Okay, fans of Downton Abbey, you’re in for a treat today! This Wednesday’s guest is author Murray Pura, whose latest release is bound to hit the sweet spot of Grantham family fans.
Murray gives us a glimpse into Ashton Park and the world of nobility amidst the backdrop of WWI and Ireland’s fight for independence. I’m so excited about this book! Thanks for being here today, Murray.
A peek into the world of Ashton Park
When you do any sort of historical fiction there is going to be an overlap between fiction and reality. So Ashton Park occurs in the years 1916-1923 which includes World War One, the suffragette movement, the first airplanes, and the Irish War of Independence, among other historical realities. My characters take part not only in the history of their era but in specific events that did occur on specific days so there is a great deal of the true mixed in with the fiction.
I was not alive in the time period when the story takes place but I do include my own experiences of falling in and out of love and put those in the characters’ lives. This is also true of my experiences of war and peace, of England and Ireland, and of God and prayer and faith. So many personal life events are blended in with the world I create in Ashton Park.As far as favorite characters go it’s a toss up between the son Kipp and the hired hand Ben Whitecross – they are men of principle and courage who, though separated by wealth and class, find friendship with each other and develop mutual respect when flying for the same squadron in France during World War One. For gals, well, Libby, one of the Danforth daughters, is a nurse and my wife is too so I have a soft spot for RNs. I like her feisty yet compassionate personality very much.
A lot of research went into Ashton Park because you’re wondering about how people dressed and what slang they used and when electricity and radio came in and what it was like to be in Dublin or Liverpool or London. England and Ireland, north and south, are very different from Canada and the USA, and that was even more the case in the first decades of the 20th century, especially with aristocratic families like the Danforths of Ashton Park.
Besides enjoying the story I would like readers to take away how important family is, including extended family; how important faith in God and Christ is and what a difference it makes in the harshest storms of life; how essential growth is, especially growth that takes us beyond our prejudices and narrow-mindedness; how critical it is to nourish relationship with even just one or two good friends.
Murray Pura was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His first novel was released in Toronto in 1988. Since that time he has published seven more novels, two collections of short stories, and a number of nonfiction titles including the Zondervan books Rooted and Streams. He has been a finalist for several awards in the US and Canada and in 2012 won the Word Award of Toronto for Best Historical Novel. His book The Wings of Morning has been nominated for several literary awards including Best Inspirational Romance and Best Historical Romance. Murray lives and writes in southwestern Alberta and is currently published by Harvest House, Barbour, Baker, Harper One and Zondervan, as well as several other publishing houses.
More about Ashton Park: A beautiful estate by the sea in England. A noble family that has lived there for countless generations. Four daughters. Three sons. All hoping to find the love of their life. All seeking God’s direction. All having to endure a world war and Ireland’s fight against England for its independence. Through sunshine and shadow, victory and defeat, blessing and struggle, this is the story of the Danforth family of Ashton Park.
p.s. I’m hanging out at the ACFW blog today talking about tips for deciding if you and a potential crit partner are a good fit. I hope you’ll stop by!
Comments 27
I haven’t watched Downton Abbey yet, but plan to get the series and watch from start to finish…as soon as I find out if Mr. Bates gets out of prison. lol. I hate to invest in a character only to have them die or something bad happen to them. Like those HEA endings.
Thanks for introducing me to Murray Pura! Aston Park sounds intriguing.
I could tell you about Mr. Bates if you want… 🙂
I’ve been seeing this book around the internet and it is definitely on my wish list!
Mine too! I can’t wait to read it!
Your book sounds great and packed with awesome history, Murray!
And Downton Abbey, how I love thee…let me count the ways. 🙂 I still don’t know what’s so addicting about it, but it totally is. I don’t write historical, but if I did, I think I’d either go with England in the 1800s or a little island in Canada (PEI, of course!) in the same time period as Anne of Green Gables. Sigh. I really need to watch that movie again, stat!
