Interview with Fiona Valpy - author of 'The Recipe For Hope'

The Recipe For Hope is a #1 Best Seller in Women’s Fiction on Amazon and was re-published by Lake Union on September 1st, 2022 as part of a three book ‘Escape to France’ series.

I loved this novel (and all Fiona’s books). You can find my review here of ‘The Recipe For Hope.’ Since this story has a Christmas theme, and we are now approaching the season, I thought it was a perfect time to showcase this novel and Fiona’s incredible writing talent. I encourage lovers of great fiction to order this novel and all Fiona’s books. Visit her website for more details.

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About the author:

Fiona Valpy is an acclaimed number 1 bestselling author, whose books have sold millions of copies and been translated into more than thirty different languages worldwide.

She draws inspiration from the stories of strong women, especially during the years of World War II. Her meticulous research enriches her writing with an evocative sense of time and place.

She spent seven years living in France, having moved there from the UK in 2007, before returning to live in Scotland. Her love for both of these countries, their people and their histories, has found its way into many of the books she’s written.

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Interview with Fiona Valpy – Author of The Recipe for Hope

The Recipe for Hope recently was re-released. It is a great novel for the month of December. Please share a brief overview of the story?

As the book opens, we meet Evie, who is dreading Christmas this year. So, when her friends offer her the use of their French holiday home, she grabs the chance to escape. But she hasn't counted on the neighbours - and one of them in particular - who help her to work through her grief and anger and to find forgiveness, which may just allow her to face life again. She finally realises that, no matter how hard you try to escape it, Christmas Happens!

Setting is very important in The Recipe for Hope. How so and why did you choose the south of France?

I lived in the south-west of France for seven years, in a beautiful rural house much like the one Evie finds herself in. The landscape, the language and the food of the local area are all so evocative and I wanted to weave all of these different aspects through my story.

The Recipe for Hope covers some heart-breaking life traumas. Please share a bit about those without giving away too much?

The Recipe for Hope is a bit different from the usual seasonal reads, in that the book does tackle some very painful subjects. Evie is struggling to cope with the losses she’s recently experienced and of course Christmas can be a particularly hard time for anyone who is lonely or grieving. But, at the same time, it’s a time to rekindle the light of hope. I’ve tried to capture the beauty of the French countryside (even without the summer sunshine) and to highlight what, for me, are the things that are really important at Christmas: family – in whatever form it may take – and offering kindness and support to others.

Which character was the most difficult/easiest to create in The Recipe for Hope and why?

Evie’s elderly neighbours, Eliane and Mathieu, had already appeared in a previous book (The Season of Dreams), and would go on to become major characters in another of my novels, (The Beekeeper’s Promise), so they came very naturally to me as I felt I already knew them. I love following characters from one book to another. I must say, I did also enjoy creating Didier, the dishy doctor living next door!

Name three character traits each for Evie and Doctor Didier.

Evie: creative, hard-working, determined.

Didier: innovative, dedicated, kind.

What is/are the main theme(s) of The Recipe for Hope?

Like all my books, the novel includes a number of inter-woven themes, but underlying them all are grief and hope. In French, Christmas Eve is known as Reveillon, derived from the French word for an awakening. That reawakening of hope and love is the main theme of the book.

Foods and cooking have a special place in this story and in the season of Christmas. What is the importance of recipes in The Recipe for Hope? What favourite dish(es) would you serve to your own family at this festive time?

Cooking is Evie’s way of expressing and sharing love, and the recipes link her to her own French family roots and showcase her culinary flair and creativity. Gathering together to share a festive meal is an important aspect of our celebrations. On Christmas Eve I’ll be serving Tartiflette, which is a dish from the French mountains with potatoes, bacon, onions and cream, simple comfort food before the next day's Christmas Dinner extravaganza.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? Did a book, author or experience inspire you to go in this direction?

I’ve always been an avid reader since childhood and have been inspired by so many different writers down the years. But it was only when I moved to France that I found both the time and the inspiration to begin writing books of my own. In more recent years, I’ve moved back to Scotland and have written books set in other places, but it was the experience of living in the French countryside that got me started.

Tell us about your publication journey. How many books have you written and published to date?

I’ve had eight books published so far and am busy working on more. The first three – now reissued as the Escape To France series, which includes The Recipe for Hope – were contemporary novels set in my local part of France. But I’ve spread my writing wings since then and have written books with a historical dimension set in Scotland, Paris and Casablanca. My next novel, due for publication in July 2023, is called The Cypress Maze and is set in Italy.

If you could visit three places in the world you have not been to yet, that might inspire more novels, where would you go and why?

I’m planning a trip to the Nepal Himalayas next year, as part of the research for my next book. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to explore so this will be a very exciting journey.

I’m also going to Marrakech in the spring. I wrote The Storyteller of Casablanca during lockdown and all my attempts to visit Morocco were foiled. I’ve been invited to appear at the International Storytelling Festival which is held there each year. So, although this is the wrong way round – as the country has already inspired a novel I’ve written! – it feels important to go.

The third place I’d love to visit is the west coast of Canada. I’m sure I’d find inspiration in that beautiful, wild coastline with the dramatic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.

What does your writing process look like? Are you a pantser/plotter or mix of both? Do you have a favourite space where you like to write and any special activities/foods that help with your writing?

I’m a born-again plotter! I’ve learned the hard way that it’s better to invest upfront in the time and work involved in planning each new project, tempting though it is to dive in headfirst. I usually write sitting by the fire, looking out at a landscape of Scottish fields and hills, surrounded by piles of books and notes and a couple of cats. I’ve discovered that walking is the best way to work a story out in my head and if I’m ever stuck, I’ll go and climb the hill behind my house. By the time I come back, I find my characters have shown me the way forward.

Are you working on a new novel and, if so, can you say a few words about it?

As mentioned, my next project is a novel set in Nepal. At the moment I’m busy researching Sherpa culture and Himalayan botany! I’m looking forward to exploring that dramatic landscape when I go there next year.

Many thanks to Fiona for being my guest today! I hope you enjoyed her responses as much as I have. You can contact Fiona through her website that also includes social media direct links.