Historical novel set on Corsica, plus location piece by the author

17th August 2018

The Corsican Widow by Vanessa Couchman, historical novel set on Corsica.

“Tales of Corsica”

The author creates a good historical setting for the storyline. The book opens in 1755, a time when Corsica was ruled by the Genoese; in 1768 it came under French rule but the locals never let their culture and spirit be squashed by their masters. The author sets her story against this backdrop, with the rugged, often starkly sublime colour of the island beautifully portrayed.

The Corsican Widow is loosely based on a true story. Young Valeria, a country girl, is married off to a considerably older man, Santucci, who is wealthy and respected and treats her well, but she is nevertheless subservient to him, the traditional position of women at that point in time. The couple moves from her small village to fictional Zaronza. She also slides in a character from the time, Pasquale Paoli, who seeks independence and who meets with Santucci.

As might be anticipated from the title, however, Valeria is soon widowed. She tries to manage Santucci’s ending by brewing a cocktail of herbs to ease his pain (she learned her considerable skills of healing with herbs from Margherita, a local in her village). Towards the end of his life she even resorts to sorcery, finding a woman who could drive out the evil eye that has taken over her husband’s ailing body. But he nevertheless passes away and tradition dictates that she must remain in the house for 3 months and wear black for the foreseeable future. A very lonely existence.

Her husband’s shepherd Benedettu Colonna caught Valeria’s attention when she first arrived in Zaronza, those piercing blue eyes, that scar… the frisson of connection between these two was evident from the outset. There is scant build-up to anything meaningful developing between the two, and it is a rather curt and improbable coupling between Benedettu and Valeria one rainy evening which moves the story forward, loneliness driving these two to subterfuge in an era and culture when morals are dictated by the men in government. Accused of poisoning her husband – retribution for her relationship with Benedettu – she has to be extremely resourceful. Most of her family members choose to disown her and it is only her brother Antone on whom she can rely.

Moving on to Marseille, Valeria has to rethink her life, and serendipitous encounters enable her to create a new life away from Corsica, although the island is etched into her heart and mind.

Filitosa Stern Menhir

A well written and easy read, The Corsican Widow enables the reader to gain a bit of historical perspective.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

#TalkingLocationWith…. author Vanessa Couchman, who transports her readers to Corsica!

The Mediterranean island of Corsica has always been a place apart. The island has an Italian feel, even though France has owned it since 1768. But, ultimately, Corsica is of itself, steeped in history and with its own distinctive culture. I fell in love with this enthralling place 15 years ago and have set two historical novels there, The House at Zaronza (2014) and The Corsican Widow (2018).

The Greeks called it Kalliste, ‘the beautiful one’. The nickname has stuck and Corsica is known today as l’Ile de Beauté. The island is noted for its majestic scenery: one long mountain range runs from north to south, like the spine of some dormant prehistoric monster. When our approached on our first visit, a looming shape detached itself from the haze and we gained our first glimpse of this granite mass, rising nine thousand feet above the sea at its highest point.

Paoline Tower, Nonza

Because of its strategic position in the Mediterranean, Corsica has been fought over, won and lost countless times. Its island culture, mountainous terrain and lack of roads until modern times made it difficult to govern. The Corsicans rebelled against their foreign masters on numerous occasions and almost succeeded in dislodging them during the 18^th century. A short-lived republic, under the statesman and visionary Pasquale Paoli, struggled for independence against Genoa. Tired of pouring resources into holding Corsica, the Genoese sold it to the French who overwhelmed the Corsicans with their superior military might. A decisive battle at Ponte Novo in 1769 put an end to Paoli’s republic and he fled to England.

Nonza Cap Corse

My second Corsica novel, The Corsican Widow, is set against this historical backdrop. I don’t usually include famous historical characters in my books, but in this case I couldn’t resist giving Pasquale Paoli a cameo role. The novel is set partly in the fictional village of Zaronza, loosely based on Nonza, a village that clings to a rocky pinnacle on the coast of Cap Corse, the finger-shaped spur in the north-eastern corner of the island. The main character, Valeria, has to leave her home village for an arranged marriage with a wealthy widower in Zaronza. Paoli visits and commissions him to oversee the building of a watchtower on the mount overlooking the sea. The Paoline Tower, built of strange greenish stone, still stands and dominates Nonza, with a terrific view of the bay and the mountains beyond.

Corte in the central mountains

In Nonza, the original inspiration struck that led to my first Corsica novel, The House at Zaronza. Chance led us to one of Nonza’s two chambres d’hôtes (B&B). On the walls, we saw framed letters on yellowed pages. They were discovered walled up in the attic when the house was restored. The village schoolmaster wrote them to the daughter of the house in the 1890s. Her parents would have disapproved of their relationship, so they left notes to each other in a hidden letter drop. Unfortunately, the daughter was destined for an arranged marriage to a cousin to keep the family possessions together – quite common in Corsica at that time, when family honour was paramount. How could I resist the story? I named the main character Maria and The House at Zaronza follows her fortunes into World War I and beyond.

I strongly recommend a visit to Cap Corse. A switchback road, constructed under Napoleon Bonaparte, runs all the way around the cape. The scenery is superb, especially on the western side, and the coast is dotted with fishing villages where you can feast on freshly-caught seafood. Check this link.

Mountains of Cap Corse

A good way to experience parts of the island is to take the narrow-gauge railway from Ajaccio in the south-west to Bastia in the north-east. A branch line goes to the seaside resort of Calvi. A feat of 19^th-century engineering, the line traverses the spectacular countryside of the central mountains. It’s worth stopping off at Corte, once the capital of Corsica’s republic. The town has a faded grandeur and makes an excellent centre for walking. I love Corte, and so I also gave it a cameo role: Maria in The House at Zaronza travels there by train from Bastia, in search of someone. Check out my blogpost on letting the train take the strain.

A final must-see place is the haunting site at Filitosa in the south, where mysterious menhirs have been excavated around the remains of a prehistoric settlement. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I looked into the faces of these long-dead warriors. I haven’t yet included this place in a novel. One day I will.

Bay of Ajaccio

Thank you so much to Vanessa for such delightful insights and tips. What a wonderful island! Do follow her on Twitter, Facebook and via her website. And do take a look at all Vanessa’s books on this link!

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