Elizabeth DeLozier is the author of the new novel Eleanore of Avignon. She is also a physical therapist, and she lives in Southern California.
Q: What inspired you to write Eleanore of Avignon?
A: In 2019, I traveled to Avignon with my mother and aunt who, like Eleanore and her sister, are identical twins. Avignon is one of those medieval walled cities that completely transports you – it feels as though, at any minute, you might turn a corner and time-travel back to the 14th century.
I happened to be reading John Kelly’s The Great Mortality on our trip – a fantastic nonfiction narrative that examines the destruction of the Black Plague city by city. When I reached the chapter on Avignon, I could so clearly see the bonfires in the street, the piles of corpses waiting for the cart. It was spooky!
A year later I was on my honeymoon, in the bathtub, when the plot of the novel just fell into my head. I jumped out, dripping, and asked my husband to bring me a piece of paper and a pen. And that’s how Eleanore of Avignon started.
Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: I wanted to make the setting as rooted in time and place as I could without falling into the very tempting trap of explain-y exposition. I read as much as I could about 14th century Europe, about the Black Death, and about medieval medicine. I went down countless research rabbit holes about food and clothing and religious beliefs.
Many of the details I discovered didn’t make it into the book, but they informed my understanding of the time period. I hope that comes across on the page; I hope readers feel they have stepped 14th century Provence.
The Black Plague killed between 1/3 and 2/3 of Europe’s population. In the aftermath of the disease, social hierarchy changed drastically and, in general, for the better.
The Catholic Church and medical elite lost credibility and power, peasants were able to charge more for their labor, which dismantled the feudal system and allowed for (some) upward mobility into the burgeoning middle class.
With so many men dead, women were able to own land, cultivate businesses, join guilds, and had more autonomy over choosing their spouses.
Many historians believe that the Black Plague, despite the devastation it wreaked across Europe, paved the way for the Reformation and Renaissance. It’s a hopeful reminder that good things can come from the worst of times.
Q: The writer Sarah Penner said of Eleanore, “She's tender yet fiercely loyal, and although the story takes place in another era, her perspective felt relatable and her struggles relevant to women today.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love that description. Eleanore, like so many women I know, contains multitudes. She is courageous and capable, gentle and kind. She lives in a time when her knowledge and ambition could literally kill her, but instead of shrinking away from this danger and protecting herself, she risks her life over and over again to protect the people she loves.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel?
A: One of the most helpful books in my research was A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman.
I hope readers notice the very real parallels between the present and the Middle Ages and remember that - no matter the differences in time period, culture, or belief system - people have always been people. Fear is a potent and contagious thing. But hope and love are the qualities that redeem us, over and over again.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m nearly done with a very rough first draft of my next novel, The Whitechapel Full Moon Society, which takes place in Victorian England during the reign of Jack the Ripper. A young woman in search of her estranged brother arrives at a boarding house in London’s notorious East End, and realizes her hosts are hiding a dangerous secret.
It’s slated for publication Fall of 2026. I’m super excited for people to read it - it’s been very fun to write.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I wrote this novel during our own pandemic. In my other life, I’m a physical therapist, and it was surreal to put on my PPE, treat patients all day, then return home to the research and writing of this novel.
I was grateful to have a project at a time when we all needed distractions, but it felt claustrophobic to be caught between two plagues. Sometimes it was too much; too much dread and death and sorrow.
Now that this book is out in the world, it has been so heartwarming to hear from readers who connected with Eleanore and were affected by her story.
I’m glad a piece of me, created at a time when I felt frightened and lonely, is resonating. I’m glad people see a bit of their own experience reflected back to them in these pages. The emotion I felt when I finished this book was hope, and that’s what I want readers to walk away with.
As one of the characters says, There is still beauty and grace in the world. It is worth fighting for.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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