In 1828, two young women were torn apart as they were sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay. Will they ever meet again?
Norfolk, 1813. In the quiet Waveney Valley, the body of a woman – Mary Tyrell – is staked through the heart after her death by suicide. She had been under arrest for the suspected murder of her newborn child. Mary leaves behind a young daughter, Hannah, who is later sent away to the Refuge for the Destitute in London, where she will be trained for a life of domestic service.
It is at the Refuge that Hannah meets Annie Simpkins, a fellow resident, and together they forge a friendship that deepens into passionate love. But the strength of this bond is put to the test when the girls are caught stealing from the Refuge's laundry, and they are sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, setting them on separate paths that may never cross again.
Drawing on real events, The Low Road is a gripping, atmospheric tale that brings to life the forgotten voices of the past – convicts, servants, the rural poor – as well as a moving evocation of love that blossomed in the face of prejudice and ill fortune.
Writing Interview questions.
Why did you choose to write your book in this era?
I sort of feel that The Low Road, and in particular the girl Hannah, who is the main character, chose me! Hannah, like me, grew up in my hometown of Harleston, in eastern England; like me, she was in the care system (although I was adopted by a loving family); like me, she pilfered as a child. I felt a kind of identification with Hannah and even though writing in this era was difficult, I couldn’t turn down her request to tell her story, if that doesn’t sound too fey.
Did you find researching this era particularly difficult? What was the hardest thing to find out, and did you come across anything particularly surprising?
It was difficult because the Georgian era is pre-photography and sound recording, so I had to travel back in time, through the use of archives, paintings, PhDs by historians and by walking the streets that my characters would have walked in order to feel their stories at the deepest level. The most surprising thing I found out was how many loving and deep friendships or relationships were formed between female convicts – and how that story hadn’t been told a lot.
Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?
For me the book is very much about the experiences of ordinary working people growing up in extraordinary times. Far too often history, including historical novels, is told from the top down. I wanted to give real, working class women, the chance to speak for a change.
If you had to describe your protagonist(s), in three words, what would those three words be and why?
Resilient; loyal; loving
Was there anything that you edited out of this book that would have drastically affected the story, should it be left in?
Great question! One character dies who could have lived. If the character had lived the whole story would have been different. As novelists we have the power to play God.
What are you currently working on?
I am lucky enough to have been awarded an Arts Council England grant to develop a crime series, based on the journalism I have done in the past, both in the UK and abroad. I am also reflecting on how to write about the Swing Rioters in Eastern England, whose experiences I briefly mention in The Low Road.
What would you tell an aspiring author who had some doubts about their writing abilities?
Kurt Vonnegut once said that art is about making life more bearable and that practicing art is a way “to make your soul grow”. Everybody can practice art, whether that’s writing, singing, painting or anything else. Whether you get recognised for it, become an ‘artist’ in the public realm is far less important than doing the work of being an artist. We can all be artists because we can all create art. I also see art as a way of puzzling out something that doesn’t make sense to me. I practice art, at every level, to find out something about myself, or the experiences of others, or about the world, to satisfy what Rudyard Kipling called “insatiable curiosity”.
Personal Interview questions.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I am, first and foremost, a reader, and I read everywhere, including audio books when I am walking (almost one of my favourite things to do). Swimming is probably the only activity I do when I’m not either listening or reading, and it does help me to wrangle out writing problems. I also like talking to and engaging with other writers and spending time with my family and friends. Lastly, I really like gardening.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to write in some form, so I feel very lucky to have spent my whole life either writing or doing journalism, which lately has been writing but was also film-making in the past.
What’s for dinner tonight? What would you rather be eating?
I don’t yet know, but my favourite foods are soups, salads, Persian food, especially rich stews (I have Persian heritage) and fruit.
What would be a perfect day?
Writing by a river where I could swim, with my family and friends close by in a big house
What is the best part of your day?
Getting up and drinking tea, and thinking about the day to come as it unfolds.
Either or!
Tea or coffee: Tea
Hot or cold: Cold
Movie or book: Book
Morning person or Night owl: Morning person
City or country: Country
Social Media or book: Book
Paperback or ebook: Paperback
Katharine Quarmby has written non-fiction, short stories and books for children and her debut novel, The Low Road, is published by Unbound in 2023. Her non-fiction works include Scapegoat: Why We Are Failing Disabled People (Portobello Books, 2011) and No Place to Call Home: Inside the Real Lives of Gypsies and Travellers (Oneworld, 2013). She has also written picture books and shorter e-books.
She is an investigative journalist and editor, with particular interests in disability, the environment, race and ethnicity, and the care system. Her reporting has appeared in outlets including the Guardian, The Economist, The Atlantic, The Times of London, the Telegraph, New Statesman and The Spectator. Katharine lives in London.
Katharine also works as an editor for investigative journalism outlets, including Investigative Reporting Denmark and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
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