December 30, 2025 • 42 mins
We’re closing out 2025 with our final Reese’s Book Club Pick of the year: Rebecca Armitage’s The Heir Apparent. Rebecca and our host, Danielle, get into all the goss you could ever want – from the real-life royal parallels in Rebecca’s debut novel, to who would make the best influencer IRL – and dig into questions that will absolutely guide us into the new year. What does inheritance look like, when you’re not from a family dripping in jewels? How do you reconcile power and love? And if no one will see your art… should you still make it?
BOOKS MENTIONED
The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Karen's Wish (Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Super Special #1) by Ann M. Martin
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
On Writing by Stephen King
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bookmarked by Terese's book Club is presented by Apple Books. Hi,
I'm Danielle Robe and welcome to Bookmarked by Terese's book Club.
It's our final episode of the year. How did that happen?
We launched this show in June and all of a sudden,
it's the end of December. You know, it only felt
(00:23):
right to close things out with our December pick, The
Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage because it's a story that
quite literally begins on New Year's Eve, So here's a
quick little refresher. We meet our heroin Lexi, as she's
living this adventurous life as a doctor, and she also
happens to be the granddaughter of the Queen of England.
When a tragic accident suddenly puts her directly in line
(00:45):
for the throne, Lexi's forced to confront a future that
she never asks for, and she's deciding whether she's willing
to accept it or not. So, yes, it takes us
inside the British monarchy. Yes, there are tiaras and palaces
and jaw dropping privilege, but at the center of this
story is Lexi, who's staring down a life that looks
(01:07):
perfect on paper, but is asking herself a very real question,
what if this life isn't the life I want? And
that's what makes this book such a great year ender.
Beneath the royal drama, it's really about reflection and agency
and that quiet panic that comes from realizing that you
might be living somebody else's plan. I know I've felt
(01:30):
that panic, and Lexi isn't trying to blow up the monarchy.
She's just trying to imagine a future where she gets
to choose herself. The book is sharp and escapist, and
it's surprisingly relatable, and as we all stand on the
edge of a new year thinking about what we want
to keep and what we want to release and who
(01:50):
we want to become, it feels like exactly the right
story to sit with. So if this season has you
thinking less about letting life happen more about choosing what
comes next, you're in the right place. Let's turn the
page with Rebecca Armitage. Rebecca Armitage, Welcome to the club.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Thank you so much. It's a huge honor. I still
comp believe it.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
We are so excited for you. I'm so excited for you.
The book is so so good, and it's a story
all about a woman stepping into her power, which who
doesn't want to read about that? Right? But it has
like another layer because it's about this woman becoming the
heir and owning the crown that comes with it. And
there are definitely a few nods to real life royals
(02:36):
or at least inspired moments. Shall I say so? I
want to ask you something fun to start off with.
Which princess are you most like? Are you most like
Princess Diana of Wales, Princess Catherine, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales,
Princess Charlotte, the next Generation Spark or Princess Anne officially
(02:59):
titled the Princess Royal who.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
I don't think I bring princess vibes at all, But
if I had to choose, I'd probably go Princess Anne,
just because, particularly in her youth, when she was a
little bit mouthy, and she was a little bit out
of control, and she was a little bit impatient. Like
I think if I ever found myself as a princess,
that's how I would be. I would not be able
to bring the elegance that Kate brings.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
I just would mess it up, I think, And that's
what I love about Anne Is.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
She's such a spitfire and she just does whatever she
wants and it's paid off.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Everyone loves her.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
She has this no nonsense attitude. And wasn't she an
Olympic equestrian.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
I think that's what's so cool about her is she
had a passion and she dedicated her life to that.
And I think it took a long time for the
British people to understand her because she was very.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Much like her father.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
She was very impatient and she would just pop off
at people. But she was such a hard worker and
remain such a hard worker, and I think people were like, oh, no,
I get her now. She's just utterly herself and she
does the job perfectly. But she doesn't pretend.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Ever, no pretense, no pretending, no nonsense. I like that
about you.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Well, hopefully all my best days.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Well we'll see. By the end of the interview, I'll
let you know what I think.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yes, Pleaster, So you.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Described this book as a modern day fairy tale, but
for our protagonist Lexi, it begins with a major family
tragedy and her getting pushed back into the world that
she doesn't really want to be in. And I wrote
this down you say that the question that the book
answers is really is she going to step into this
throne that she was given? Like she's the only person
(04:36):
that's really standing in her own way. Which is interesting
because I think in other fairy tales that I've seen,
it's like the evil queen or a man or somebody
is in their way. But in your book, Lexi is
in her own way. So how do you describe a
fairy tale?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I think there's different versions and different understandings of fairy tales.
