Sometimes a realisation can dawn gradually, followed by a light-bulb moment. When my youngest child came out as trans non-binary in their teens, things I’d noticed for years fell into place with startling clarity, and the whole family embarked on a journey of learning and acceptance. In a similar way, I’d been drafting a novel for years, and I suddenly realised this identity was being explored by one of my narrators too, though in a different historical context.
I feel very lucky to live in Hebden Bridge, well known as one of the gay capitals of the UK. This was true as far back as I can remember – in my 1980s childhood, I knew kids with two mums – and the LGBTQIA+ community here has only grown and become more diverse since then. So when my youngest child let us know of their non-binary identity, we were incredibly grateful to have the support of trans neighbours and friends who could share practical advice, lend books and offer solidarity. I was so glad my kid had these different role models in our local area.
Beyond the bubble of our town, I’ve been really moved by the way the older generation in our family has reacted. While my child’s grandparents and great-aunt admitted their initial confusion, they immediately embraced my child’s new name. When a gift arrived that first Christmas featuring my child’s name in big gold letters, I almost burst into relieved tears. Using ‘they/them’ has been more of a challenge for some family members, leading to some interesting tangles of plurals and pronouns, but I’m taking my lead from my kid, who focuses on the effort and forgives the slips that sometimes make me wince on their behalf.
In the years that this personal family evolution was happening, I was writing a novel set in 1643, during the English civil wars. I did huge amounts of research before I started writing, and found so many inspiring examples of people challenging and transgressing the boundaries of gendered behaviour, both in the plays and fiction of the time and in examples of real-life wartime behaviour. Still, it took me several years and many drafts before I understood that my character Kit was non-binary too. Kit is someone who has grown up in a remote rural setting, and who had to take on labour that was not typical for a woman, just to survive. When their brother is murdered, Kit takes his name and identity and joins the king’s army in his place – again for reasons of survival. This brings huge danger, but new opportunities and friendship too. By the end of the story, Kit has fallen in love with a radical woman, Isabel, and they begin to question the limits placed on them both, and the whole concept of binary gender, in the terminology of the era.
It was so important to me to depict a non-binary character in a way that felt positive but also not anachronistic. I don’t use contemporary terms or pronouns, but I did make sure that once Kit is known to Isabel, that of course she never uses incorrect pronouns in her thinking – an interesting challenge on the page and one which highlights the limits of literary language in historical fiction. Once the story was complete, I shared my draft both with my teen and with an expert sensitivity reader, to make sure I was doing no harm with my depiction and that it felt realistic enough to them both. I was relieved and delighted that my readers came back to say it worked. I know that’s just two subjective opinions, but that stamp of approval felt essential before I was ready to share it more widely.
With this book, I’m about to embark on a tour, and I can’t wait to speak about it publicly and for readers to discover this story. With my family, I’m still on a journey of learning that will continue for the rest of my life, and I’m so grateful for my child’s patience and understanding all the while.
When We Were Divided is published by Fox and Ink Books on 12th February.
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More About When We Were Divided
When We Were Divided is the story of Jane, Isabel and Kit, our three narrators. The
year is 1643, just after civil war has broken out in England. Jane seems the perfect
wife and mother, working hard to keep her family together. But when her last
surviving son, Ned, leaves to fight for the King, she falls apart and long-buried family
tensions erupt. Jane’s sister Isabel is trapped in a stifling marriage, with a
manipulative step-son, and her own young daughter as the only joy in her life. When
her husband leaves to fight for Parliament she finds herself energized by helping her
community and the local rebel forces – which could have terrible consequences for
Jane when their town is attacked. Kit is left desperate and starving, taking on the
identity of a murdered brother. Life in the King's army brings friendship, new hope
and even love, as well as danger and risk. As the conflict spreads across the land,
these three lives will entwine, leaving each of them altered forever.
