VCU news

By Brian McNeill

Marci Jefferson, a 2002 graduate of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing, always had a passion for writing, but as a registered nurse, she rarely had the chance to write anything outside of hospital documentation or policy and procedure manuals.

On a trip to England, Jefferson, who is also a lifelong history buff, found herself inspired by the story of Frances Stuart, a 17th century figure who played a little-known yet pivotal role in the courts of kings Charles II and James II of England and Louis XIV of France, and whose face served as the model for Britannia on British currency for generations.

In response, Jefferson scaled back her nursing career, joined the Historical Novel Society and began to devote years to researching and writing a historical novel telling Stuart's story. This month, Jefferson sees her work come to fruition with the publication of her debut novel, “Girl on the Golden Coin.”

The book, which is published by Thomas Dunne Books, was praised by Publishers Weekly as an “intoxicating first novel” that “superbly draws readers into the mischief and maneuverings, loyalties and treacheries, and lust and hostility of powerful 17th century kings and scheming court sycophants.”  

Jefferson recently spoke with VCU News about her debut novel and her decision to become a historical novelist.

What inspired you to write a historical novel about this little-known figure from 17th century royal court politics?

I first learned about the Royal Stuarts during a stay in London. Someone happened to point out the Banqueting House where Charles I was beheaded. I was stunned – I thought kings always ordered the beheadings! I started reading everything about the Royal Stuarts that my professors didn’t feel the need to include in our nursing syllabus! Frances Stuart initially stood out as a woman who embraced her personal liberty in defiance of kings. A few years later I read “The Other Boleyn Girl” and became obsessed with the desire to do for the Stuarts what Philippa Gregory had done for the Tudors.

What was it about Frances Stuart that made you think she'd make a compelling subject for a historical novel?

After the beheading of Charles I, England was a commonwealth for 11 years. Then the people decided to restore his son, Charles II, to the throne. These changes in government gave people a taste of civil liberty. For the first time, commoners realized they had the right to improve their lives. It was an important moment in the development of democratic government. As I studied Frances Stuart, I realized her independent streak matched the collective spirit of the Restoration age. Since she also happened to be the model for Britannia, I knew there was no better subject for a novel of Restoration England. She is the perfect symbol of her times.

Frances Stuart's face was used as a model for Britannia that appeared on currency in the United Kingdom up until 1971, and again on a 50 pence piece in 2006. Is her story more widely remembered in the U.K.?

I think most of my British friends think of Frances Stuart the way Americans do. They are either vaguely aware of her, or they think of her as some historians mistakenly portrayed her – as the naïve girl who made history for refusing to sleep with a king! Further research reveals a very intelligent woman, but I believe it suited her purpose to let people underestimate her.

What led to your decision to put your nursing career on hold and become a historical novelist?

I’d been working in quality management for many years. The idea for the book really matured about the same time that I had my second child. So the decision to go part time was twofold –  I wanted to be home more with my children, and I knew I’d have plenty of research and writing to do during naptime.

Did you always have an ambition to be a writer?

I’ve always written – short stories, journals, poems. These works will never see the light of day! There was no ambition to write a novel until I got the idea for “Girl on the Golden Coin.”

What was the research process for this book like?

Let’s face it – I have a nursing degree – not a history degree! My love for history had driven me to develop a good foundational understanding of British history. But I spent around two years strictly researching Restoration Period England. I studied a range of material including biographies, maps, the arts and architecture of the period, and even contacted British archivists for transcripts of original documents. When I finally churned out a few chapters, I realized they were so bad I needed to switch gears and research how to write fiction! I took classes and went to conferences and joined critique groups and, over the next two years, gradually picked up a few skills. I joked to my friends that I had “researchitis!”

Were there challenges you encountered in writing a historical novel, as opposed to a purely fictitious story?

Every scene required additional background research. At times it seemed I couldn’t write a single sentence without fact-checking. I felt a sense of responsibility to make Frances Stuart’s story as accurate as possible. Scouring sources for facts about her life revealed many unanswered questions. I ended up using as many facts as I could and just fictionalized the gaps.

Did your training and career as a registered nurse prove useful in researching and writing this book?

Absolutely. As every nurse knows, excellent communication skills are required in order to assess a patient’s needs and deliver quality care. We learn this in school, and then practice it in the field. Nurses develop a real knack for understanding people. This helped me immensely as I strove to develop complex characters. In addition, there are a few scenes involving illness and death, so my knowledge of human health came in handy.

What will you be working on next? Do you have plans for another book?

I’m currently working on a novel about Louis XIV’s first love, Marie Mancini. Based on the alignment of the stars at her birth, she was destined to disgrace her family in a most spectacular fashion, but ended up shaping the world’s most powerful monarch. It’s loosely titled “Inamorata: A Novel of Enchantment at the Sun King's Court.”

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