Marie (UK)
Marie (UK) asked:

how much of this is based on fact and how much fiction?

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Joe Burleigh Mr. Carr had published some successful non-fiction works and his publisher didn't want him attempting a novel. He pitched the idea of the story as true but said that he wanted to publish it in novel form. The picture you see in the back of the book is a shot that he made to help sell his idea. The photo is actually a cut out of composer Edvard Grieg copied onto a picture of Roosevelt. With that fake picture and a real historical figure in Teddy Roosevelt, he was able to fool his agent and editor into believing it was a true story. When he admitted it was a fictional story, they took a chance, published it, and it became a best seller.
K The author says its all his imagination, but he researched the subject matter heavily to make it feel like a true story set in the time period.
Caitlin Oh god, I hope this isn't real. This book is terrifying.
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