"From Margate to Key West with Love," is a continuation of my previous three historical novels featuring Madam Maria Popoff, her quirky vintage dress shop set in Margate's King Street and Poppy, a middle-aged woman, who relocates from London to Margate. Poppy, who has many broken pieces, discovers true healing when she answers an advertisement requesting part time help although only special people needed to apply!
My novels, although works of fiction, embrace the ups and downs of life, of truly being human, of living through and navigating difficult times and the important part that emotions play in sickness and recovery. They're set in various historical periods that follow real events.
Having spent some time sailing to the Florida Keys, exploring Key West and learning about its checkered history I just knew that I wanted Maria Popoff to come and establish yet another vintage shop. Cousin Rollo has summoned her to the fictitious grand old house called St. Eustace on Whitehead Street in the heart of Old Key West. Maria brings with her wisdom, knowledge, love, compassion and her all seeing eyes to this colourful settlement at the very end of the road.
Maria Popoff is certainly a strange character and it's never really clear exactly who she is. Some see her merely as a kind, particularly old and portly shopkeeper who has a passion for decadent chocolate cake. Those who know her better are struck by her all-seeing eyes that seem to pierce right through you. They're struck by her wisdom, her knowledge of healing and fascinated by her wizened hands that can touch and seemingly make everything better. Some have called her a gypsy who has the power to look through a crystal ball and foretell the future. However, those who know her best of all realize that she's a time traveller or maybe she's an angel. Certainly, she's an ancient being who appears to cross the dimension of time.
Maria has seen so much. She's become weary of man's indiscretion, his mistakes and of the lessons that humanity never seems to learn. Set in 2021 and 2022 Maria, like most of us, is worried about the state of our planet. She has a heartfelt concern for the environment, pollution and the devastating weather patterns that seem to track man's hatred and violence towards each other. Maria is horrified by the war in Ukraine. She realizes just how much sorrow the Covid pandemic has robbed people of their loved ones, their sense of financial security, and their livelihoods.
I wanted my fourth novel to span the Atlantic so that my readers will also happily discover Poppy still busy in the Isle of Thanet managing all three Madam Popoff vintage shops in the little seaside holiday towns of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs. Things come into the shops that have a story to tell. Poppy has become proficient, over the years, at fingering certain treasures catching her eye and she discovers their past. Sometimes the stories are heartwarming and pleasant but just like life they don't always have a fairy tale ending. Likewise, Maria has taught Desmond, a new employee, to sit with things that appear on the doorstep of St. Eustace and discover their history. In this way I bring to light all sorts of historical events that have shaped the community across the Atlantic at the very end of the road. Readers will enjoy stories embracing Key West's past. Sunken Spanish treasure, sponging, cigar factories, historic links with Cuba, Flagler's Railroad, hurricanes, First World War submarines and much more.