Like if you think of a Disney fairy tale that
is so different from Grimm's Brother's fairy tale, Like if
you go back to the origins of the story, they're
so dark and they're full of terrors, and they were
conceived to warn children about the dangers of going into
the forest, like that.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Was the purpose they served.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
So it was like, if you stray from the family home,
this is what's going to happen. So I think I
think most fairy tales are built around someone leaving the
comfort of their home and encountering dangers, but also encountering
the thing that's going to make them who they are,
and they have to overcome obstacles they have to fight
against their enemies. But in the case of Lexi, yes
(05:37):
she's got an evil uncle, but the biggest thing she
has to overcome is her past traumas, is her sense
of self, is her fear of being in love. She
really is waging this battle not against dragons or against
an evil queen. It's against her own demons in a way.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
What do you think makes it modern?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Obviously the setting is contemporary, it's set in the current day,
but the forces that she's fighting against a modern media
environment where she's got the tabloids chasing her and twisting
her words. There are members of her family who are
leaking secrets against her, so she's really fighting against a
media narrative rather than a dragon. There are fantastical elements.
(06:19):
It's glamorous and there's designer clothes and they're hanging around castles,
but it's happening in this world and she's dealing with
the things that every young woman who's coming to her
thirtieth birthday.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Is dealing with.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
You know, I was really excited when I closed the
book and I learned that you were a journalist. I
heard that the first big royal event that you covered
was Harry and Magan's wedding back in twenty eighteen. And
I think that as Americans we have this absolute fascination
with the monarchy because we're so removed from it. Will
you give us the gasset? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Look, I'm not part of the royal rota, which is
like the press pool that follows the royal around that's
only open to British journalists. So I do it from afar.
And I truly believe that no journalists will hold back
a secret.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
They can't. They can't do it.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Like, if a journalist know something, they will tell you,
because that's just in our nature. We're not discreete people.
We are terrible with secrets. So even if they manage
it for a few months, eventually they will tell someone
who will tell someone. It'll end up in a group chat.
So I'd say, like, if you read everything, you probably
pretty much know everything. Like stories are definitely twisted and
information is posed in a certain way to control the narrative.
(07:33):
But I don't think much is being held back from us.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Can I ask you your takes on certain royals?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yes, of course?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Okay, which royal gives you mean character energy? In real life?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Harry? I think Harry.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah, Harry was born to be a prince. Like I think,
if you think about that, it is a job.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
He's so good at his job. He's such a good prince.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
He is handsome, he's charming, he's amazing with children, he's hilarious,
he's extroverted, so he gets.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Energy from those events.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
So I really think, Wow, he was a real loss
when they I think, whatever you think about you know,
there's obviously very strong opinions about Harry and Meghan, but
I think I was just startled that they allowed them
to leave, because they were just such assets to the
family and I just couldn't believe that you would let
your two most charismatic main characters go.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Yeah, you're right, they really were the main characters.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
I think it's very clear that the House of Windsor
is often torn apart by jealousy, and I think that
the fact that they had such star power did not
sit well with It's hard to say if it's royals
or the people that work for them, but I think
that they were seen as a threat by a lot
of people because they've got every front page. Every time
they had an event, people came out to see them,
(08:52):
and I think If you don't have that, it can
be quite threatening.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Which royal do you think should be an influencer?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
I actually think it would have been amazing if Diana
had lived. For many reasons, but I think she would
have meant, she would have just owned that game. Like
can you imagine if she had an Instagram account? It
would just be incredible.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Incredible, well said, Okay, you know how the other royals
have all these fabulous hats whose hat game is on point.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I think that Beatrice and Eugeny, like, look, they're not
hats I would wear.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I don't know really a hat wearer, but I.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Just think it just brings me so much joy every
time they come out and they're just wearing the most elaborate.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Headpieces that just they're like six foot tool.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
It's just amazing, Like that's the energy you want a
princess to bring, right, It's just like a big hat.
