Behind the Scenes for A Small Compass

Telling a story that involves a journey is a journey in itself. Here are some of the experiences I had in discovering who my characters were and why they did the things they did.

Another novel has been written about Isobel Gunn, imagining her having hired onto the Hudson’s Bay ship without anyone from Stromness—made up of only 2,500 inhabitants today(!)—figuring out who she was. How likely was that? I expect someone had to have known her, and someone must have helped her.