Anne Goodwin (UK) joins Charli Mills (US) at Carrot Ranch (imaginary place where real writers craft 99-word stories). Inspired Quill has recently published Anne Goodwin’s third novel, Matilda Windsor is Coming Home. She draws upon her experiences as a clinical psychologist in the 1990s when the UK dismantled its old asylums. The novel follows the story of a brother and sister separated decades earlier, and the young social worker who wants to contribute to a better world. Charli caught up with Anne in an interview complete with several readings.
Anne enjoys interacting with readers. In a previous newsletter, she asked, “Who were you in 1990?” You can leave us your answer in the comments below.
If you or anyone you know is in a book group, be sure to share Anne’s robust offer to book groups at her website.
Find your preferred bookseller link at Purchase Options.
Carrot Ranch Literary Community 
In 1990, I was a young mother with a two-year-old, a one-year-old, and found out I was pregnant again! In 1991, someone (not me) got snipped. In 1994, I was a writing student at Carrol College in Helena, Montana, and a graduate by 1998. Much came to fruition in the ’90s. I feel like I came into who I was in that era. Ah, but I’m still a work in progress!
Thank you for the interview, Anne.
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I just read your response, Charli, and had to comment. Our son is coaching football at Carroll College in Helena right now. The day after he took the job, the school went into lockdown because of Covid. After postponing the season twice, they played a condensed four-game schedule in the spring. They are supposed to be on track this year to resume a “normal” season in two weeks. I spoke to him yesterday, and he didn’t think they’d be able to practice today due to the air quality from all of the wildfires. We’re supposed to go out to Helena (we live in CA) to see him in three weeks.
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Go Fighting Saints! Helena, the Queen City of the Rockies, has my heart. Carroll College is a great institution and they emphasize academics among sports, something your son can feel proud of. Covid has been so disruptive, and the fires out West are stunningly scary. I remember the fire season of 2000 in Montana as a terrible year. Twenty years later and such a season has become typical. Enjoy your trip nonetheless. It’s a beautiful place. Your son is fortunate to have a coaching position there. What a delightful surprise to learn about our connection. Cheer the Saints on for me!
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Thank you, Charli. Gosh you were busy in 1990.
Yup, aren’t we all a WIP?
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I was fruitful, Anne. Ha! Yes, we are all living in a WIP.
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This is cool! Shared. I’ll be back to listen to the interview.
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Thanks, Sarah!
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Thanks, Sarah.
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Great I have become a fan
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Laugh!! Try It You’ll Like It
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Yay! Glad you are a fan. A laughing one, too.
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Always laughing
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Just settling in to our fourth house together to make it a home with our youngest starting kindergarten and the eldest starting 3rd grade.
The move was basically my hubby following his job. Brought us a tad closer to some family. And back to four seasons. The mid-west where we were living only really had two. Summer and winter.
It is quite possible to move an elder goldfish across several states! In a plastic bag in a bucket in the back seat well of a station wagon. And the goldfish not only survived but lived several years after that – one tough ‘fair’ goldfish!
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It’s fun to reminisce, Jules, to see our path. I love the detail about your tough fair gold fish. This need to be in a story or poem: “In a plastic bag in a bucket in the back seat well of a station wagon.” Thanks for sharing!
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…it might already be some where in my writing for that year…(maybe not). I’d have to check my files. 😀
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Thanks for sharing, Jules. Great tip about the goldfish.
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I may have forgotten to add… that you make sure that big plastic bag has air and is secure at the top so the water doesn’t get out, and the fish had plenty of air. Make sure you keep the car cool as to not cook you fishy friend. I think using the black bag helps the fish ‘sleep’ – but that’s not proven. Since it survived I’m thinking the plan worked 😀
And ~ Continued success with your books!
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What a lovely interview. I enjoyed this book very much. I hope you don’t mind if I promote Anne’s book with my review here: https://colleenchesebro.com/2021/06/30/colleens-book-reviews-matilda-windsor-is-coming-home-annecdotist/. ❤
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Thank you for sharing your review, Colleen!
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I hope you didn’t mind but this was such an outstanding read! ❤
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Thanks again for your lovely review, Colleen, and for spreading the word.
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You’re so welcome. We must celebrate good story telling. ❤
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1990? A year married, we went to NZ and NSW Australia just as the first Iraq war broke out.
We had two dogs then, his and hers. (Anne, you should get a dog)
I was a landscape gardener who volunteered and subbed at the elementary school in my off season. That ended up leading to harder stuff and I went to teacher school in ‘95, was teaching by ‘97.
We bought a house too, in ‘93 I think.
Yikes, it seems so very grown up, and yet I was so young.
I have enjoyed Matilda Windsor since even before the book, as she has been by the Saddle Up a time or two. It was great to learn her story in MW Is Coming Home. It unfolded like a mystery and as the podcast mentions, through different povs, which was done very effectively. I look forward to Matilda’s next book.
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Funny how young we were when we were doing such grown-up things in the ’90s.
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But what happened to the dogs when you went travelling? Obviously I need to know, even though I’m as likely to get a dog as I am to go on holiday abroad (or even in the UK).
Thanks for reading MW and for taking good care of her when she visited the Ranch.
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The dogs were spoiled rotten by their Auntie J. Made everyone feel good.
Funny thing about Matilda, I never found her to be funny or humorous. Just real. In her own reality of course, but I took that seriously. I really like her.
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I felt like that about another novel (actually several) with another Matty, I loved it but didn’t see the humour others did. But yeah, she’s true to herself and heroic. I wanted there to be as much, perhaps more, humour in the ‘sane’ characters’ delusions.
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Thanks so much for hosting me, Charli. I hope he podcast channel takes off.
I know I posted the original question via my newsletter – and you can see some of the responses here https://annegoodwin.weebly.com/who-were-you-in-1990.html – but I can’t quite remember exactly what I was doing in 1990. Although I was working in the hospital on which Ghyllside is based, probably in a lofty leadership position by then. That might have been the year my partner left me for the second and final time and I didn’t think I’d meet anyone again. Spoiler alert: I did.
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I really enjoyed the podcast – good job interviewer and interviewee. MW is Coming Home is a rewarding read with complex characters that could almost be anyone we know, or not. I’m enjoying all the reviews and interviews as I ponder the novel’s complexity.
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