Georgie Blalock: Author of "The Last Debutantes" Speaks to Historical Fiction, Writing During the Pandemic, and Lessons from the Past that Still Ring True Today
There is something so captivating to me about historical fiction. It often opens up more questions than I even knew I had - How did this story come about? How much of the narrative is true? What can we learn from it now? The same questions circulated through my head as I read Georgie Blalock's upcoming novel, "The Last Debutantes." Author of other historical fiction works like "The Other Windsor Girl," Georgie is no stranger to the genre. However, with this novel she found herself submitting a poignant tale in the middle of a global pandemic about a young woman faced with insurmountable change and struggling to define how the past impacts her future. Throughout, I couldn't help but feel a deep connection to the cautious, yet strong-willed protagonist, an understanding of the pressing questions that hold true whether asked in 1939 or 2021, and a fervent hope that there are brighter days ahead in our own world, as well.
I spoke with Georgie about those questions and the novel's themes of bravery and cowardice, friends and family, and the paths we make for ourselves. There is something so captivating to me about historical fiction. It often opens up more questions than I even knew I had - How did this story come about? How much of the narrative is true? What can we learn from it now? The same questions circulated through my head as I read Georgie Blalock's upcoming novel, "The Last Debutantes." Author of other historical fiction works like "The Other Windsor Girl," Georgie is no stranger to the genre. However, with this novel she found herself submitting a poignant tale in the middle of a global pandemic about a young woman faced with insurmountable change and struggling to define how the past impacts her future. Throughout, I couldn't help but feel a deep connection to the cautious, yet strong-willed protagonist, an understanding of the pressing questions that hold true whether asked in 1939 or 2021, and a fervent hope that there are brighter days ahead in our own world, as well.
I spoke with Georgie about those questions and the novel's themes of bravery and cowardice, friends and family, and the paths we make for ourselves.
First, I want to start with the genre of this piece. As a work of historical fiction, what was it like to begin the process of research and where did your initial inspiration come from? How did you balance the line between fiction and reality to create the final product?
The Last Debutantes was inspired by an excellent documentary on the debutantes of 1939 that I saw on YouTube. I read about Valerie de Vere Cole, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s niece, when I began researching the 1939 debutante season. Although there are very few details available about Valerie and her season, I was fascinated by her place at the center of British social life and politics on the verge of World War II. I was also intrigued by Anne Chamberlain and her role as Valerie’s aunt and sponsor and how she stepped in after her wastrel brother ruined Valerie’s childhood. Valerie, because of her lineage, should have enjoyed every advantage but thanks to her father, she hadn’t. After his death, she was thrust into the social whirl while living at No. 10 Downing Street and saw firsthand the lead up to World War II. The contrast between her past and present and the pressure of encroaching war offered a great deal to work with. She was a unique debutante during a very distinctive season.
However, there is very little available on Valerie and her life, especially her time as a debutante. Despite her famous relatives, she didn’t publish a memoir and stayed out of the spotlight. As a result, I studied other notable British women with challenging childhoods, such as Lady Mountbatten and Clementine Churchill, and used their experiences with distant parents, boarding schools and difficult upbringings to further round out Valerie. I also did this for Dinah Brand who doesn’t have much available on her either. There’s more available on Katherine Ormsby-Gore, Eunice Kennedy and Christian Grant so I read their biographies or autobiographies, and those of their family members, and incorporated real details from their lives into the story.
There are many powerful and universal themes in this novel that, I think, speak to us still today. One of those being the feelings and acts of cowardice. Whether it was the outside world's perception of how Neville Chamberlain handled Hitler's extreme aggression in Europe, or Valerie's internal battle over whether to face society or run from it, how do you feel the characters in the novel, as well as those they were meant to portray in real life, contended with cowardice? How did they grow in the face of it? Do you think that speaks to the overall feeling in the world during 1939?
