Rachel Beanland joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her new novel , THE HALF LIFE, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. This is the third time that Carol has interviewed Rachel. Her previous books, FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER and THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, were Bets On picks as well.
THE HALF LIFE follows Eileen O'Malley, a 23-year-old woman from Charleston who marries a naval officer named Paul Archer and moves to La Maddalena, Italy, in 1974. Rachel drew heavily from her own childhood experiences living on La Maddalena as a Navy family member, as well as a 2019 research trip back to the island. The interview covers the book's various themes: coming of age, sexual awakening, military wife culture, Cold War politics, grief and self-discovery.
Rachel had a clear picture of Eileen from the start — a questioning, unfulfilled young woman who had not yet come of age when she married — and was thinking about her mother, a Navy wife who resisted many of the expected social obligations, as she was shaping the character. She found Paul relatively easy to write, but it took several attempts to define Teo, who ultimately serves as an honest, non-performative counterpoint to Paul. The full cast of characters reflects the range of ways that women responded to the constraints of military life. Their relationships are complex and not always harmonious. And yes, there actually was a book called THE NAVY WIFE: What She Ought to Know About the Customs of the Service and the Management of a Navy Household, which Eileen receives as a wedding gift.
Carol and Rachel also discuss the Epilogue, which is very powerful, as well as the choice of the title, which resonates on many levels.
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Art Credit: Tom Fitzgerald
Edited by Jordan Redd Productions
