Charlotte Sometimes, by Penelope Farmer #MyWritingInspirations
Blog post
As I get closer to releasing Janet’s Yellow Butterflies, I have been reflecting on some of the literature and media that inspired ideas for it.
One inspiration was Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer. I first discovered this YA novel as a teenager; it’s amazing how things can linger in the back of our minds indefinitely. As you can see from my very tattered copy it was a firm favourite! I loved the concept of two boarding school students from different eras trading places then corresponding with each other via letters. Although there is no time travel in Janet’s Yellow Butterflies, this book inspired a connection point between characters Janet and Mairi in the 1700s, and Tahlia and Annie in the current day.
I bought Charlotte Sometimes at a library sale for around 20 cents in about 1990. Out of curiosity I googled it recently and was surprised to learn that it is the third book in the Aviary Hall series. Having bought it second hand pre-internet, it had never occurred to me that it could be part of a series! I am pleased to learn that the first two books, The Summer Birds and Emma in Winter, are still available. I am looking forward to checking out what the Makepeace sisters got up to before their adventures in Charlotte Sometimes!