So I pay full credit to their hat game.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Now, you could have written about so many things. What
about the royals personally fascinates you.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I think families are fascinating because families have a way
of stripping us of our dignity and our sophistication, whether
it's the family that raised you or the family that
you built. They know you better than anyone, and they've
seen you in your worst moments. They've seen you throwing
up and sick, and it's hard for you to put
on that face that we present to the world like
(10:11):
they know you. But the thing with the royal family
is that they're not just a family. They have to
present this image of perfection. Like they don't just have
constitutional responsibilities, they have social responsibilities, and that is to
basically model the perfect.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Family for the masses.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
And that's kind of an impossible ask, particularly under the
conditions they're in because they are under a spotlight, everyone's
watching everything they do. They're ranked against each other, and
I think that just goes against human nature to know
that your brother is more important to the family because
he was born first. Like, I just think that does
something to a relationship. So for me, it's just like
(10:49):
they are just like us, but they are told that
they are better than us, And I think what that
does to the human brain is just so fascinating.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
When you say they're told they're better than us, you
mean like because they live in a castle, or do
you think they're actually told that.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Yeah, I think they are, and I think every time
sometimes they're like, oh, no, you know, just call me William.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
I'm just like you.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
But it's they are told that they have been chosen
by God, like whether they will admit to it or not.
Their role within society is that they've been chosen by
God and to be held above all other families. And
if you're the monarch in particularly, it's in the documents
that God has chosen you to be his representative on earth.
So I don't know how you execute those duties and
(11:32):
dedicate your life to that position if a part of
you doesn't secretly believe that's true, because otherwise why would
you do it?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
It would be like a lie.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
I just it would be so stressful. And I think
that's the problem for Lexi is I think deep down
she's not quite sure if that's true. And I think
that's what she really struggles with because she thinks, well,
this is just an ancient institution that continues on. I
don't believe that we are better than other people.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
She has a little more self awareness.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, well, she's had time away and her mother dies
when she's young, and I think that really sweeps away
a lot of her illusions and she starts to question everything,
and that's why she leaves, is because she I don't
think she can hold up the illusion anymore.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Three of them mean female characters are Lexi who's our protagonist, Amirah,
and Ayla. Where these characters modeled after any specific princesses.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yes, yeah, absolutely, I openly admit that I used the
scaffolding of the House of Windsor to build the fictional
House Civiliers. So every character has a real life royal
that they're.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Very loosely modeled on.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So Eiler is very, very obviously Diana and just in
the broad strokes, like, I've written a lot about her,
so I know a lot about her, But I ultimately
think that these people are unknowable to us, like we
don't really know who they were as human beings. We
know their iconic image and you can read a lot
about them get a sense of the person, but their
true selves don't.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Belong to us.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
She belongs to Harry and William and the people that
knew her. But yes, Eiler is definitely Diana. Lexi, weirdly
is based on a royal from the sixteenth century called
Lady Jane Gray, who was queen for about two weeks
when she was sixteen. It was a period where there
wasn't an obvious heir, so she was just kind of
(13:24):
pushed to the front by her husband and her father,
and she ruled for two weeks and then she was executed,
and it was just such a tragedy because she was
this really smart girl. She spoke twelve languages, and if
the conditions had been different, she probably would have been
a great queen, but she was just sort of at
the mercy of the.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Men around her.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
And then Amerror I really wanted the experience of an outsider,
a commoner who marries into the family. So she's not
Megan and Kate, but I definitely read a lot about
their experiences to build that character.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
So I think it first glance, people might feel like
it's giving Princess diaries little bit. Obviously, we have the title,
which is the heir apparent, and then there's the first line,
which I don't know, should I read it or you
read it, because it's an amazing first line.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
You read it, I want to hear you read it.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Okay, so you write I was about to kiss my
best friend when the helicopter came. It feels very romance,
doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Yeah, And I'm like unapologetic about the fact that this
is a love story. Yeah, And it will be aspirational
and it will be juicy, and I talk about clothes
and I love all that stuff, and I think often
women are interested in that stuff and it is dismissed
as frivolous as a result. And I often find the
same with royal reporting, like it is dismissed as a
(14:43):
silly bait of journalism all the time.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
The only thing, though, is that like you would think
that this book is romance and whimsical, but it's actually
like way more complicated and a little dark sometimes. And
I think at the heart of the book is the
battle halfen waged in the media, which you're a part of.
