As fog enveloped the 801 Ocean Event Center, over 130 attendees gathered for a very special “Meet the Author” program featuring New York Times bestselling author Nina de Gramont discussing her book, The Christie Affair.
Blending historical fiction, mystery, romance, and murder, The Christie Affair offers a fictional explanation of Agatha Christie’s 11-day disappearance in 1926 after the humiliation of her husband Archie’s affair. The mistress emerges as the narrator of this tale, her dystopian backstory making her actions, if not forgivable, then perhaps understandable.
With candor and humor, Nina explored her writing process and the research that went into the book, the other books that she has written, the challenges of being married to a fellow writer, and her assessment of the future of novel writing based on her experiences as a creative writing professor.
When she received a call that The Christie Affair was selected for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club, Nina screamed in delight only to be told to keep it a secret, prompting a colleague to remark, “well, whatever that was about, congratulations!”
The Christie Affair was recently optioned by Miramax as a television series, and Nina shared her mixed emotions at relinquishing creative control once the book – like a child – was out alone in the world. Recognizing that screenwriting is an altogether different process from novel writing, Nina has come to trust that the result will be a faithful adaptation.
Few attendees left empty-handed, purchasing copies of the book which Nina graciously autographed or taking home one of the many raffled gift baskets from local merchants and organizations. The audience also left with gratitude that a bestselling author would share so much of herself and her work.
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