Recently I've been reading two very different and yet, strangely, similarly inspired books: Sebastian Barry's 'The Secret Scripture' and Dave Boling's début novel, 'Guernica'. The former, set in a mental institution in contemporary Ireland looks back to key events, both personal and political, through the eyes of a very elderly resident, Rose, who feels compelled to record her fading memories. Her testimony deals with shifting memory, loss and redemption. In common with his other novels, 'The Secret Scripture' draws some of its inspiration from Barry's real-life ancestry.
'Guernica' also records troubled and violent times - 1930's Spain and the ruthless bombing of Guernica by the Luftwaffe at Franco's invitation. The story starts with a Basque family and records their lives, loves and culture. Tragically, these individuals become caught up in the terrible events graphically depicted by Picasso in his famous mural. In an introductory letter, Boling explains the source of his inspiration for the novel:
'Fresh out of college, I met a lovely Basque girl whose grandparents had come to America to herd sheep in the mountains of Idaho. Her family filled me with Basque foods . . . . . . and displayed a fierce loyalty to their families and heritage. From them I learned of the decades-long oppression of their culture by the Franco régime. And from them I also heard of the bombing of Guernica.'
I was thinking about both of these books while looking for an idea for a short story. And, you've guessed, I think I've found it in a particular family narrative about my maternal grandfather who, sadly, died before I was born but about whom my mother told many stories with warmth and laughter. These are truly inspirational.
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