‘Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’
~ Emma Lazarus: ‘The New Colossus’ (1883)
Thank you, Lady Liberty.
While I wrote Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva I kept a postcard of the Statue of Liberty in the drawer of my bedside table. Telling Godiva’s story took many years and if I ever lost heart, Lady Liberty would always spur me on.
You can imagine my joy at NAKED being published by St Martin’s Press in New York and the official release day being 14 July 2015. 14 July is Bastille Day, commemorating the beginning of the French Revolution. It was, of course, the French people who gave the beautiful statue to the people of New York to celebrate American Independence.
As a symbol of sovereignty, Lady Liberty continues to inspire me. I’ve always been passionate about the American dream and I’m so grateful to be sharing it too.
NAKED: A Novel of Lady Godiva can be found at all good bookstores and online. May Lady Godiva inspire you to a life of love and freedom.
Wishing you ‘Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite’,
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