As you can tell, I didn’t find much in the way of redeeming qualities in Patrick, which brings us to the other part of the historical story. His wife, Caroline, was long suffering, believing that the one thing that could keep her husband’s affection was a baby, something she has struggled with for many years. More than happy to do things get the town’s first piano delivered, maybe not so happy to actually pay for it. The master of the house, Patrick Hollander, was something of a wheeler dealer, someone for whom appearances mattered much more than insignificant things like ethics or morals whether it be in his business or his private life. Thank goodness, the cook took a liking to Rowan and because otherwise I can’t imagine that it would have been a very pleasant place to live and work. One thing that we haven’t mentioned about Rowan has a distinctive appearance (white blonde hair and a scar on her face which in that time and place already marked her out as different) so from the first moment she entered the house she was distrusted, especially by the other servant girl in the house, Alice. M: It was definitely an interesting house. How did you find the dynamics in the ‘Silk House’ during the time of Rowan’s employment? I also really enjoyed the element of healing that was incorporated into the story and the ways in which this was regarded suspiciously at times in the past. However it doesn’t take long to notice that the mood of the house has ebbs and flows and things are not always what they seem, which eventually ties in with the second of the historical narratives. Her successful gaining of a position seems relatively beneficial for someone in her place at first - she’s safe, warm, fed and although she works hard, she’s taken care of within the household. She was a capable, brave young woman, who was somewhat forced into her circumstances due to several factors. How did you feel about Rowan’s introduction into the story?ī: I found Rowan’s introduction to the story intriguing. But this isn’t a time in history that you want to be known for this kind of talent. She is to be the maid in the house, but it isn’t too long before her talent for healing draws the attention of others living in the house. The first storyline feature a young woman by the name of Rowan Caswell who has moved from her village to come to the home of the silk merchant, Patrick Hollander.
Initially they are separate storylines until they converge together. In effect there are two stories in the past in this book.
M: I have a natural tendency to lean towards the past in any dual time line, and that was definitely the case here. For me, dual time-lines sometimes result in favouring one over the other, and wanting the story to skip back to that particular timeline.
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