About Adelaide's Gift

A warm message from Anne...

Adelaide’s Gift began with a question.

While exploring fragments of my family history, I discovered the life of my great-aunt, Valerie Corliss, a woman born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1892, whose story slowly emerged through years of research. As I read more about her life, I became increasingly aware of how extraordinary her achievements were, particularly given the time in which she lived.

Valerie was a gifted lecturer and teacher devoted to musical interpretation and the works of the great composers. She played a pivotal role in organising the British Music Society throughout New Zealand and helped shape musical education through innovative teaching methods and summer schools for music teachers. She travelled to England on several occasions, exchanging ideas with some of the most celebrated musicians of her era, including Tobias Matthay, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Frederic Lamond, Sir Henry Wood, and Dame Myra Hess. She also wrote extensively, exploring the relationship between music, psychology, and the arts.

What struck me most was not only what Valerie accomplished, but when she accomplished it, during a period when women’s lives were often defined by narrow expectations of marriage, homemaking, and service to others. Her determination and quiet confidence challenged those boundaries, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire me.

As I read about her life, my imagination began to stir, and a story started to unfold. A shy young woman appeared in my mind, happiest at home with her family, deeply devoted to music, yet carrying a talent that could not remain hidden. As she grew, so too did her determination. With every obstacle placed in her path, her resilience strengthened, shaped by the same unwavering focus she devoted to mastering the piano.

My great-grandfather, Valerie’s brother Cyril Corliss, known affectionately as “Ping,” also played a significant role in shaping this story. He served as an engineer aboard RMS Mauretania before settling in Liverpool with his wife and family. I was young when he died, but my memories of him remain vivid: his gentle manner, his stories of life at sea, and his deep love for his family. One image has stayed with me above all others, Cyril quietly holding a small black-and-white photograph of his beloved wife, his grief palpable even to a child.

Together, these lives formed the emotional heart of Adelaide’s Gift.

This novel is my way of honouring them both, of breathing life into the fragments I uncovered and imagining the spaces in between. It is a tribute to resilience, creativity, and the quiet legacies that shape us across generations.

I believe that ordinary lives, especially those of women whose contributions have often been overlooked, can leave extraordinary imprints. Adelaide’s Gift is a quiet homage to those whose influence endures not through fame, but through courage, grace, and the lives they touched.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.