We could totally watch it when I’m there. 🙂 Once some college friends and all watched both Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea in one night…well, more like overnight. Good times. 🙂
Yes!!!!!! We’re totally doing it!!!! I just got them on DVD for my birthday. But we won’t watch that stupid third movie that never even happened in the books…
I know! That third one makes me so mad! For one thing, I’m sorry, the Anne and Gilbert of Anne of Avonlea would not have waited so long to get married. Then not staying at Green Gables? WHAT?! Anne chasing Gilbert all over Europe…that other guy, what’s his name, Jack or something…? I think in taking us away from PE Island, they just lost the heart of the show…
And obviously I’m still stewing about it!
p.s. Tonight I made your Texas caviar recipe. A-ma-zing!
Am I fan? Are you kidding me! Love it. And I’m going to add this book to my ever-teetering pile of TBR! 🙂
Yep, I think overgrown TBR piles are run-of-the-mill for us writer-slash-bookworms!
Oh my! I saw the cover of this book somewhere last week and immediately thought of Downtown Abbey! So neat to see the background scoop on it today! I cannot say DA is my favorite show (gasp), but the blurb on this book pulled me in.
I think I remember you not loving DA…but you do like North & South, right? Or am I mixing that up with someone else?
I agree with Jessica. Am I a fan? Is a lemon yellow? LOVE IT! Downton Abbey’s setting occurs in one of my all-time favorite time periods. I had not heard of Murray’s book (Hi, Murray!), so I’ll be checking it out now. Thanks for the tip, it sounds like a great book. Oh, and I LOVE England, as well. If my ministry wasn’t here, I’d move in a heartbeat. 🙂
My dream someday is to be able to continent hop as easily as getting in the car and driving to a different town. 🙂
Great to meet Murray! Thanks for the introduction, Melissa.
Love Downton! Murray’s book sounds good! I’ll add it to my list.
My favorite time period is the American Civil War era.
I had a feeling you’d say that’s your favorite era, Loree! 🙂
I haven’t seen Downton Abbey – YET – but I’m even more surprised by this omission than the rest of the world! I love historical novels, movies and pretty much anything to do with history, so it should be remedied soon. I just have so much to catch up on, and when I’m writing my own historicals, I have little time for television. I’ll have to sneak in a season between books. 🙂
So nice to meet Murray! Your books sounds amazing. I don’t have a “favorite” historical time period. I enjoy all of them, pre-WWII.
With caring for four kids and writing your own books, it’s no wonder you haven’t had time to join the Downton craze, Gabe. 🙂
Murray, your story sounds wonderful!
I know I’ll probably be the only one, but I’ve not seen Downton Abbey yet. I don’t have a lot of time to watch T.V. just now, but I’m looking forward to playing catch-up on this show! Our history/education major son is an avid fan, so believe me, I know I’m missing out.
A fave location for a historical novel…hmmm. So many to choose from. I love the deep south since my daddy’s a born-and-bred Georgia native.
Oh you’re not the only one, Cindy. I know plenty of people who haven’t watched DA yet…and I consider it my mission to convert them all. 🙂
I haven’t seen Downton Abbey but I’ve been privileged to spend time in England, Scotland, Ireland 4 times w/ friends living there (I taught their children college), and all of its best aspects are rubbing off on me–maybe even the accent eventually.
I do love historicals, maybe mostly a little over 2 centuries back up to today. Thanks for today’s good and interesting post.
I would love to see you some year at ACFW, Dee, with you suddenly speaking in a British accent!
I am on the “Oh I wish I had time to jump on the Downton Abbey” bandwagon! I hear it’s so good … but another day goes by and I haven’t finished Season 1, Episode 1.
Sigh.
Thanks for introducing me to another good author, Melissa, and another book for my To Be Read Pile.
You’re welcome, Beth!
DA really is such a great show. Although, I think it was your experience with the first episode (watching it with a youngster) that reminded me it’s good to give people a teensy disclaimer that they might encounter something a bit objectionable in that first episode. Also, about halfway through the first season another slightly *shocker* moment could be considered inappropriate. You don’t see anything, but what happens is, well…yeah, shocker is a good word. Other than that, there’s not much past PG content…I really appreciate the wit and grandeur and drama of the show. 🙂
A CANADIAN?!?! WOOO!!
I live Downton Abbey and would give up chocolate for a month just to chat with Maggie Smith.
Murray Pura lives in Southern Alberta? Dude, PLEASE, send me some China Lily soy sauce!! We can’t get it here!
Maggie Smith is by far my favorite character on the show!