Bath has been the home of many stories as the go-to vacation place for upper-class people with the time and money. During Wollstone's time, it was one of the biggest cities in England, the city known for its spas. She spent two years there as a lady's companion to a widow named Sarah Dawson, whom she did not get very well along with. It is said that Dawson was temperamental. After her leaving in 1780 to assist her dying mother, she went on to write Thoughts on the Education of Daughters and venting her frustrations about the experience there in Bath.
George Orwell was in and out of the hospital in the final stretch of his life. During his time at home in Herbrides, United Kingdom. He wrote his last book Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) here before finally being hospitalized.
The University of Sheffield is located in Sheffield, Yorkshire England. Today, it boasts about 30,000 students. The university's founding can be traced back to the early 1800s.
Mantel studied law at Sheffield University and met her husband, Gerald, there. She talks about her time there as being very difficult. She was poor, dealing with issues pertaining to both her and Gerald's family, and couldn't lead the so-called "student lifestyle."
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is a major port in western Saudi Arabia. It borders the Red Sea. It is one of the biggest cities in Saudi Arabia.
Hilary and Gerald spend four years in Jeddah, following their period in Botswana. Hilary published her third novel, Eight Months on Gazzah Street, in 1988, based on her own experiences living in Jeddah. She is quoted saying that leaving Jeddah was "the happiest day of [her] life.
Botswana is a country located in southern Africa. It is landlocked by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Nambia. 70% of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert, and the country suffers from droughts.
Hilary and Gerald lived in Botswana for 5 years, from 1977-1982, where Hilary worked as a social worker. She gained inspiration for her first novel while doing her social work in Botswana.
Budleigh Salterton is a small coastal town on the mouth of River Otter. It had about 5,000 residents in 2011. The town is known for its beautiful scenery and is a popular destination for birdwatchers, as all kinds of migratory birds find their way over here.
Hilary Mantel has been living here with her husband, Gerald, for a little over a decade. They bought an apartment in Budleigh Salterton in 2010.
Hadfield, Derbyshire, England, is a small town. In 2011, its population census was just over 6,000. In the 1800s Hadfield was known for its cotton mills.
Mantel grew up in Hadfield, a short distance from her birthplace, Glossop. Here, she attended St Charles Roman Catholic primary school. She stayed in Hadfield until she was around 11 years old after her father left.