I think the characters contend with cowardice by acknowledging it without allowing it to stop them. In the novel, Valerie considers abandoning her Season after a setback but decides that she must stay and face it. She is encouraged to be brave by her aunt and mentor Anne Chamberlain, who helps her understand that courage in the face of uncertainty is a trait to cultivate not simply for success in society but for success in life. Given the coming challenges of World War II, this is a lesson that served the debutantes well. Many of them went from ballrooms to war work. Despite fears of death or the unknown, they met the challenges that were placed in front of them and I think this courage and persistence does speak to the overall feeling in 1939.
Another theme that was really present throughout the novel was what work meant to and within English society during 1939. There's a line on page 145 that reads "Chaps have real and meaningful work, while we're left to hairdresssers and shopping." Do you think the debutantes did have real and meaningful work during this time in history? How was it just as important as mens' work in society?
What surprised me in my research is how the grueling debutante season was as much a chance to train sheltered young women to function in the adult world as it was a time of fancy balls and meeting gentlemen. The exhausting rounds of dances, parties, and events forced them to deal with different people in various situations, manage schedules, gain confidence, budget money, develop conversation skills, and hone social graces. For those who married politicians and ambassadors, they used these skills to develop diplomatic relations or manage political campaigns. In the novel, I mention how Princess Natasha Bagration, a Russian princess, did a great deal of diplomatic work on behalf of her adopted country Yugoslavia after it was occupied by Germany. The ability to influence politicians, raise money for social and political causes and serve as an activist for countries being crushed by Hitler was meaningful work. Women also used the skills they developed during the Seasons to help manage estates and turn them into profitable business ventures instead of failing family legacies. Deborah Mitford, a debutante from the 1938 Season, married the man who would become the Duke of Devonshire. Together, they turned Chatsworth, the family’s manor estate, into a successful tourist destination. Although women’s work was different from the men’s, it was important to them and their families and in some cases to politics and the larger world.
Conversely, there is a clear discrepancy in women's work during this time. On page 170, Valerie reflects on the differences: "The Garden Room Girls were typing their fingers to the bone while Valerie and Their Excellencies danced." This time frame was perhaps the first time many women, both in England and America, were able to participate in society in as similar a way as possible to a man when it comes to working. How do you see the role of work differ for The Garden Room Girls versus the debutantes? How is it the same? Do you believe that WW2, though guilty of thousands of atrocities, opened up new opportunities in society that had not previously existed when it comes to women's rights and equality?
The Garden Room Girls pursued careers out of financial necessity rather than interest, and once they started working they had to continue until marriage in order to support themselves or their families. Teaching, nursing and secretarial work were open to both groups of women and both would most likely end their careers once they married. However, the debutantes, depending on their family’s fortunes and social standing, had more freedom to pursue careers such as writing or the arts. Debutantes could find ways of making money but the Garden Rooms Girls needed to earn a living. World War II temporarily opened up a great many opportunities for both groups. When the men went overseas, the women took their places in factories and offices. However, at the end of the war, the men returned to their old positions and so did the women. It would take a few more decades before women achieved equality once again.
Throughout the novel, the threat of WW2 is of course right on the horizon for England and there is much anxiety and fear over the future. Similarly, there is great significance placed on the past, particularly for Valerie, as she believes the downfall of her father and the disgrace of her mother and stepmother still define her in the eyes of society. In what ways did you intend for the past and the future to find a place in this novel? Does the past define our present and future?
At the beginning of the novel, Valerie is defined by her past but instead of accepting that, she fights against it to create her own identify and future. Through her, I hope to inspire readers to overcome whatever challenges they’re facing and to see that there’s always a chance to begin again.
While war holds a foreshadowing presence in the novel, it also feels almost like a character. It has personality traits and impacts the characters in various ways - causing Elm and Richard to join up in the army, Valerie and her friends to consider their futures in a way they wouldn't otherwise have to, and leaving political figures like Neville Chamberlain to make life-changing decisions. What role did you want "war" to play in this novel, beyond the literal meaning and the history that we know to be true today?
