About this item
Set against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, this novel charts the relationship between a young Scottish widow and a French engineer who, despite constraints of class and wealth, fall in love.In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace and mile Nouguier meet in a hot air balloon, floating high above Paris, France--a moment of pure possibility. But back on firm ground, their vastly different social strata become clear. Cait is a widow who because of her precarious financial situation is forced to chaperone two wealthy Scottish charges. mile is expected to take on the bourgeois stability of his family's business and choose a suitable wife. As the Eiffel Tower rises, a marvel of steel and air and light, the subject of extreme controversy and a symbol of the future, Cait and mile must decide what their love is worth. Seamlessly weaving historical detail and vivid invention, Beatrice Colin evokes the revolutionary time in which Cait and mile live--one of corsets and secret trysts, duels and Bohemian independence, strict tradition and Impressionist experimentation. To Capture What We Cannot Keep, stylish, provocative, and shimmering, raises probing questions about a woman's place in that world, the overarching reach of class distinctions, and the sacrifices love requires of us all.
About the Author
Beatrice Colin was born in London, raised in Scotland and lives in Glasgow. She is a novelist/radio dramatist and has written seven novels (two for children) and numerous plays for BBC Radio 4.
Her new novel, To Capture What We Cannot Keep, is set against the backdrop of the construction of the Eiffel Tower. Other novels include The Glimmer Palace (2008) which was a Richard and Judy pick and short-listed for several awards including a British Book Award, Pyrates Boy (2013) , a novel for children was shortlisted for the SBT Children's Book Award 2015 and My Invisible Sister (2010) was made into a film for TV by Disney.
A former journalist, her writing has been published in newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Scotsman, Black Book and The List. She teaches creative writing at the University of Strathclyde.
She is inspired by new places and old books, snatches of conversation and boards on Pinterest (seed catalogues from the 19th century!) She is a list-maker, a grower, on a good year, of fruit and vegetables, a walker of old paths and a mother of teenagers. Writing novels helps her to discover something new - about the world, about history, about herself.
Her new book has its own website: tocapturewhatwecannotkeep.com. Here you can read about ideas behind the novel, look at pics and sign up for the newsletter.
