Interview with Eileen Enright Hodgetts - Author of 'The Girl On The Carpathia'
Interview with Eileen Enwright Hodgetts
Author of ‘The Girl on the Carpathia’
Note: I discovered Eileen’s works on Goodreads and Amazon. She kindly sent me a copy of her novel and I read and loved it. Here is a link to my review.
Visit Eileen’s website to read more about her books and creative activities.
The Titanic has inspired many books. Why did you choose to focus on the Carpathia for your own story?
First, Cindy, let me thank you for offering me this interview. When speaking of the Titanic, I am always aware of the need to say first and foremost that the sinking of the ship was a great tragedy that I would never take lightly or attempt to gloss over the fact that so many people, brave men and women, lost their lives. It was a tragedy that defined a generation and a precursor to the greater horror of World War I. I chose to focus on the Carpathia because I am writing about the aftermath of the sinking. The story could not be told unless and until the Carpathia picked up the survivors. If it were not for Captain Rostron’s gallant rescue effort, the tragedy would have remained as just another ship lost at sea. The Carpathia makes possible everything that comes next.
Were you surprised by any facts you gathered during your research for The Girl on the Carpathia? Please share two to three things you learned.
I was constantly surprised. Three major surprises would be the fact that: (1) Captain Rostron drove his ship through pack ice and floaters to reach the Titanic. His rescue effort could have also ended in disaster. (2) Picking up the frozen, exhausted people from the lifeboats was a dangerous feat in itself as they had to climb rope ladders up the steep side of the Carpathia, or be hauled up in cargo nets. It was fraught with danger at every step. (3) With all the survivors on board, the Carpathia set sail for New York and encountered a violent storm at sea, once again endangering everyone. Nothing about this was easy.
Did you face any obstacles while writing The Girl on the Carpathia?
I began my research into the Senate Titanic Hearings in the early 1990’s with the creation of a stage play “Titanic to All Ships”, courtroom drama. (Currently being filmed as a major motion picture) This was prior to the digitizing of the testimony given to the U.S. Senate and only two printed transcripts were known to exist. One was in the Library of Congress and the other was in the Federal Repository in the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, USA. I was fortunate enough to live in Pittsburgh but obtaining permission to handle the printed transcript was not easy. Of course, the world wide web has simplified research today and my task has become easier.
What was the hardest scene plus your favourite one to write in The Girl on the Carpathia and why?
The hardest scenes were the scenes in the U.S. Senate hearings where Senator Smith tries to separate fact from rumour. Although I was able to use his questions and answers directly from the transcript, I also needed to convey the emotions of shock and distress that lie behind the written words to reveal the true horror of what occurred. The most enjoyable scenes are (of course) the happy ever after romance that comes at the end of the book.
Do you have a favourite character, real or imagined, in The Girl on the Carpathia and what is special about them?
My personal favourite is Sherriff Joe Bayliss of Chippewa County Michigan. He is a real character, although not much is recorded in the testimony or in any research today. He agreed to do what no one else would do and risk an international incident by virtually arresting the chairman of the White Star Line and the senior surviving officers and forcing them to remain in the U.S. to give evidence. I see him as a bluff, frontier type of character, with a strong sense of right and wrong. Wolfie is also my favourite. He is the ultimate survivor. He’s an otter hound rescued from the Titanic. He is shaggy, smelly, devoted to Kate, and a friend to all he meets.
Eva Trentham is a fabulous character with lots of rough edges. Was she based on any famous person(s) or purely from your imagination? Please tell us a bit about her.
Eva is a figment of my imagination, although I have great admiration for feisty old ladies (I plan on becoming one myself one day). When she is rescued from the Titanic, she insists on rescuing “Wolfie” a large, shaggy dog, ostensibly to annoy the other passengers but maybe because she has a soft heart. She is wealthy widow from humble beginnings. She has a personal grudge against J.P. Morgan (the ultimate owner of the Titanic) based on an incident when she was a newly arrived immigrant. Underneath an abrasive exterior she is lonely and bitter and only Kate, the “girl on the Carpathia” manages to melt the ice in her heart.
What are the main themes in The Girl on the Carpathia?
I would say that the main theme is “never give up”. Senator Smith comes very close to failing in his mission to find the truth. Kate tries again and again to give up in the face of her own personal tragedies, but manages to summon courage to continue. The testimony of the survivors is based on their determination to survive the night. Radio operator Danny McSorley has been given a message to deliver to the U.S. president and is determined to fulfil his mission, even if it means losing the girl he loves.
