Anna Fitzgerald had made an impression on me as an emerging author with her imminent debut novel, Girl in the Making, only to swiftly correct me in an unexpected revelation. “In fact, I’ve penned seven novels over a roughly 15-year period” she tells me, leaving me momentarily astounded and questioning my research. Had I bungled the author’s identity? A clarification soon followed defusing my perplexity – Fitzgerald’s upcoming work is indeed her first published but not her first written novel.
A native Dubliner, now in her fifties, Fitzgerald has held a lifelong passion for writing. Her initial venture into novel writing emerged at the tender age of 22, a challenge she only mastered around a decade and a half later, with six more creations trailing in due course. It wasn’t until recently however, that she considered allowing her work to venture beyond her private library.
In a Zoom interview, Fitzgerald revealed her inclination to keep her writing personal, distanced from the glare of publicity. She feared that “making it public may somewhat diminish its enchantment” for her. Reflecting upon her decision to remain unpublished for so many years, she confided over email, “I was scared that incessant rejections would deter me from writing altogether.”
“With the end of writing, I lose a part of my inner spark that this craft grants me,” Fitzgerald adds, articulating her dread of rejection. “I had doubts anyone would even think my work worthy of publishing.”
Her perception shifted when she shared Girl in the Making with a friend, who further shared it, culminating in the book finding its way to the acclaimed author, Ian Sansom. His positive feedback on her work proved instrumental in bolstering Fitzgerald’s courage.
She iterates, “His praise gave me immense courage. Given his stature in the literary world, his validation mattered. It made me feel comfortable in sharing my work more openly.”
Her journey towards publication finally materialized when her debut novel was discovered by Brendan Barrington, an editor at Sandycove. He worked in tandem with Fitzgerald to bring to fruition her published work.
‘Girl in the Making’ is a narrative centred around Jean Kennedy, a youth maturing in Dublin during the 1960s and 1970s. The story provides an illuminating glimpse into Jean’s formative years, from her infancy till she enters university. It further sheds light on her family, and by extension, her society, which are riddled with dysfunction. The author, Fitzgerald, shows a keen interest in investigating the influence of childhood on an individual’s future, stating that the decade you grow up in considerably shapes your outlook on life.
Besides examining this ‘cultural baggage’, Fitzgerald also delves into the personal baggage and trauma that one carries from childhood into adulthood. Writing the book was an uphill task, as Fitzgerald was cognisant of the numerous people who have endured a traumatic upbringing in the nation. The events that occur to Jean are definitely disconcerting, and while Fitzgerald did not wish to write or dwell on these details, he understood it was important to underline that such incidents occur. Instead, emphasis is placed on Jean’s emotions, which are at the heart of the narrative.
Jean’s life is influenced by a group of secondary characters, all providing varied impacts on her life. These include her commanding father, unmarried aunt, loyal siblings, abusive uncle, confused young au pair and her loving but troubled mother. Much of the tale unfolds in the stifling confines of the domestic sphere, with an oppressive family and social infrastructure leading to a sense of incarceration. Even though Jean, as a young girl, lacks control over her circumstances, Fitzgerald desired to equip her with a different kind of power.
Fitzgerald stated that she chose to give Jean, her main character, complete autonomy. This authority, according to Fitzgerald, is derived not only from Jean’s uprightness, but also from her forthrightness and intolerance of anomalies. Jean’s intelligence provides her with additional power, with a boundless wisdom gained from reading offering scarce instances of mitigation. Fitzgerald firmly believes in the power of literature – it possesses the ability to rescue individuals from unbearable conditions. Jean finds a certain solace in literature, particularly in its beauty – a beauty that, as Fitzgerald believes, is potentially life-saving; if one can appreciate the world’s inherent beauty.
The narrative commences with Jean gazing upwards at a “small segment of blue sky” via an enormous yellow tree situated at the bottom of her garden. Jean has an enduring quality – one that remains fixated on positivity. Drawing into her collection of poems, Jean is inspired by Gerard Manley Hopkins’ verses, making Fitzgerald a firm believer in the profound impact that books can have on individuals, with music potentially having a similar effect.
Fitzgerald set the novel in the 60s and 70s as she wanted to encapsulate an Irish society that bears little resemblance to the present day. In one of the chapters, Jean’s mother is admitted to hospital, leaving Jean bewildered and frightened. Titled “A Dangerous Lunatic”, the chapter derives its name from a law that has been present in Ireland since the 1800s, allowing men to institutionalise their wives simply by classifying them as mentally unstable. This situation often resulted in lifelong institutionalisation. The story highlights how life for women and children has dramatically evolved. In the narrative, without the option of divorce and without her own financial resources, Jean’s mother is entirely dependent on her spouse.
The predicament of being a prisoner in any given circumstances without the option of walking away, such as in a divorce, is something quite familiar to her from her younger days, she shared. They often found themselves stuck in undesirable situations due to the unavailability of legal divorce.
From their initial school days, children are taught the cardinal rule of obedience, regardless of the situation. Describing her own school experience, she recalls a sense of fear even though her school wasn’t particularly dreadful. She remembered her local national school in Dublin as violent and was regularly subjected to corporal punishments. Teachers could often be harsh towards the children, and classrooms were filled to maximum capacity. Academically inclined students generally survived; the others, not so much.
Still, she acknowledged that there’s something to be said about children’s lives in the 1960s and 1970s. The roads resonated with the laughter and commotion of carefree kids as they played freely throughout Dublin suburbs in stark contrast to their deserted state now. Far too professional in their parenting methods, today’s parents don’t allow their children the freedom of playing unscheduled for hours.
The mother of four, Fitzgerald’s youngest child has recently accomplished his Leaving Certificate. As her children transition into adulthood, she has found an increase in leisure time, but her writing commitments still revolve around her full-time job.
In the midst of work and family life, she scrounges for available time to devote to her writing, be it in a coffee shop or her kitchen. Her previous novels, comparable to Girl in the Making, often contain recurring characters. She is uncertain about their future, however, as publishers aren’t particularly keen on accepting a multitude of books at once.
While Fitzgerald is more than willing to delve into discussions about her work, book promotions and interviews seem to evoke unease in her. She wasn’t quite sure why this was the case.
“Are you aware of my viewpoint? I do believe that upon composing a novel, one invests a significant essence of oneself, considerable indeed,” she remarks. “It’s entirely within those sheets. So much of you is offered that, in my view, the book ought to acquire its independence; should blaze its trail. I sense this accounts for Jean’s tale… And the connection to the author mustn’t be too intimate.”
The intrusive nature of our current society carries a substantial burden of its own, in her assessment.
“There were indeed rough times in the ’70s and ’80s in Ireland but the modern world presents a considerable challenge as well. Platforms such as social media exerts extraordinary stress upon individuals. Numerous writers I know have a Twitter presence and the like. But I simply cannot oblige. All I can handle is penning down the narrative. It’s all that I feel equipped to carry out.”
‘Girl in the Making’ is issued by Sandycove.