A Long Petal of the Sea is based on a story I was told 40 years ago. It starts with the Winnipeg, a ship sent to France by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, to rescue Spanish refugees at the end of the Civil War and bring them to Chile. The title is from one of Neruda’s poems.
One of the 2,200 rescued refugees was a striking man called Victor Pey. I met him when we were both in exile in Venezuela after the 1973 military coup in Chile.
He told me the story of his life; the war, the internment camps in France, being on the Winnipeg, arriving in Chile and eventually becoming friends with both Salvador Allende [the former president of Chile] and Neruda, to whom he was very grateful.
I hadn’t thought about that story for years, but with the terrible plight of refugees and immigrants today, it was a subject I had to explore.
Esta historia es de la edición March 2020 de Womans Weekly Fiction Special.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 2020 de Womans Weekly Fiction Special.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Perfect Gift
The change to their Christmas plans was a shock, though it could teach them a lesson…
Christmas Is Coming
With all the mess, noise and disruption, she was seriously struggling to embrace the festive spirit
The Generation G-App
It was a lovely idea, but surely there was no way the project would become a successful reality?
The Christmas Tree
The cottage had no festive cheer, but could Jennie create the impression of Yuletide joy before it was too late?
We All Stand Together
If the plan failed, Joan wouldn’t be the only one having an unhappy Christmas
The Christmas Robin
Presents to buy, food to cook and a tree to decorate – could she create the perfect day?
Maudie's First Christmas
With all her dreams of a family Christmas dashed, it seemed that Ruth would have to adjust to a very different festive season this year...
Friends Like You
Leah was about to find out what sort of people she’d had in her life all these years…
Breaking Point
She hoped her children would start to compromise soon, or they were in for a distinctly frosty festive season
A CHAT WITH... Sarah Morgan
Well-known for her heart-warming family tales, Sarah Morgan’s latest novel is packed full of love and laughter. Here, she reveals how she comes to craft her characters and she gave her new release that sprinkle of festive magic...
