Rosenberg is a long-time student of Jack London’s works and an avid fan of his daring wife, Charmian London. The Secret Life of Mrs. London is her debut novel.Recently I asked Rosenberg about what she was reading. Her reply:
Whenever I am writing a new historical novel, I read everything I can about the times and characters of the novel environment I am recreating. For The Secret life of Mrs. London, I read many of Jack London’s books, The Star Rover, Valley of the Moon, Martin Eden, specifically, which gave me a clearer view of Jack London’s perspective in the 1900’s. I also read Charmian London's biography about Jack London, and her books… especially, Hawaii, which was rich in detail about the London’s lives in Hawaii. Of course, I read two or three biographies of both the Londons and Houdini and doveVisit Rebecca Rosenberg's website.for the hidden details of their lives. Most telling was the Wild About Harry blog, which John Cox has written for decades about Houdini.
Now, I am writing a historical novel entitled: Champagne Widow—about a widow in 1800 who made champagne the world-wide phenomenon it is today. I am reading several novels about Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte, and the French Revolution to familiarize myself with the times. My favorite has been Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran. It was an ingenious way to combine the fascinating story of the wax sculpture Madame Tussaud who lived through the French Revolution crafting likenesses of royalty and revolutionaries alike. Fascinating history.
--Marshal Zeringue
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