Allison Pataki
Hi Diane, so great to hear from you!
Two historical moments I came across very early in my research were:
1. The day that Benedict Arnold's treason is uncovered: This occurs while George Washington and Alexander Hamilton are at the home of Benedict and Peggy Shippen Arnold. Arnold hears of Andre's arrest and flees, leaving his wife to serve as hostess (and distraction) to Washington and his men so that he can make it safely to the British warship Vulture. Washington, for the first portion of the visit, has a perfectly pleasant time, still unaware that Arnold has betrayed them all (he thinks Arnold is over at West Point preparing a welcome reception for the Commander in Chief). Washington even jokes while at the home that half his men are in love with the famously beautiful Mrs. Arnold. When Washington does eventually receive word of Andre's arrest and realizes that Arnold has fled as the treasonous conspirator, Peggy does in fact go on to have an hysterical fit, during which time she tears at her hair and rips her gown and is carried to bed by the very concerned patriot heroes (as I portray it in the novel). They subsequently nurse Peggy back to health, remain by her bedside, etc, thinking (mistakenly) that poor Peggy is the victim of Arnold's treason. Of course we know that this is not the case, and that Peggy was integrally involved in the plot! Central to it, in fact! But Peggy put on quite a show, convincing them of her total innocence. Both Hamilton and Washington recorded in their diaries the details of this day, and their pity for the poor and beautiful and sweet Mrs. Arnold. So, learning about this scene really got my wheels turning. I thought to myself...hmmm...this is a woman capable of surviving! This is a very dramatic scene--it felt almost Shakespearean to me. So, I decided to begin the novel on this day, and then jump back in time to work our way up to this climactic moment.
2. The second historical moment I came across was the scene of the Meshianza Masquerade Ball in Philadelphia. When Peggy is blocked from attending the Turkish-themed dance on the arm of her love, Major John Andre, by her concerned parents and their Quaker friends, she devolves into a tantrum worthy of the most salacious reality television show. She was a smitten teenage girl being thwarted by her parents, and she won't have it! You see this especially dramatic and delicious moment in "The Traitor's Wife," as well.
And then there were so many other historic details along the way to help me fill out the character of the charming, intelligent, cunning, volatile Peggy Shippen Arnold. She's been described by historians as highly educated and intelligent, incredibly charming, moody, "flatteringly flirtatious" (that was one of my favorites), and so on. I read about how Peggy was the belle of Philadelphia society with scores of suitors at her feet. I read about how quickly and irrevocably Arnold, a seasoned veteran and patriot hero, fell for her. How he wooed her with all of the extravagance and abandon of the most enamored of pursuants. How Peggy turned down his first suit for marriage because he walked with a limp, a rejection which then prompted the wounded war hero to rehabilitate his leg and correct his limp. I could go on and on, there were just so many fun and intriguing and hard-to-believe details (which I included in the novel!).
Ruminating on these scenes and these historical morsels, Peggy's character really took shape for me. And then, take into account the fact that this was a teenage girl who mingled first with the most desirable British officer in town (John Andre) and then the high commander of the Patriot army in Philadelphia (Benedict Arnold). This was a young lady who stood at the center of America's most notorious act of treason, plotting as she did with men twice her age in a conspiracy where the stakes were no less high than the entire outcome of the American Revolution! I couldn't help but think -- this was a powerful, capable, cunning woman. And it was an incredibly fascinating experience to draw her fictional portrait!
Two historical moments I came across very early in my research were:
1. The day that Benedict Arnold's treason is uncovered: This occurs while George Washington and Alexander Hamilton are at the home of Benedict and Peggy Shippen Arnold. Arnold hears of Andre's arrest and flees, leaving his wife to serve as hostess (and distraction) to Washington and his men so that he can make it safely to the British warship Vulture. Washington, for the first portion of the visit, has a perfectly pleasant time, still unaware that Arnold has betrayed them all (he thinks Arnold is over at West Point preparing a welcome reception for the Commander in Chief). Washington even jokes while at the home that half his men are in love with the famously beautiful Mrs. Arnold. When Washington does eventually receive word of Andre's arrest and realizes that Arnold has fled as the treasonous conspirator, Peggy does in fact go on to have an hysterical fit, during which time she tears at her hair and rips her gown and is carried to bed by the very concerned patriot heroes (as I portray it in the novel). They subsequently nurse Peggy back to health, remain by her bedside, etc, thinking (mistakenly) that poor Peggy is the victim of Arnold's treason. Of course we know that this is not the case, and that Peggy was integrally involved in the plot! Central to it, in fact! But Peggy put on quite a show, convincing them of her total innocence. Both Hamilton and Washington recorded in their diaries the details of this day, and their pity for the poor and beautiful and sweet Mrs. Arnold. So, learning about this scene really got my wheels turning. I thought to myself...hmmm...this is a woman capable of surviving! This is a very dramatic scene--it felt almost Shakespearean to me. So, I decided to begin the novel on this day, and then jump back in time to work our way up to this climactic moment.
2. The second historical moment I came across was the scene of the Meshianza Masquerade Ball in Philadelphia. When Peggy is blocked from attending the Turkish-themed dance on the arm of her love, Major John Andre, by her concerned parents and their Quaker friends, she devolves into a tantrum worthy of the most salacious reality television show. She was a smitten teenage girl being thwarted by her parents, and she won't have it! You see this especially dramatic and delicious moment in "The Traitor's Wife," as well.
And then there were so many other historic details along the way to help me fill out the character of the charming, intelligent, cunning, volatile Peggy Shippen Arnold. She's been described by historians as highly educated and intelligent, incredibly charming, moody, "flatteringly flirtatious" (that was one of my favorites), and so on. I read about how Peggy was the belle of Philadelphia society with scores of suitors at her feet. I read about how quickly and irrevocably Arnold, a seasoned veteran and patriot hero, fell for her. How he wooed her with all of the extravagance and abandon of the most enamored of pursuants. How Peggy turned down his first suit for marriage because he walked with a limp, a rejection which then prompted the wounded war hero to rehabilitate his leg and correct his limp. I could go on and on, there were just so many fun and intriguing and hard-to-believe details (which I included in the novel!).
Ruminating on these scenes and these historical morsels, Peggy's character really took shape for me. And then, take into account the fact that this was a teenage girl who mingled first with the most desirable British officer in town (John Andre) and then the high commander of the Patriot army in Philadelphia (Benedict Arnold). This was a young lady who stood at the center of America's most notorious act of treason, plotting as she did with men twice her age in a conspiracy where the stakes were no less high than the entire outcome of the American Revolution! I couldn't help but think -- this was a powerful, capable, cunning woman. And it was an incredibly fascinating experience to draw her fictional portrait!
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Allison Pataki:
I recently read your novel The Traitor's Wife and I absolutely loved it! It was extremely fascinating and intriguing. What advice do you have for young aspiring historical fiction writers? Also, if you could visit any time period, where would you visit and why?
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