We chat with author Alix Rickloff about The Last Light Over Oslo, which is a gripping historical novel set in Norway and Sweden in 1940, based on true events, and follows one of the first female US Ministers, Daisy Harriman, and her fictional niece as the two are unexpectedly caught up in the German invasion of Norway.
Hi, Alix! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I come from a long line of history nerds and enjoy nothing more than falling down the research rabbit hole in search of a good story, whether it’s a Regency-set romance or a historical novel based around real people and events. I believe every home should contain a library even if it’s just one overflowing TBR shelf. And I’m a firm believer in the freedom to read and the power of a library card.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always had a love for stories. Librarian was an early career ambition. I have books from my childhood with handmade library cards pasted in the back. To work around books all day long sounded like heaven. But I soon realized I didn’t want to just work around other people’s books, I wanted to create my own which I did in the fourth grade when I penned The Fuzzy Family series of children’s stories.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
- The one that made you want to become an author: I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Your latest novel, The Last Light Over Oslo, is out August 6th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Exciting. Eye-opening. Informative. Emotional. Thought-provoking.
What can readers expect?
This book was inspired by the true story of Daisy Harriman the US ambassador to Norway from 1937 to 1940 when the Germans unexpectedly invaded the country.
My story follows Daisy’s scandalous niece Cleo who shows up in Oslo desperately looking for help to find the man she loves who’s gone missing in war torn Poland. But the war in Europe is heating up and Daisy is caught between her official duties and her desire to help her niece.
Then Norway is attacked, and the two of them find themselves on the run in a now dangerous country. When Cleo’s lover turns up, his return soon becomes tangled up with German plots, black marketeers, and Daisy’s final task of escorting the Crown Princess of Norway and her children to safety in America
Where did the inspiration for The Last Light Over Oslo come from?
I first came across Daisy as a minor walk-on character in the PBS series Atlantic Crossing and was immediately curious about who this sharp, in-the-know woman might be. A quick Google search later, I was blown away after learning about this New York socialite turned suffragette, social reformer, political appointee, and Washington DC mover and shaker who had contributed so much to this country and been basically forgotten. Then when I read about her adventures as minister to Norway following the German invasion, it was almost a “truth is stranger than fiction” moment and I knew I had to write about her.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I had a blast writing in Daisy’s POV. She was this smart, strong, total force of nature who was born into enormous Gilded Age privilege but very quickly turned her attention to progressive social causes of the day like poor factory conditions, prison reform, and women’s suffrage. She served on President Wilson’s Federal Industrial Relations Committee, organized the Red Cross Motor Corps during WWI, and lobbied for the League of Nations during the Paris Peace Talks. And yet, her memoirs paint her as this incredly warm and caring personality with a sharp wit and an eye for the absurd who was as at home hanging with princes and presidents as she was with miners and farmers.
Can you tell us a bit about your research process for the novel?
Daisy’s memoirs From Pinafores to Politics and Mission to the North were crucial in-depth sources for establishing the history behind her growing significance in American politics, and in offering me a window into her time in Norway that culminated in her acting as escort to Crown Princess Martha and her children. These coupled with the US State Department’s record of diplomatic correspondence between embassies for 1940 and Daisy’s private papers which are housed at the Library of Congress gave me a sense of the political situation of the time and the chaos that followed the German invasion of Norway. Finally, I traveled to Sweden and Norway where I was able to visit many of the sites where my book took place, including the legations in Oslo and Stockholm.
What’s next for you?
I’m drafting a new book which is still in the early stages so I’m keeping it close to the vest for now. I can tell you that it’s a departure for me in terms of time period and subject matter, and I’ve really been enjoying diving into the research for it, though I’m both excited and a little ashamed that, as both a history major and a lover of historical fiction, I knew so little before I started. I’m hoping to rectify that.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I’ve devoured Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series and can’t wait for the tv movie that’s in production right now. Bryn Turnbull’s The Berlin Apartment was a slow-burn page-turner of a historical fiction novel that I couldn’t put down and I’m thrilled to bits to see The Colony Club by Shelley Noble coming out this October. Two Daisy novels in a year is something to celebrate!
