The Jewel Box Part 28

A. I loved s.e.x and the City s.e.x and the City (the TV show, that is. I haven't read the novel), particularly the friends.h.i.+ps between the main characters. I can't think of many shows/ novels in which close female friends.h.i.+ps are drawn so sharply. I wasn't consciously aware of it as an influence on this book, but I guess everything we read and watch and enjoy finds its place in our imaginations. And in my case that includes everything from (the TV show, that is. I haven't read the novel), particularly the friends.h.i.+ps between the main characters. I can't think of many shows/ novels in which close female friends.h.i.+ps are drawn so sharply. I wasn't consciously aware of it as an influence on this book, but I guess everything we read and watch and enjoy finds its place in our imaginations. And in my case that includes everything from s.e.x and the City s.e.x and the City to the novels of Edith Wharton and F. Scott Fitzgerald. to the novels of Edith Wharton and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Q. "People don't have to stay in one place all their lives, do they?". What role does travel play in your life as a writer?

A. At the moment, not much of a role at all. I have two small children and money is tight! We go on holiday once a year, usually to France. And once in a blue moon I grab a much-treasured weekend away with family or friends. One of the good things about living in Europe is that you can get to other countries very quickly. I used to travel more before I had kids, and hope I will again some day.

Q. Siblings play an important role in this book. How has your family influenced your fiction?

A. I've never written anything that is based directly on my family, but I suppose they're in there somewhere. I have a brother who's very important to me. Our parents died young and this brought us siblings closer together. We became a little family unit. But now I'm a mother and wife myself. I suppose, like Grace, I'm not a stranger to responsibility. I had to grow up and be independent of parental support younger than most of my friends.

Q. With two of your novels set in the 1920s, you obviously have a love of history. Is there a subject that would inspire you to write a nonfiction book?

A. At this time, I don't feel inspired to write nonfiction. But I'd like to think it's something I could move on to if ever the right subject does come along. I think the challenges would be very different. The skills required of a writer of nonfiction are quite different. When it comes down to it, I like making stuff up.

Q. Have you written anything contemporarily? If so, how is the experience of writing in a historical era different? Is it more freeing, more limiting, or both?

A. My first three novels were set in the here and now. There's a kind of exoticism about historical settings. As you do your research, you can feel as though you're discovering other worlds in which everything is more vivid, more romantic, more dangerous. And yet, so much is the same. People are essentially the same, with many of the same priorities, preoccupations, and problems. In some ways it's easier to set novels contemporarily. You can have a character get into a taxi without having to check whether it would be horse-drawn or motorized. You can have someone order a c.o.c.ktail without needing to find out whether it had yet been invented. But you can get things wrong in a contemporary novel just as easily as in a historical one. And both historical and contemporary novels depend on convincing characters, good plotting, and strong writing. There's more to a novel than its historical setting.

ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB.

Sparkle like a Diamond: In the style of Diamond Sharp, write a one-page review of your favorite restaurant, bar, or club and share it with your book club members.

Wig out: Have everyone wear a bobbed wig. (Any male members? Have them wear a 1920s-inspired hat.) Cheers!: Serve c.o.c.ktails highlighted in the book (gin fizzes, Singapore slings, martinis, and champagne) and make a toast to women-those who fought for our right to vote, to work, and to play!

ALSO BY A ANNA D DAVIS.

The Shoe Queen

Cheet

Melting

The Dinner