What became of us

the past.

    Q: Was the novel based on a real event in your life?
    A: The short answer to that is no, but obviously some of the characters’ concerns are ones that I share. Actually, I did go to a sort of reunion at my old college a few years ago, and beforehand I was totally preoccupied by what I was going to wear. When I finally decided on an outfit, I asked my husband how I looked. ‘Smart, successful...?’ he ventured. ‘Slim?’ I demanded. And I thought how ridiculous it was to have had the benefit of a university education and fifteen years later find that the most important thing to me was whether I could get into a size 12. I wrote a short story about that, and I was relieved when several people told me that they identified with it, and so the theme became the starting point for What Became of Us.

    Q: Why do some of the characters in your books reappear in your other books?
    A: I suppose I’m trying to write as realistically as possible about contemporary life and mores, and the fact is that in reality people do have connections with one another. It usually only takes a few minutes’ conversation with a total stranger to establish that you have acquaintances in common. I write about a world that is the same as the world we live in, but peopled with some characters who don’t really exist except in my imagination. It is quite clear to me that, say, Annie in What Became of Us would be friends with Holly from The Men in Her Life. They are in the same media world, go to the same club in Soho, etc. It’s also quite fun to think about what my characters would be doing several years down the line. As it turns out, Gemma, one of the principal characters from More Innocent Times, is briefly spotted at the reunion in What Became of Us and I’m happy to say that she’s had two children since we last saw her. Most of my readers will not notice these details, but it keeps me amused anyway.

Other books by Imogen Parker:

    MORE INNOCENT TIMES

    ‘A wonderfully woven tale of tangled relationships. I loved it’ Penny Vincenzi

    ‘Fantastic! Compelling, witty, suspenseful — and totally absorbing’ Kate Saunders

    ‘The ultimate story of sisterly rivalry. Enthralling reading’ Cosmopolitan

    THESE FOOLISH THINGS

    ‘An exceptional novel exploring relationships second time around’ Ideal Home

    ‘Three women meet at an ante-natal clinic and a friendship develops... Parker writes with sympathy and wry humour’ The Times

    THE MEN IN HER LIFE

    ‘A sparkling novel of wit, sadness and women’s resilience’ Sunday Mirror

    ‘Miss this book at your peril — it’s simply terrific. It’s the story of two sisters who meet for the first time at their father’s funeral. Witty, convincing and moving’ Woman’s Own

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