New York City, 1937. Seventeen-year-old Marigold McGrath is coming undone.
Her mother is dead. Her father is drawn to dangerous politics. The only place she feels joy is behind a camera — where she can frame the world on her own terms.
After a series of her own missteps, she reinvents herself in London: mentored by a celebrated émigré photographer, photographing Kindertransport children, working alongside Edward R. Murrow. She falls in love with Joop, a charming Dutch student, and shrugs off the war gathering around her.
Then the Blitz begins.
Joop vanishes into the Dutch Resistance. And Marigold — who has always preferred to photograph the world as she wishes it were — must finally decide what kind of woman, and what kind of witness, she is willing to become.
A sweeping WWII coming-of-age novel set in wartime London.
For readers of Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, and SL Beaumont's The War Photographers
Publication Date: April 29th, 2026
Publisher: HTPH Press
Pages: 332
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: HTPH Press
Pages: 332
Genre: Historical Fiction
Praise for The Making of Marigold McGrath:
I read a lot of historical novels ... this one was one of my favorites. From the characters to the setting to the actions depicted I thoroughly enjoyed the journey—I really didn’t want it to end!
~ Netgalley Review, 5*
"The Making of Marigold McGrath by Carrie Hayes is the tale of a well to do American seventeen year old sent to Europe just prior to World War II. The book is exquisitely written with a well paced dialogue. The characters are well formed and interesting. Sprinkled throughout the book are bits from news outlets that help set the larger context for the reader - they are well timed and helpful. Great read, well worth it!"
~ Goodreads Review, 5*
"The Making of Marigold McGrath explores a rarely examined aspect of WWII: the complex journeys to maturity of young adults in war-torn Europe as they seek human connection and meaning. Marigold finds both, using her skills as a photographer to document the stories of refugee children. With gobs of historical references and vivid imagery, interlaced with intrigue and romance, The Making of Marigold McGrath is a great read!"
~ Goodreads Review, 5*
~ Netgalley Review, 5*
"The Making of Marigold McGrath by Carrie Hayes is the tale of a well to do American seventeen year old sent to Europe just prior to World War II. The book is exquisitely written with a well paced dialogue. The characters are well formed and interesting. Sprinkled throughout the book are bits from news outlets that help set the larger context for the reader - they are well timed and helpful. Great read, well worth it!"
~ Goodreads Review, 5*
"The Making of Marigold McGrath explores a rarely examined aspect of WWII: the complex journeys to maturity of young adults in war-torn Europe as they seek human connection and meaning. Marigold finds both, using her skills as a photographer to document the stories of refugee children. With gobs of historical references and vivid imagery, interlaced with intrigue and romance, The Making of Marigold McGrath is a great read!"
~ Goodreads Review, 5*
A conversation with Carrie Hayes
What inspired you to start writing?
I grew up surrounded by writers and swore to myself that I would never, NEVER become a writer. But my dad used to insist that I would be a writer and invariably, I would roll my eyes and vow that would never be the case. He died when I was 24 years old. Lo and behold, by my fiftieth birthday, I realized that yes, indeed, I was in fact writing a lot of the time, and that I wanted, very much, to write fiction.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The most challenging part was how to describe the magnitude of suffering that occurred, right across the board. It was very important to me that it not be a doom-and-gloom read, filled with the endless horrors of war. At the same time, I wanted to show how ordinary people were grappling with the incessant destruction during the Blitz and how ordinary people responded to the Nazi occupation in Holland. Figuring out how to deal with that reality in my story was an enormous challenge.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
It’s probably Falaise Cooper. We don’t see a lot of her, but for me, she is the essential tower of strength. She doesn’t waiver and she is loving and kind. Falaise is based upon an old lady who really helped me when I was growing up. I was constantly in a muddle and an absolute adolescent mess. The woman who Falaise was based upon simply showed me unwavering kindness.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
An actor named Maisy Stella would be a wonderful Marigold. I saw her in a film called “My Old Ass” and she completely bowled me over- with the right amount of vulnerability, awkwardness and gumption. Hunter Schafer who folks would recognize from “Euphoria” would be a great Trude- Harris Dickinson would make a good Joop.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
The idea behind the book is my belief that heroes show up in the most unexpected people and in the most unexpected ways, and that all of us truly are connected.
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Carrie Hayes
Carrie’s first two novels, Naked Truth or Equality and Well Dressed Lies, follow the lives of the iconoclastic suffragist sisters, Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin.
Carrie lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in a rambling Victorian house just outside of New York City.
Thank you ever so much for hosting Carrie Hayes today, and for sharing your fabulous author chat about her new novel, The Making of Marigold McGrath. Thank you for your time.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club