The Widow's Diary | Unaysa Hasan

Inspired from my poem 'The Widow', I decided to write a narrative on it. The 'Widow' in question, is a English woman of French ancestry in her late forties, Delphine Holmes. In this book, the year is 2005, Delphine's life is explored as she deals with the daily chore of caring for her teenage son, Veryl, and also getting to know his warm hearted girlfriend, Yveline. A large portion of this book also navigates Delphine's prime years in her late twenties when she was a thriving nurse who was used to being comfortable without companionship, finds herself in love with a silent and reserved commander, Vangelis Carlton, who was four years her senior and also half French like her. Despite the genuine financial burdens they had to carry if their own, they decide to wed and live their life together. Even if life made them have their ups and downs, they were devoted to each other and had a bond so tender. This stern commander was actually Veryl's father who he never seems to have a memory of since his father passed away when he was barely five. In here, Delphine also recalls memories of his father to him and Yveline who is rather genuinely interested in Veryl's family history.

This story is inspired by the life of Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, the fourth duchess of Aosta and former queen consort of Croatia and her husband Aimone, the fourth duke of Aosta, who was famously Tomislav II of Croatia.