This week I am delighted to welcome Jane Cable back to my blog, this time as her other self - Eva Glyn - to talk about why the cover of her new novel, The Olive Grove, means so much to her.
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It was a dark February teatime in the middle of lockdown when I first saw the cover for The Olive Grove and I almost wept. It was just so beautiful, so instantly evocative of Croatia, and spoke to me of longed for sunshine and travel. I am not an especially emotional person, but it all but brought me to my knees.
The more I looked at the cover, the more mesmerised I became. The sea almost looked as though it was moving, gently rocking the boat with every ripple telling a story. In the distance, the horizon blurs into the bluest of skies.
The detail on the cover is exquisite, right down to the yellowish rosemary so typical of the Dalmatian islands, the grey rocks, and the pine trees that cling to the edges of everything. And as I looked at the cover I was there with Antonia the first time she swims in Vincenzo the sculptor’s cove:
The cool tingle of seawater on Antonia’s skin melted into a delicious freshness, contrasting with the warmth of the sunlight flooding the deserted bay. Vincenzo had been right about how wonderful it was, and she ploughed through the gentle wash of the crystal waves to tell him.
“Now you have tried you must come every day. Make the most of it.”
“I certainly couldn’t do this at home at the beginning of June. Even though I live near the sea I rarely ever go in. It’s too bloody cold.”
Vincenzo flipped onto his back to float. “I swim summer and winter. Every day. When I have to travel I miss it; a hotel pool is not the same.”
Antonia joined him, gazing up into the pale blue sky. “Do you travel very often?”
“Only when I have to visit galleries if there is a show of my work, or to meet important buyers. This winter it will be Amsterdam and Tokyo. I’ve never been to Japan before – it should be cool.”
“I’d love to travel more.”
“Then do it. When you finish here in October, see the world.”
She laughed, then started to swim towards the shallow sloping rocks that lined the bay. “Not possible.”
“Everything is possible.”
In a year when many of us have been unwilling or unable to travel abroad I hope The Olive Grove will be true to the promise of its wonderful cover and take readers on a journey in their heads and hearts. I was lucky enough to be able to make the journey a few weeks ago, and this picture will show you just how true to beautiful Croatia the scene on the cover is and I am truly indebted to the cover designer for making it so.
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Blurb:
An English woman searching for a different future
A man desperate to escape his war-ravaged past
Can these two find what they are looking for on the beautiful Croatian island of Korčula?
Antonia Butler is on the brink of a life-changing decision and a job advert looking for a multilingual housekeeper at a beautifully renovated Croatian farmhouse, Vila Maslina, is one she can’t ignore.
Arriving on the tiny picturesque island of Korčula, Antonia feels a spark of hope for the first time in a long time. This is a chance to leave the past behind.
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The Olive Grove will be published on September 3rd. Click here to visit Amazon.
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