Q&A: Julia Kelly, Author of ‘The Last Dance of the Debutante’

We had the pleasure of chatting with author Julia Kelly again, but this time about her latest release, The Last Dance of the Debutante, which is a masterful, glittering novel that whisks you to midcentury Britain as it follows three of the last debutantes to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II.

Hi, Julia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

It’s great to be back again! I’m a historical fiction author who loves telling lesser-known or forgotten stories of British women during the twentieth century. I’m also an American expat living in London, which has been a wonderful help when writing about this city.

What are you looking forward to in 2022 and have you set any goals or resolutions for the year?

In 2021, I quit my day job and began writing full-time. It was a great experience getting to focus exclusively on my writing career, but it also was a big adjustment. I’m looking forward to taking everything I learned in 2021 and building on that for 2022.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

I don’t recall the very first book I read, but I’m sure it was something like Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. In terms of being an author, I’d been published for a couple of years before I read The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. That was the book that made me want to switch genres and start writing historical fiction. It is a richly layered, sweeping book. My most recent can’t-stop-thinking-about book would have to be The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton. It’s a beautifully written, compelling story about two people drawn to each other in World War 2 France, and I highly recommend it!

Your new novel, The Last Dance of the Debutante, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Decadent glamor and family secrets

What can readers expect?

The book is set in 1958, the last year debutantes were presented to Queen Elizabeth II at court. In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite.

But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. Faced with a dark past, she’s forced to ask herself what really matters: her family legacy or her own happiness.

Where did the inspiration for The Last Dance of the Debutante come from?

My mother recommended an excellent non-fiction book called The Last Curtsey: The End of the Debutantes by Fiona MacCarthy. MacCarthy was one of the last debutantes in 1958, and she gives a rich description of what the Season was like from the first presentation parties to the September balls in Scotland. It was a huge inspiration for the story, and also served as a great resource when I was writing the book.

What kind of research did you do for The Last Dance of the Debutante and did you come across any interesting facts for the time period?

I was fortunate enough to be able to speak to several debutantes, including one woman who was presented in 1958 and two women who were debutantes in 1964 after there were no longer presentations but families still brought their daughters out at coming out balls and parties. They gave me incredible details that were hugely helpful in writing the book, but the most valuable thing they all taught me was how varied the debutante experience could be from girl to girl.

Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing this particular novel and how you were able to overcome them?

I wrote this book during the pandemic. That meant that at various times I had less access to some of the research resources that I normally would lean on. However, the last couple decades of digitization efforts have really revolutionized research and I was able to do a lot of work at home.

Were there any favorite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

There is always a scene in every book that I enjoy writing most. Usually this is something that makes me laugh. In this book, it is a pair of scenes: Lily’s first night out and the champagne-fueled aftermath the next morning. Several people have reached out to me and told me that scene resonated with them because they’ve had a little experience with feeling that rough after a big party.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on my next book which looks like it will be out next winter. It is set in Liverpool, my mother’s hometown and has elements that are inspired by my own family’s history.

Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?

I’m always happy to give a couple of recommendations! There are two dual timeline historical novels that I think readers will really enjoy this spring. They are The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey, about a family wedding veil that may have connections to the Vanderbilts, and Bluebird by Genevieve Graham, which focuses on Canada during Prohibition. I think readers are in for a real treat for both!

Will you be picking up The Last Dance of the Debutante? Tell us in the comments below!