We present to you our interview between Lori Twichell and debut novelist, Patricia Falvey, author of The Yellow House. Listen in as they discuss the story behind the book, the challenges/joys of writing, and the differences between Ireland and Texas. A special thanks goes out to Patricia Falvey for her time and to Miriam Parker at Hachette Book Group for setting up this interview.
More about Patricia Falvey:
I was born and raised by my grandmother in Newry, Northern Ireland. At the age of eight I was brought to England to live with my parents. Never feeling a sense of belonging I set off, as we Irish are wont to do through dint of our DNA, to find my fortune in the New World. I was twenty years old and had $200 in my pocket. I landed in New York and made my way via Greyhound bus to Omaha, Nebraska.
After two years working for the Job Corps, I arrived in Boston hoping to complete my University education, I received a foreign student scholarship from Suffolk University where I enrolled as an English major. However, my limited financial resources being what they were, I succumbed to the pressure to switch my major to Business and thus occurred an abandonment of my dream of becoming a writer – an abandonment that was to last over 30 years.
When I first arrived in the U.S. I had hopes of a career as a writer. However, limited economic means steered me towards a more financially reliable profession. Even though my professional career was in the financial environment, I never lost my love for writing. Over the years I participated in numerous writing seminars, including attendance at Wesleyan University Writers’ Conferences in Connecticut, The Fine Arts Workshops in writing at Provincetown, Mass., and the International Women’s Writers Guild conferences at Skidmore College in New York. I belonged to writers’ groups both in Connecticut and Dallas, where I currently reside. In June of 2007, I finally made the decision to leave my position with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP, and devote myself full time to my first love – writing.
“The Yellow House” is essentially the story of a young woman’s search for home. No matter how long we spend “away” I believe we Irish immigrants always think of Ireland as home. I know I certainly do. And this book is my way of paying tribute to my birthplace. (www.patriciafalvey.com)
This interview can also be downloaded from our iTunes page (recommended for best quality).
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