"This is what I've always thought: It's never too late."
Those are words Gloria Allan not only lives by, but encourages others to take to heart.
At age 88, the West Vancouver woman has just published her debut novel, A Walk on Broken Glass: Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, through Granville Island Publishing, letting nothing get in her way, including the fact that she is considered legally blind.
Set in the mid-1800s, the historical novel tells the true tale of 15-year-old Elisabeth, born of royal blood, and her journey after the Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph, falls in love with her at first sight. A Walk on Broken Glass follows the new Empress of Austria, focusing on her loves, tragedies and triumphs in addition to her impact in the shaping of the political landscape of the day. "She learned to walk her own line, her own path in her own way," says Allan.
While her professional career was in accounting, Allan has always written, studying English in addition to accounting at university, as well as working as a cub reporter in Toronto for a short time. The mother of five has also contributed short stories to education magazines over the years.
It was a love of history and a major life change that prompted her to get started on the project.
"I used to travel a lot to Europe with my husband. I always went to the old bookstores and I loved the old antique stores where you'd find old books written back in the 1850s, early-, and late-1700s. I lived in them when I would go back to London," she says.
Allan eventually stumbled upon the story of Elisabeth. "She fascinated me as a woman and I kept finding more and more books about her. Then, when my husband, (Jim), passed away 14 years ago, I started really getting in and writing then because I had more time. It saved me through the years and it's been wonderful," she says.
Allan conducted extensive research to ensure the accuracy of the work, tracking down old texts - some so old she could hardly read the writing - as well as visiting the places Elisabeth had lived.
While penning a novel is no easy feat, Allan's journey was made that much more challenging by her declining sight. She has macular degeneration, which has worsened dramatically in the last four years. Luckily she completed much of her required research prior to that time so was able to focus on writing. She's also grateful to have had help with copy editing from her children and publisher.
Even though Allan is finished the book, she remains strongly connected to her central character. "She lives with me still. I think she always will," she says.
Allan plans to continue writing, aided by technology serving the visually impaired, eyeing three women from the time of the Crusades as a potential topic. "It keeps me young," she says.
Allan will make two public appearances related to the novel, the first at Indigo at Park Royal, Saturday, Oct. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. She'll also be at the West Vancouver Seniors' Activity Centre Nov. 25 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. for a book talk and signing.
A Walk on Broken Glass is available in novel and ebook form in bookstores like Chapters, as well as Amazon.
