Exclusive interview with author Sarah Haywood discussing her novel about a control freak who discovers she’s pregnant
By Gabrielle Pantera
LOSING CONTROL. It’s what Susan Green, the thoroughly modern heroine of Sarah Haywood’s new book The Cactus fears most. At 45, Susan is a modern metropolitan woman living in London and with a job for which she is perfectly suited. But her life of order and logic goes to pieces when her mother dies and Susan finds she’s about to become a mother herself. Susan is certainly not interested in marrying the father, Richard. And when she finds out that her brother Edward has somehow tricked her late mother into favouring him in her will, and that the family house will go to Edward unless she takes him to court, the storyline spins into action. With change comes secrets uncovered and personal realizations. And soon Susan realizes that friends and emotions may be necessary after all. Haywood’s novel is humorous and reveals the vulnerability of someone who believes she’s above all that. It poses the question: do we ever really have control over anything in our lives?
“The will dispute plot was inspired by my work with the Legal Services Ombudsman investigating complaints about lawyers,” says Haywood. “I was inspired by women I know who are feisty, strong-minded, not very touchy-feely, but who are wonderful, kind, interesting people when you get to know them. The pregnancy storyline was inspired by my own journey to motherhood, which caused me to open up my life to new experiences and people.”
For her research, Haywood studied books on probate and procedures for challenging a will.
“The Cactus was written as part of my MA in Creative Writing, so I was able to use the university library for research,” says Haywood. “When I discovered that the book would be pitched in the U.S., I carried out further research to check that the legal issues were similar. I also researched the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of mini-strokes, together with the effect they could have on mental capacity. I discussed the medical issues with a friend who’s a specialist in geriatric medicine.”
“As a former lawyer, I had a good general understanding of the legal issues in The Cactus,” says Haywood. “When investigating complaints concerning wills, it was often apparent to me that the source of the complainant’s unhappiness was not the actions of a lawyer, but was their relationship with the deceased or another family member, or simply with the hand that life had dealt them. That’s the case with Susan.”
The Cactus is Haywood’s first novel. She has written a number of short stories. WHSmith in the UK announced in February that Haywood is one of twelve debut writers for their Fresh Talent campaign. The Cactus has yet to be optioned for film or TV.
“The most surprising thing to me was the length of time it takes for a book to be published, both in the UK and the U.S.,” says Haywood. “My novel sold quickly. I naively thought it would be on the shelves soon afterwards, not appreciating how much work is involved in bringing a book to publication. Ironing out the differences between U.S. and UK vocabulary was a minor challenge.”
Haywood is currently writing a novel about three generations of women who are finding their own voice. She’s also written the opening chapters of a historical novel for children that explores a warren of mysterious tunnels dug under Liverpool in the early nineteenth century.
Haywood is based in Liverpool, and spent ten years working in Manchester and studying there for her MA. She was born in Birmingham.
The Cactus by Sarah Haywood. Hardcover: 368 pages. Publisher: Park Row (May 1, 2018). Language: English, ISBN-13: 978-0778318996 $26.99
