Q&A with Alyson Richman

 

Photo by Jeanine Boubli

 

Alyson Richman is the author of the new novel The Missing Pages. It focuses on Harry Widener (1885-1912), a businessman and book collector who died on the Titanic. The Widener Library at Harvard University was named for him. Richman's other books include The Lost Wife. She lives on Long Island. 

 

Q: You write that your daughter’s visit to Harvard inspired The Missing Pages--what intrigued you about Harry Widener's story?  

 

A: I was instantly drawn to the fascinating lore that my daughter heard on her college tour of Harvard, that Harry Widener was traveling on the Titanic with his parents after a book-buying trip to Europe and did not get on a lifeboat after the ship struck the iceberg, but instead chose to return to his cabin to retrieve a priceless book.  

 

His mother would survive and build a library at Harvard to honor his memory and also to house his nearly 3,000-volume book collection.  

 

When my daughter told me this story, I immediately thought of the emotional and physical separation of a mother and son. I could easily envision myself as Eleanor Widener, imploring my beloved child to join me on the lifeboat, but also from Harry’s position as a son who tells his mother he’s returning to his cabin for a precious book, as a way of easing her desperation and giving her hope he would try to get on the next lifeboat.  

 

But as the weeks went by, I continued to return to that scene. I began to wonder whether there was any credibility to the idea of Harry possessing a book so valuable that he might risk his life to save it. And if so, what book could it be?  

 

On top of that mystery, I knew there were so many elements to create an emotional historical novel: maternal grief, the healing power of books, and the Titanic! 

 

Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?  

 

A: The Missing Pages was such a joy to research! I learned so many incredible details researching the Titanic, from the different decorating themes that were available for first-class cabins to even the menu options served in the dining room.  

 

But I particularly loved my trip to London, where I was able to read the correspondence between Harry Widener and Bernard Quaritch, the London bookseller that sold Harry his last acquisition.  

 

Another highlight of my research was visiting the Widener Library at Harvard and being able to enter Harry Widener’s Memorial Room. It’s a very special place that his mother designed with the library’s architect, Horace Trumbauer.  

 

This room is a reconstruction of Harry’s personal study from his family’s home. It’s also where his book collection is displayed and, as per his mother’s request, fresh flowers are put on his desk each week to conjure up the sensation that, at any time, Harry might pull one of his books off the shelves and sit down to read.  

 

I think my biggest surprise was learning after I had already decided to write Harry’s story as a ghost inside the library, I was floored to learn that many librarians at Widener feel his ghost really does live there and have experienced strange things happen on their watch.  

 

Q: The writer Allison Pataki said of the book, “The Missing Pages is a celebration of the love of books and the enduring strength of the human heart.” What do you think of that description?  

 

A: I’m such a big fan of Allison Pataki’s writing and her endorsement for my novel meant the world to me. She sums up the book perfectly. I wanted this book to illuminate the universal connection that books forge for readers. While this novel centers around a library built out of grief, the heart of the novel is that books truly are as eternal as the soul.  

 

Q: How did you create your fictional character Violet?  

 

A: While creating Violet’s character, I knew I wanted there to be a parallel theme of grief and healing with Harry’s story. Violet loses her boyfriend in a tragic accident and the Widener Library becomes a place of healing for her.  

 

It was actually one of the librarians at Widener who suggested that she be a “page” because that would give her access to the books, the Memorial Room, and also the underground tunnels. I’m very grateful he suggested that as it gave me greater flexibility in creating a situation where she could have access to the certain areas of the library and also have been given the task to deliver the flowers for Harry’s desk.  

 

There’s a little bit of me in Violet as well. I went to Wellesley outside Boston in the early ‘90s and I loved to go to the Harvard Bookstore with my boyfriend and comb the used bookshelves downstairs and grab a chocolate croissant at Au Bon Pain, which isn’t there anymore.  

 

Anyone who knows me from that time will also recognize that Violet’s affection for the Pre-Raphaelites comes from my own love of Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and Frederic Leighton.  

 

Q: What are you working on now?  

 

A: My next novel delves into Edith Wharton’s time in Paris during WWI, her work rescuing child refugees in Belgium, and an unknown manuscript of hers that appears decades later. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Alyson Richman.