Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure
An Interview with Rhys Bowen
In this week’s Q&A, Rhys Bowen takes us behind the scenes of Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure. Three unlikely companions seize their chance for a second act, traveling from England to a seaside villa in France in this heartwarming historical novel.
"A masterfully told tale of friendship, love, and perseverance, where the characters feel like lifelong friends. It's as uplifting as it is gripping. An absolute must-read!" -Julianne MacLean, bestselling author of All Our Beautiful Goodbyes
This book really is a "splendid adventure"! How would you describe the trio of women who set off for France together?
An unlikely friendship, definitely. These were not women who would have been close friends and equals in England. Thrown together because life had treated each of them unfairly, they form a close bond of support for each other.
Ellie Endicott's second act is a delight to read about — heartwarming, moving, empowering, and funny, with such a picturesque setting. Did you plot out her character arc in advance or are you someone who has to write your way through to the ending?
I never know that much when I start. I have to see where my characters take me. I knew I wanted her to restore a villa and endure the hardships of WWII, but it wasn’t until Nico stepped out when her car broke down that I realized he might be her future love interest, and that he’d have such an interesting back story.
I read that you love to travel. Are the villa and town in Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure real places that captured your imagination?
The town is based on Cassis, near Monte Carlo, as it would have been before WWII. And the villa? I took photos of several villas when I was researching, but the idea for the villa came when I was on an Italian lake a few years ago and came upon a lovely villa, quite abandoned, ivy covered. I couldn’t believe who would walk away from such a lovely place, and if they had died, why their family did not want it. Being a hopeless romantic, I wanted my husband and I to buy and restore it. Practical husband pointed out that such a repair would be beyond us. But I kept the image of it in my heart and was allowed to renovate a villa vicariously through Ellie.
Is there anything you uncovered during the research process for this book that has really stayed with you?
Several things. There is a monastery on an island further along the coast. I went there once and was caught in a hail storm! Also in my reading I found that a local resistance cell in Marseilles really did manage to spirit away Jewish men to safety to Corsica. Unfortunately there wasn’t a convenient monastery on an island off the coast as there was in my book. The monastery I used is really further along off the coast at Cannes.
This is one of those novels where I was practically in mourning when it ended. What is the last book that had you wishing for just a few more chapters?
That’s a hard one. I really loved The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Echo of Old Books, but both ended quite satisfactorily!
About the Author: Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including The Rose Arbor, The Paris Assignment, Where the Sky Begins, The Venice Sketchbook, Above the Bay of Angels, The Victory Garden, The Tuscan Child, and In Farleigh Field, the winner of the Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel. She is also the author of the Royal Spyness mysteries and several other series. Bowen’s work has been translated into many languages and has won sixteen honors to date, including multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. A transplanted Brit, Bowen divides her time between California and Arizona. For more information, visit rhysbowen.com.
This book has been on my TBR pile since released. I enjoyed this interview and can't wait to dive into the book.