The Making of Marigold McGrath (Free) by Carrie Hayes - author interview

New York City, 1937. Seventeen-year-old Marigold McGrath is coming undone.

Her mother is dead. Her father is drawn to dangerous politics. The only place she feels joy is behind a camera — where she can frame the world on her own terms.

After a series of her own missteps, she reinvents herself in London: mentored by a celebrated émigré photographer, photographing Kindertransport children, working alongside Edward R. Murrow. She falls in love with Joop, a charming Dutch student, and shrugs off the war gathering around her.

Then the Blitz begins.

Joop vanishes into the Dutch Resistance. And Marigold — who has always preferred to photograph the world as she wishes it were — must finally decide what kind of woman, and what kind of witness, she is willing to become.

A sweeping WWII coming-of-age novel set in wartime London.

For readers of Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, and SL Beaumont's The War Photographers

✨ Author Interview 

What inspired you to write this story, and what drew you to this particular historical period?

 

I spent my formative years in Britain and had been working on a series of short stories about those days. But the stories weren’t really gelling, so I put them down and began a Benjamin Franklin project. Then when I was visiting family in the UK, standing in the Imperial War Museum, I had an aha moment. I’d just seen the exhibits about the Blitz and the Holocaust, and I just knew that they would be the historical period of my next book, and that my protagonist would be an American girl who lived in England. It happened within the space of about a minute. Just like that. 

How would you describe your book in a sentence to readers who haven’t discovered it yet?

 

The Making Of Marigold McGrath is a coming-of-age story, about heroes showing up in unexpected people and in unexpected ways, and how all of us are connected.

How much research went into the novel, and did you uncover anything surprising along the way?

 

I love research and my tastes are broad so I cast a really wide net, then I begin poking around absolutely everything- from theatre programmes, and fashions of the time, to the music, the political landscape, the food. Stuff like that. My protagonist would have been seven years older than my mom, so I really think about the movies and music that she loved in addition to as many pictures as I can find. One in particular that’s just great is called Lost London, and has countless photographs from before the second world war. Also, there are lots of books about Churchill and the Americans who were in London before and during the War, as well as a series of journals by a man who was named Henry ‘Chips’ Channon. These are the twentieth century equivalent to Samual Pepys diary- and they’re just crammed full of color and the vibes that were going on at that time. Here ae some things that really, really surprised me: 1. Expecting the Germans to invade, half a million pets were euthanized in 1939, the government advising the London citizenry that it was ‘the kindest thing to do.’ In one way that’s understandable I suppose, but in another, it just shocked me. 2.Not recycling paper was considered a crime. 3. An architect named Phillip Johnson, who was widely revered here in America, was a proud, unapologetic Nazi! Golly, that one shocked me, too. 4. When the Dutch Resistance fighters (Engelandvaarders) reported to the SEO in London that the secret codes being sent back and forth had been compromised, the SEO, insisted “No, everything’s fine.” When in fact, it absolutely was not, and these guys were just being sometimes sent to their deaths. Of course that didn’t go on indefinitely, but it’s very sobering when one thinks about the incredible loss of life. 

How do you balance historical accuracy with creating an engaging story? 

As best I can. One wants to be as accurate as possible and as engaging as possible too. 

Which character was the most interesting or challenging for you to write, and why? 

There’s a man named Alex Reilly who blurs what is correct vs. what is wrong, with kindness and at the same time scariness- he was difficult to get a handle on. I was unsure if he would be an absolute villain, or not. It turned out I didn’t know myself, until close to the end. 

Did the story or any characters evolve in unexpected ways while you were writing? 

Alex did. He surprised me. 

What does your writing process look like—are you a planner or do you prefer to write freely? 

I really struggle to be a planner, because the writing freely thing is always hovering, ready to break loose!

What do you hope readers will feel or take away after finishing your book? 

That even in the midst of tragedy good things still happen. 

If you could step into the world of your novel for a day, what would you most want to experience? 

A massive shopping session at Peter Jones, followed by G & Ts at the garden of the Chelsea Arts Club. 

Just for fun—if your book were adapted into a film, who would you love to see in the cast? 🎬 

Maisy Stella from My Old Ass as Marigold, Thomasin Makenzie as Trude and Finn Wolfhard from Stranger Things would be a lovely Joop. 

Praise for The Making of Marigold McGrath:

I read a lot of historical novels ... this one was one of my favorites. From the characters to the setting to the actions depicted I thoroughly enjoyed the journey—I really didn’t want it to end!
~ Netgalley Review, 5*

"The Making of Marigold McGrath by Carrie Hayes is the tale of a well to do American seventeen year old sent to Europe just prior to World War II. The book is exquisitely written with a well paced dialogue. The characters are well formed and interesting. Sprinkled throughout the book are bits from news outlets that help set the larger context for the reader - they are well timed and helpful. Great read, well worth it!"
~ Goodreads Review, 5*

"The Making of Marigold McGrath explores a rarely examined aspect of WWII: the complex journeys to maturity of young adults in war-torn Europe as they seek human connection and meaning. Marigold finds both, using her skills as a photographer to document the stories of refugee children. With gobs of historical references and vivid imagery, interlaced with intrigue and romance, The Making of Marigold McGrath is a great read!"
~ Goodreads Review, 5*

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Carrie Hayes

Carrie’s first two novels, Naked Truth or Equality and Well Dressed Lies, follow the lives of the iconoclastic suffragist sisters, Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin.

Carrie lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in a rambling Victorian house just outside of New York City.

Connect with Carrie:
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