In the novel, war is a tangible way to solidify a very nebulous idea. The debutantes don’t simply wonder what their futures hold, they know war is coming, and because of World War I, they have some idea of the change, uncertainly and real danger they will face. War is a very real and tangible event that crystallizes the idea that one can never be sure of anything in regards to tomorrow.
There is a phrase used throughout the novel, "tout passe, tout lasse, tout casse" which means, "nothing lasts, everything breaks, everything fades." Under the overarching theme of past and future seen throughout this novel, I couldn't help having similar feelings to how 2020 and the pandemic changed everything, and many people's futures as well. Were you writing this during 2020? Did the state of the world and the crisis of the pandemic impact or change the story at all? Is there something to be learned from past periods of uncertainty and unrest that can get us through as a society today?
My deadline for The Last Debutantes was June 2020. I’d had my writing schedule for March through June planned out and, as we all know, the universe had other plans. To say I had to adapt and adjust is an understatement but I did it and I met my deadline. It was a very unique experience to write during such a stressful time but it allowed me to better relate to the debutantes who were doing their best to carry on with their normal lives while also living though very uncertain times. I think past periods of uncertainty teach us that when things get difficult, choosing to meet challenges instead of running from them can make all the difference.
I want to call out one of the most striking passages to me in the novel. It's on page 287 and it reads, "London spread out before them, Parliament and Big Ben visible in the distance, the lights of Buckingham Palace glowing behind them. The twinkling was broken by the wide swaths of dark parks dotted here and there, the cars' headlights snaking through the streets. 'It's beautiful,' Dinah breathed, leaning against the edge of the rooftop." and continues, "'Everything looks so peaceful from this high,' Eunice said. Christian sighed. 'Don't you wish a night like this could last forever?'" For me, this part was so ominous and powerful knowing the future the way we do now and what would happen to London in a matter of just a few years. What role do the readers get to play in this novel as a sort of all-knowing, outside perspective? Do you think this is a role readers play in all works of historical fiction?
Readers have the benefit of knowing how everything eventually unfolds, and this is true in all works of historical fiction. As a result, the outcome often appears obvious to readers but it wasn’t to the people living through those times. This fact is always a challenge to deal with but I think that knowing how World War II plays out allows readers to better appreciate how the debutantes’ training, grit and friendships will help them during the challenging war years.
Finally, what's next? Is there another novel in the works? What advice do you have for readers who are interested in writing historical fiction?
I’m currently working on a novel about Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s artist daughter. She was a rebel in the family, choosing to pursue an art career, marrying an Englishman instead of a foreign prince, and trying to live life as much on her terms as a princess could. She is another fascinating woman that I’m enjoying bringing to life.
My advice to readers eager to write historical fiction is to develop good writing habits and routines. I finished writing The Last Debutantes between March 2020 and June 2020, and long established routines and habits helped me stay creative and focused. I sat at my desk at the same time every day because when I’m at my desk, I know it’s time to work. The routines I’ve employed over the years, such as working for forty-five minutes and then taking fifteen off, helped keep me on track despite the craziness around me. I also heard from many writers that they went back to old routines, such as getting up before the kids, in order to make their word count and meet deadlines. Routines can make all the difference to writing success, especially during trying times.
Georgie Blalock is a history lover and movie buff who enjoys combining her different passions through historical fiction and a healthy dose of period piece films. When not writing, she can be found prowling the non-fiction history section of the library or the British film listings on Netflix. Georgie writes historical romance under the name Georgie Lee. Please visit www.georigeblalock.com for more info about Georgie and her writing.
About the Interviewer
Danielle Meyer is currently living her 14-year-old-self's best life in New York City. She graduated in 2016 from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and her heart is forever in Athens, Ohio. By day, she works in Public Relations and Communications, and by night is working to craft the perfect prose sentence in pursuit of becoming a published author. You can find her on Instagram @daniellemeyer13
