Kathryn Barnett (she/her) is an indie author who lives in Hampshire, England. She writes historical fiction concentrating on the 20th century. She has self-published two novels of historical fiction. When not writing she enjoys walks by the sea and in nature.
AUTHOR LINKS:
Instagram/Threads: @kittibarnett3
Website: kathrynbarnettauthor.com
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/amazon.comkathrynbarnettbooks
Read a Sample:
Cages of the Heart (Amazon Look Inside)
Book Pitch for Readers/Book Clubs:
Charlotte is newly married at the start of WW1, proactive and the centre of her small town community. But all is not well. Her new husband appears distant and a vital truth is being kept from her. One that if uncovered threatens her health, safety and future.
We’re here to talk about your historical mystery Cages of the Heart – tell us about its release, where we can find it, and what inspired it!
My novel was published on 3rd June 2026, it is available on Amazon and on other online book retailers. I was inspired to write local fiction after moving to the area, and falling in love with the town of Lymington, I also wanted to explore the home front novel from a different perspective by adding mystery, and a little medicine to the mix.
Why did you choose to set it in 1914, at the beginning of World War I, rather than at another point in the War or in a different time period?
I was fascinated by that period as it felt such a time of great change for women still fighting for their vote and taking an role in maintaining all the services with the men away fighting. I also wanted to explore Charlotte’s marriage at it’s very early stages to delve into the conflict between expectations and reality in a time when marriage for was very much the norm for women.
What inspired the “telling your secrets will set you free” premise of the story?
Charlotte at heart keeps a lot to herself until the latter part of the novel, but when she does open up, it turns the story into a transformative book.
Some themes this explores are memory loss, mental health, and chronic illness – how did you weave these into the story, and has/how has your own background of homeopathy and interest in natural medicine influenced the way you treat these subjects?
I did that through more than one character to show the depth of the story. Being a homeopath helped me to write from a different perspective, making self-help at the core of the novel for Charlotte.
Introduce us to Charlotte, your protagonist. What was the most enjoyable part about writing her character, and what was the hardest?
I loved her honestly and how her prejudices at first are turned the full 180 degrees by the end of the book. The hardest part was writing the grief and memory loss segment of the book, heartbreaking to write and read back at times.
Apart from Charlotte, can you introduce us to two other characters from the main cast, and tell us what you like about them, whether there are qualities they have you admire, and maybe something you pity them for?
I loved Rose, she just did things her way and didn’t care what people thought of her decisions. I liked Miss Holme, she was a kind person who seemed to have it all being from the wealthy family in town, but bit by bit you realise how isolated and alone she is not being able to have what she really wants.
If readers have a book hangover after this story and want to read more by you, what would you point them to? Pitch it to us!
In 1950s England, Alice searches for her identity and falls in love in the process. As travel beckons and she heads East, she is faced with the challenge of fitting into a culture steeped in old traditions while still being true to herself.
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