Nancy Brady asked Allison Pataki:

Did you ever read Desiree by Anna Selinko? Your newest novel, The Queen's Fortune, reminds me of this novel that I first read many years ago when I was a teen.

Allison Pataki Hi Nancy, thank you so much for your question. No, I have not read Annemarie Selinko’s novel because it is a work of fiction, and I did not want to take the risk that another writer’s fictional imagining of Desiree’s life might affect my own fictional writing — even if only subconsciously. For that reason I had to stick to a diet of strictly nonfiction and biographical sources. But I have heard such wonderful things about the book. It is a classic and a favorite of so many. I’m thrilled that you are such an aficionada of Desiree Clary Bernadotte!

flag