Doctorow to Philip Kerr, novelists writing fiction set in earlier times have done that. My main characters are always imaginary, but I often have them playing off real people. I like to put real people in my historical fiction. What guides you in deciding to use historic figures rather than fictional characters in your novels? As a corollary, what guides you in placing the historic figures in fictional, as opposed to factual, settings and scenes? Some of the characters in The Orchid Hour are purely fictional and others are actual people-especially some of the organized crime figures from the 1920s. To do any of those things was a deviation of the code for Zia. Yet in the 1920s young American women, primarily in the cities, were cutting their hair, shedding their girdles, wearing modern clothes, going out dancing, and seeking independence from their families. Those two standards were a world apart! The ordine della famiglia meant to live for the family, to subordinate yourself to the good of the family. Your protagonist Zia, a young mother and widow living with her in-laws, is conflicted about her desire to behave according to the more liberal standard American women enjoyed in the Jazz Age as opposed to her family’s rigid expectations under the ordine della famiglia, “the unforgiving, centuries-old code of the villages of southern Italy.” How did these two standards for women differ, and how far did Zia deviate from the Italian code? The Orchid Hour is a cross between The Cotton Club (which opened at the end of 1923) and Chumley’s, another real-life club, this one a secret speakeasy in the West Village that attracted writers such as Dorothy Parker and Eugene O’Neill. I find the first part of the decade more interesting than the second. I created a main character who is born in Italy and immigrates to New York City with her family in the early 20 th century but does not act out the stereotypes of Italian American women that you see in movies and television shows.īecause it was Prohibition that basically created the mafia-one of history’s greatest unintended consequences-I thought that putting the novel in the 1920s made sense. My vision of the novel began with wanting to write a main character who is touched by organized crime in New York City and that would be part of her story but not her whole story. Welcome back, Nancy! Orchids and speakeasies: a unique and interesting combination! How did your vision of The Orchid Hour come to you? Was there any particular NYC nightclub in the Prohibition Era that served as an inspiration? No spoilers here! You’ll just have to read the book to find out what Zia discovers! Publishers Weekly (starred review) says, “Historical mystery fans will find this irresistible.” And so did I! Two murders that hit close to home give Zia the motivation to transform her conservative appearance and get a job at the speakeasy, where, she believes, she will find clues to the unsolved murders. The protagonist, Audenzia De Luca (“Zia”), is an Italian immigrant, young mother, and WWI widow. In the back of the “store,” you opened the mirrored door of an antique wardrobe to enter the piano bar and restaurant.Įxciting and glamorous, right? Well, in this novel, Nancy Bilyeau does not shy away from the underbelly of the Jazz Age: bootlegging, gang violence, rising crime, and the Sicilian Mafia ( Cosa Nostra). From the avenue, you entered what appeared to be an antique shop. I remember getting a feel for the speakeasy days at a bar/restaurant called Chelsea Place, which operated from 1974 through 1992 on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. The club’s front is, appropriately, a flower shop, where one must have the trust of the florist to gain entry. Aiming to appeal to a highbrow clientele, the world-class nightclub is decorated with a species of orchid that gives off a heady fragrance only at night. The book’s title is the name of a speakeasy that serves as the focal point of the action. The Orchid Hour takes us to the Prohibition Era of the 1920s, when, despite the law, alcohol was flowing freely. Nancy first appeared here on VBlog after the release of her suspense novel The Blue, set in the rivalrous porcelain industry of 18th century Europe. Kemanis - Fiction Favorites & Awesome Authorsįor this installment of Fiction Favorites and Awesome Authors, Nancy Bilyeau returns to talk about her new historical mystery, The Orchid Hour. The Orchid Hour: Book Review & Conversation with Nancy Bilyeau
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