AMERICAN HISTORICAL NOVELS discussion

Thank you, Stephanie, for hosting this week! I'm excited to learn more about you and about American Princess.

Q: What inspired this novel?
I’ve studied many women from ancient history, be they Egyptian pharaohs or Byzantine empresses, but it wasn’t until after my daughter was born that I became fully introduced to the hellion that was Alice Roosevelt. While escorting a group of high school students to Washington D.C., I stumbled upon the picture book Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt. I was shocked that no one had yet written a novel about her, so I decided I had to write it myself!

Q: What’s different about this novel compared to your previous novels?
The biggest difference with American Princess is definitely the time frame. It’s a big jump to go from ancient Egypt or even the years of Genghis Khan all the way to 20th century America!. I still can’t get over the fact that Alice Roosevelt died the same year I was born!

Q: Do you have a favorite character (other than the main characters)?
I love Alice, but I’ve always been a Theodore Roosevelt fangirl. There were actually a couple scenes in American Princess that were difficult to write, either because I had to see him through Alice’s eyes (and they didn’t always get along) or because I’d gotten so attached to him.

Q: What’s your writing routine like? Do you write daily?
I do try to write or edit daily, usually after my daughter has gone to bed for the night. Unfortunately, as a high school history teacher, sometimes I have essays to grade instead of writing. I do get a lot of writing done during summer vacation!

Q: Do you have any quotations taped above your writing desk? What inspires you?
I actually write on the couch in my sun room, so there’s nothing taped over my writing desk, but front and center in my classroom is Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s famous quote, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” I think that’s very true, and it’s a great reminder when I’m writing scenes where my heroines are pushing the limits!

Q: Were any of your characters besides Alice inspired by real people?
All of them! The only characters I made up were two of the White House staff and even they are based on compilations of real people.

Q: If this novel were a song, what would it be?
I think Alice Roosevelt’s anthem could easily have been Meredith Brooks’ Nothing In Between, especially the unapologetic lines:

I'm a b*tch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed.
I'm your hell, I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way.


Stephanie Thornton

Thanks so much for hosting me! I'm looking forward to this week!

Me too!

Hi Stephanie, did I read correctly that you’re a history teacher? I love reading historical fiction. My high school history teachers were men who were also football, baseball or wrestling coaches. I’m not sure how they fell into teaching history but they were much better at coaching. I dreaded my history classes. All memorization of facts.
History can be taught so you also connect with the people but that was not my experience. Hence, my interest in historical fiction. Just from the introduction to your book I learned that Alice Blue paint color was named for her! See?!
I’m writing a blog post about how historical fiction can create empathy to help people (and students) compare and process past and current events. Do you use historical fiction in your classroom? Do you think there’s a place for it? I’m putting your book on my want to read list! I’ve been a fan of Eleanor Roosevelt, I think I’ll be adding Alice to the list.

Hi Eileen!

I do indeed teach high school history and yes, I definitely think there's a place for historical fiction in teaching. Historical fiction makes history come alive for readers, which is the closest thing to a time machine that I can create as a teacher.

I use Michael Shaara's Killer Angels when I teach about the Civil War, plus my AP World History class has a standing invitation to read any history book (non-fiction or histfic) and sit down for a one-on-one book talk with me for extra credit. (I average about two book talks a week, so I can tell you must students love this. I just did one an hour ago for All the Light We Cannot See!) I've also done book club assignments where students choose a book from an approved list of 5-6 books, meet with classmates reading the same book, and then present a panel discussion to the class. (I moderate the discussion.)

History class doesn't have to be boring--in fact, it should be the exact opposite!

I wish I had had you for history when I was in high school! I love reading historical fiction which helps fill in and intrigue me with what I missed. I look forward to reading your book.