Hazel Gaynor Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Anthologies

Hazel Gaynor is a historical fiction author from Ireland. She is also the author of “Carry on Writing,” a popular guest blog on wrting.ie, a national Irish writing website. She is also the author of feature author interviews for the website and has interviewed the likes of Mary Beth Keane, Phillipa Gregory, Daisy Waugh, Sebastian Faulks, and Cheryl Strayed. In October 2012, she won the Emerging Writers Cecil Day Lewis Award. Gaynor grew up in Yorkshire in England but spent much of her time in Fraisthorpe, Flamborough and Bridlington near the sea. After she was done with college, she spent some time working in professional services before venturing into authorship. Since 2001, she has been living with her husband in Kildare while she worked for A&L Goodbody. When she was made redundant form her day job, she decided to become an author and published “The Girl Who Came Home” in 2012.

Gaynor got her start working in London for several professional services firms. She had a very good run with A&L Goodbody a law firm in Dublin until life changed when the recession hit and she was rendered jobless. With two children to take care of, she had to adapt fast and she decided to try her hand at writing. She began with a cathartic and honest blog documenting her transition and it is this blog that gave her the confidence to write her debut novel. She was forty two years by the time she was offered her first publishing deal but she has never looked back since. She has found writing an amazing career as she has the time to spend with her children though she has said that it can be frustrating seeing lists, bursaries and awards for authors under thirty. Hazel Gaynor believes many women writers come into their own in their forties and thinks these too should be celebrated despite their advanced age. In 2015, Library Journal named her on the list of Ten Big Breakout authors. Her novels have been translated into more than fourteen languages across the world.
Hazel Gaynor started writing surrounded by kids Lego and breakfast dishes around her kitchen table. It was only when she was offered a publishing deal by HarperCollins in 2013 that she graduated to the attic. Following the signing of the publishing deal, she had broken a glass of champagne and sat on the kitchen table celebrating all the years of frustration and failure that had finally borne fruit. The attic from where she does her writing is a bright and lovely room and she can usually close the door and forget all the chaos around her. Her attic also functions as a lay room, spare bedroom, storage room and library and hence it is not perfect for writing. Nonetheless, she has stacked her desk with all manner of notebooks and research books. She also has a sofa where she occasionally reclines to read and relax after delivering a new manuscript. As for how she came to write historical fiction, Gaynor has asserted that she is a hopeless nerd when it comes to history. She loves to re-imagine the black and white photographs of moments in history by slowing them down and adding in human emotion and color. Aside from her writing, she is also the cofounder of “The Inspiration Project,” a creative writing events company she runs with other likeminded authors.

“The Girl Who Came Home” by Hazel Gaynor is a story set in 1912 Ireland where fourteen residents of a small village get onboard the RMS Titanic. They are sailing to America where they hope to find a better life. Maggie Murphy is a seventeen year old girl who finds the journey bittersweet. While she is set on a future in America, her heart is with Seamus her boyfriend who is remaining behind in Ireland. Maggie is lucky enough to be one of the very few passengers to survive a disaster and wakes up to find herself in a hospital in New York. She vows to never talk of the panic and terror on the fateful night. Sixty years later in Chicago, Grace Butler is confused following the death of her father. But Maggie her great grandmother tells her about the Titanic (which is something she has never spoken about for decades) and the revelation is life changing. Both women come to experience unexpected reunions with people they believed were lost to them forever. Blending fiction and fact to explore the impact of the Titanic tragedy, it is a fascinating story.

Hazel Gaynor’s “A Memory of Violets” is the story of Tilly Harper, a twenty three year old living in 1912. She leaves the tranquility and beauty of her hometown to go become an assistant housemother in London. She will be working for Flower and Watercress Girls, a home that has catered to London’s crippled and orphaned children for years. The children live on the dirty streets selling watercress and posies of violets for a living. Not long after arriving, she finds a diary written by Florrie a young orphan. In it she talks abut a flower girl that lost her life from grief after she was separated from her sister Rosie. Tilly is moved by the emotion in the poem and sets out to investigate what had happened to Rosie. It will not be an easy quest as it is full of surprises and twists that lead her to unexpected locations.

“The Girl from the Savoy” by Hazel Gaynor is the story of a downtrodden maid who dares dream. Dolly Lane dreams of one day performing on a London stage even if her life has been fractured by war. She has memories of profound loss, secret shame and the soldier she loved and lost all of which spur her on to make something of her life. When she finally gets a job as The Savoy’s chambermaid, she is overjoyed as she is finally making steps towards the glittering lives of the elite and especially the “Bright Young Things” known for their love for rebellion, jazz and champagne. But for the moment she needs to be content with living on the fringes of glamour, wealth and power, which means she has to stay unimportant and invisible. But there is an unexpected turn when she responds to an advertisement for a muse and lands at the exhilarating theatre scene in London working for Loretta May, a celebrated actress. She is living the life she aspires to but she too is on a quest and just like her she needs to make some difficult choices.

3 Responses to “Hazel Gaynor”

1. Janet: 1 year ago

   Once I had read “The Girl who came Home” have been collecting Hazel’s books via Christmas and Birthday presents. I still await “When we were Young and Brave” and :The Last Lifeboat” which will bring me up to twelve. Soooo good

   Reply
2. Barbara: 3 years ago

   Gaynor…..a new to me author that will soon become an old friend I’m sure.

   Thanks for bookseriesinorder com.
   I love this site and the service you provide.

   Barbara

   Reply
   • Graeme: 3 years ago

     Thank you Barbara – your comments are much appreciated 🙂

     Reply