What inspired you to write about Elaine of Ascolat, or, as she’s also known, the Lady of Shalott?
I have always loved the stories of King Arthur, but one thing that has always bothered me was the way the female characters were treated. Traditionally, they are portrayed as deceitful manipulators or damsels in distress — villains who destroy the men or ladies who need the men to rescue them. For instance, Elaine fell in love with Lancelot on sight, and then died of a broken heart when he spurned her. How unfair! So, one day, when I was studying in London during college, I escaped a gray and rainy day outside to wander the halls of the Tate gallery, and suddenly I came across a gorgeous painting that stopped me in my tracks. It was John William Waterhouse’s luminous painting of “The Lady of Shalott” from 1888. When I saw the terrible, haunted expression in her eyes, and reflected on how unkindly she’d been treated, I knew I wanted to give her a better, more meaningful story.