What five words would you use to describe Kate Royston?
I can’t do it five words, how about five phrases.
(1) Uncertain of her own worth (2) Fleeing from personal tragedy (3) Digging deep to find courage (4) Strong moral compass (5) Honest
How long did it take you to write The Girl on the Carpathia? Are you a plotter or pantser writer?
The Girl on the Carpathia came from years and years of research beginning with a Fellowship Grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to write a play about the Senate Hearings into the sinking (1994). Followed by an option on a screen play (2017) of the same story ... followed by Covid and everything shutting down from two years. I wrote the Girl on the Carpathia during the Covid lockdown, and followed it with the book to be released very shortly (The Girl in the Lifeboat) which is an examination of the British Hearings. I have been living with this for a long time. I am a hybrid plotter. I start off with a beginning and an end, but I find my characters definitely define for themselves what happens in between.
Please provide a summary of your publishing journey? What has been your greatestliterary achievement?
I suppose that the general public would find the completion of the movie “Unsinkable, Titanic on Trial” to be quite an achievement. I wrote the play script and then the screenplay and we are due to be released early in 2023. The process has been interesting but not easy. My publishing journey has taken me through a series of books – an Arthurian series, a WW2 mystery series, several stand-alone novels, and of course the Titanic series. The Titanic books are my best sellers.
What or who inspired you to become a writer?
I think it is a gift or curse given at birth. There is no choice.
What was the first book you read that made you realise the power of words?
I distinctly remember reading Gone with the Wind when I was about 12 and the feeling of reaching the last page and just wishing there could be more. After that I just kept looking for “more.”
How many genres have you written in? Do you favour one over another? If so, why?
I enjoy researching and writing historical fiction because there is always something new to learn. Fact is so often stranger than fiction. I’ve written fantasy – love doing that and solving plot points by just flying in a dragon… I like writing murder mysteries. I just like writing!
Name three or more books you have read recently that you would recommend? Recently I have been reading non-fiction. River of the Gods by Candace Millard is a fascinating piece of creative non-fiction writing exploring the search for the source of the Nile, and the many flawed characters that made their mark on Africa. In fiction, the Expanse series by James Correy beginning with Leviathan Wakes. This is a sweeping sci-fi saga that has had me engrossed for months. I am currently reading The Murderess of Bayou Rose by Ramona deFelice Long. Unfortunately this author is deceased. If this is to be her only work, it is truly excellent.
What physical location in the world inspires you most? Has it become a setting in any of your novels?
I was born in England, lived in South Africa, worked in Uganda, and now live in the U.S. These have all been inspirational but I think it is England that inspires me most – the long, long history that is soaked into every stone and tree root. There are elements there I long to uncover.
What activity or activities do you enjoy for relaxation and/or regeneration when you are not writing?
I love to walk… not strictly hiking but with a good dog I can walk a long way. I am involved in community theatre projects. I love to grow flowers. I am still involved in “mission” work in Uganda to bring clean water to the millions who have no access.
If you were having a dinner party, what five authors would you invite and why?
Oh my goodness! Brandon Sanderson – He is such a great fantasy world builder. Shakespeare because (of course) he has written every story that could ever be written and we just keep rewriting them. Bernard Cornwell, who writes wonderfully violent stories of early Britain. I imagine he would be a great spinner of adventure tales. Marian Zimmer Bradley because her Arthurian series gave us a new way of looking at the legend of Arthur and I think she was a deep thinker. Walter Miller (A Canticle for Liebowitz). He wrote the first dystopian novel I had ever read and, along with the creative imagining, he showed flashes of brilliant humour. I think he would be good company.
Do you have a new project in the works and can you share a little about it?
The Girl in the Lifeboat will be published in July. It is currently in the hands of my Advance Reader Team. It is a companion to The Girl in the Carpathia and tells the story of what happened to the surviving Titanic crew members and the attempts to supress their testimony. I am presenting new evidence of what may have been the cause of the sinking, along with a cast of real and imagined characters to tell the story – plus a mysterious stolen jewel. I will have one more Titanic story to tell after that – the story of the Californian, the ship that did not go to the rescue of the Titanic. That’s still just words in my brain at the moment.
Thanks so much Eileen for being my guest. You have had an interesting creative journey and your books are a wonderful welcome to readers. I wish you well on your continued success and upcoming movie.
