Death and Resurrection - Spoiler Alert
This blog contains details from Where Liberty Lies and is designed to be read by those who have finished the novel.
Maddy is dead; long live Maddy. It is unusual to kill off a character in the first book, then resurrect their name with another character in the sequel. Is there not danger of confusion? Quite possibly but there was reason to my madness.
Maddy One, as I will refer to Finbarl’s mother in this blog, epitomised the qualities of civilisation. An educated, free-thinking woman, who worked and fought hard to achieve something in life, crushed by the forces of tyranny. She opens Finbarl’s eyes and mind and sets him on a better path in his life. Tragically, their relationship is short-lived. Maddy Two (our Ferral girl from book two) starts out with no name at all. She is the unconstructed savage simply seeking a family of her own. There is a comic scene where Aminatra and Finbarl fight over naming her, but in choosing the familiar name of Finbarl’s mother, this author wanted to instantly humanise her. The name of the Ferrals carries considerable baggage for the people of Athenia. They are nameless and faceless, unspeaking and unnerving. When the girl first appears she is compartmentalised in the minds of our heroes. They see a Ferral, not a teenage girl on her own. By naming her, they create an identity. By naming her Maddy, they accept her. There is a poignant scene where Finbarl, reluctant at the thought of using his mother’s name for a Ferral, finally uses it to address Maddy Two. It is recognition she is more than an abstract threat but a member of his species and family. From that point on we see Maddy Two grow while at the same time struggle, uneasy in an alien world. Her unique qualities allow her to survive but don’t make others accept her.
Maddy One is not forgotten in Where Liberty Lies, and becomes a spiritual guide for Finbarl, called upon in his mind when he’s seeking direction. While the two Maddy’s have little in common, it is fitting they share the same name. Maddy One recognised the potential in the Ferrals and the failings of the Athenians. She sowed the seed that allowed Finbarl and Aminatra to accept a Ferral into their family. And with that acceptance, Maddy Two grows: her personality and capabilities maturing as she is nurtured in a loving setting, while learning from a different culture. That strong connection and continuity between the two Maddys is unwritten but always there.
It was suggested I spell Maddy Two’s name differently within the dialogue to help create a distinguishable character, but I decided to persevere with the same spelling. Life is full of people with the same name (I was in a class with two others sharing mine). We might need to occasionally explain to whom we’re referring, bestow a nickname, but there is nothing more natural than keeping a loved and lost one’s memory alive by naming the next generation after them. Maddy One was a wonderful character and her boy, Finbarl, had precious little time to enjoy her company. I may be a sentimental fool, but I for one thought it right to celebrate her memory with a form of resurrection. And as it’s my book, that’s how it’s going to be!
I explore Maddy Two’s character further in a podcast exclusively available to subscribers.