Is the story about the Indian Princess who jumped to her death from Mt. Kineo true, or did you make it up for the book?
Sort of both. I’ve heard many versions of the story, wherein a woman (of Polish, Russian, or American Indian descent, depending on the version) is rejected or abandoned by a lover or husband, and as a result kills herself by jumping from Mt. Kineo into Moosehead Lake. Sometimes the woman is a princess, sometimes just a woman of wealth. I decided on the princess because it sounded kinda romantic, and because I felt that Tess wouldn’t have been as affected by the story if it was simply a rich woman, given her attitude towards money and those with an abundance of money. I decided on the Indian version because: a) my hubby is part Mic Mac, and I thought it would be cool to give a very indirect nod to him. b) there are other Indian legends about Kineo’s being haunted, so it seemed very natural that a local waitress would tell that version of the story to Tess and Jason. c) I thought “Indian Princess” sounded better than “Russian or Polish Princess.” (No offense intended to Russia or Poland,
