelists. One email and they’ll send you everything you need!
For instance, most of the relevant documentation about the art thefts in WWII is now held at the National Archives in Maryland. Archives are the best places to learn more about such events as the records they hold are primary sources, not coloured by the passing of years or one author’s interpretation.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WRITING DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
Once I get my three children off to school, I do some exercise and clear emails from the US that have come in overnight. By 9 am, I’m ready to start writing and I’ll do half-hour ‘sprints’ with 10-minute breaks in between to stand up and walk around, mostly to save my back! I stop at the end of the school day at 3 pm. Later in the evening, once dinner is done, I’ll return to the desk to finish up any other admin tasks. It’s fair to say that I do my best creative work during the day so I try to protect that time for my writing.
HAS YOUR WRITING PROCESS CHANGED OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR CAREER? IF SO, WHAT DO YOU DO DIFFERENTLY NOW?
I’d love to say that writing gets easier with each passing book, but it doesn’t feel that way! Each new book is like starting again. That said, I definitely have more idea of what readers like in a plot now and how to work that in. My research skills have improved – I know how to search, where to look and who to ask for help now, which makes a big difference.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE TIME-MANAGEMENT TIP FOR BALANCING A WRITING ROUTINE WITH OTHER LIFE RESPONSIBILITIES?
Start by turning off the wifi! Social media can be a huge distraction for writers – but only if you let it. Writing in half-hour blocks definitely helps because it’s a relatively short period of time, so it’s not hard to talk myself into doing it – it’s only half an hour after all!
WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO FROM YOU NEXT?
My 2022 book is To Lillie, from Paris. It’s set in postwar Paris and wartime Switzerland and Italy. The book follows a former spy who tries to begin a new life in France working as a publicist for the just-launching House of Dior, but her past soon catches up with her. Fashion is a huge passion for me so I’m so excited to be bringing back a big couture storyline in this one!
Note from Belinda: I’ll be running a giveaway prize of The Riviera House on my Facebook and Instagram pages. Be sure to follow me at:
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