Essay Questions

What is the most unrealistic aspect of the novel?

At best, this novel can overall be termed a modern-day fairy tale. The idea of a homosexual relationship developing between the son of a U.S. President and the Prince of Wales—a heartbeat away from becoming the King of England—does stretch one’s suspension of disbelief. It is that unlikely possibility that truly situates this novel firmly within the genre of a modern fairy tale.

What real-life event does the author confess, in the Acknowledgements section, to leading her to briefly give up on trying to complete the novel and why?

As originally conceived, the tone of the story was going to discard any attempt at introducing an element of realism. The story was instead going to be much more self-consciously similar to a fairy tale operating within a context that openly eschewed real-world issues. It was only as a result of the 2016 Presidential election that this approach would be reconsidered. The author’s reaction to an election result that seemed inexplicable to the majority of Americans that voted for a candidate other than the one declared the winner was such that she decided the intended readership for her story would require a greater sense of reality. Ultimately, it became a sense of reality that was still tempered by an escapist sensibility. This combination freed the author to pursue a feel-good story that defied the political climate of the times by still allowing for the happily-ever-after hope of the fairy tale.