
A Goodreads user
asked
Minerva Spencer:
I think the way you handle Mia's past is very interesting. Why doesn't she talk about it more? Or think about it?
Minerva Spencer
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Ahhh, this is a subject which I went around and around on. First off, I wrote this at least 4 years before the beginning of the #metoo movement. Secondly, this is a story set in 1811, when subjects like sex weren't something people spoke about in public--or even among their intimates. If you think back to Sense and Sensibility, you'll remember that Elinor never even tells her sister (her closest friend and confidant) about her love for Edward. She suffers in silence, and it takes its toll.
Anyhow, I thought about Mia and what her options would have been on entering the harem. The answer is pretty simple: she would have only herself. Whether she lived, died, went crazy, became bitter or homicidal--or anything else--would be the result of her own inner core and strength. There would be no opportunity to "talk things out" with somebody. Every decision she made would be hers and she would need to learn to trust her judgement implicitly.
So, to answer your question, I wanted to make her behavior consistent with the time in which she lived. I also did not want to focus on the particulars of WHAT she endured, but the fact that she DID endure. Her past shaped her, but it did not break her. (hide spoiler)]
Anyhow, I thought about Mia and what her options would have been on entering the harem. The answer is pretty simple: she would have only herself. Whether she lived, died, went crazy, became bitter or homicidal--or anything else--would be the result of her own inner core and strength. There would be no opportunity to "talk things out" with somebody. Every decision she made would be hers and she would need to learn to trust her judgement implicitly.
So, to answer your question, I wanted to make her behavior consistent with the time in which she lived. I also did not want to focus on the particulars of WHAT she endured, but the fact that she DID endure. Her past shaped her, but it did not break her. (hide spoiler)]
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more