What was it like writing this from the other side
or other perspective.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
I think it was.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Me probably working out the complexities of the industry I
work in.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
And I think with royal reporting, like.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I'm not deep in it in the Rota, so I'm
not talking to courts and I'm not talking to royals,
like I'm very much removed from that and so just
reporting on it from afar. But it just became quite
obvious to me that way royal reporting works. Like, Harry
really likes People magazine and so his people often talk
to people, So then you get this sense if Harry
(15:39):
or a source close to Harry's quoted and people, you
can take that to the bank that that is Harry's perspective.
And then Charles really likes the UK time, So if
a source close to Charles is saying something in that,
then you know that's probably come from either him or
someone close to him. And then you realize that they're
talking to each other. So Harry's talking to his father
and then his father is responding, and so it's just
(16:02):
the most bizarre form of journalism where you are kind
of like a carrier pigeon between these two royals who
won't just pick up the phone and talk to each other.
They are transporting secret messages via the media and they're
trying to control each other's narrative. And once you understand that,
then you can kind of understand the language.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
With which they speak and you can see what's going on.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
But if you're just a casual reader, you're not going
to pick that up. And I have real ethical concerns
about that because I think if you hear the way
people talk about Megan and Harry, they've obviously just casually
read things here and there, and they've just taken that
as God's spell, and it's like, no, there's a certain
person who wants you to believe that, and if you
just casually dip in and out, you might succumb to
(16:47):
lives or mythstruths or half truths. And so I think, yeah,
for me, definitely, this was me grappling with the industry
that I work in and the limits and the way
we don't always tell the audience the full truth, and
what is the ethic of that.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I'm personally so curious about how you had to transition
your writing because news rating it's very to the point,
and writing a novel, especially fiction, is very different. Did
you have to kind of relearn how to write for
this genre? Did it come naturally? And average news stories
about seven hundred words? So I said, I'll write seven
hundred words a night because I know I can do that,
(17:26):
and if I just keep going, eventually a novel will
be there. How long did it take you to write it?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
The first draft took six months. I don't know how
I did it. Because I was working all day and
I have a job where sometimes you're woken up in
the middle of the night or you know, something happens
and then everyone's got to jump on a call and
figure it out. So I don't really know how I
did it. I just had this burst of creative energy
that will probably never happen again. But I was just
so I was so in the zone that I just
(17:54):
It was from eight pm to ten pm, and I
just and I think because I'm so deadline oriented as
a journalist, it was like, well, at ten pm, I
have to stop, so I better get my seven hundred
words in.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I remember one time reading a tidbit from Jennifer Garner,
and her tip for working out was just get on
the treadmill and walk for ten minutes, because usually you'll
end up walking longer even running. And it made me
think of what you just said, which is like, just
get on your computer in your journal and write, you know,
two hundred words or three hundred words, and you'll end
up with a whole book.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Because I think writer's block is often just you're uncomfortable
or you don't really know what to do next, and
so you just back away. But I think, just write
one sentence and doesn't even have to be good, just
write it and then usually be like, okay, I've just
write one more and then you're going. So you just
have to push through that initial discomfort and I think
you'll get there.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Was there ever a moment where you had to toil
between fact and fiction? And when I say that, I mean,
did you write anything that was too close to the
truth and you had to pull back and sort of
reimagine it?
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah, because I definitely pretty much every anecdote in the book,
particularly in the first half, is based in fact. So
I say that Lexi's father got in trouble because he
took a helicopter from London to Cambridge when he could
have taken like a bus, a train, a car, like
literally anything. And that's something that Prince Andrew did. And
(19:18):
there's a scene where Bertie cuts her friend's ear with
a sword because she's drunk and she's drunkenly nighting him.
Beatrice did that to ed Sheeran King Charles apparently has
someone who squeezes his toothpaste onto his toothbrush. I just
wanted the limits to be I could use those fun
little things. But when it came to really serious stuff
and the family law that had to be fictional. You know,
(19:41):
they're ultimately still real people, and I don't want to
invade anyone's privacy, you know, with Princess Diana, Princess Ayla,
who was her inspiration, she dies in a boat accident.
I was never going to do a car accident because
I think Princess Diana is still very alive in the
minds of people, and I didn't want to, you know,
think of a real family's trauma in a way.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, and that's very kind.
I know that you are a digital editor, so I
wouldn't expect anything less. But you did an epic book
rollout on Instagram.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
It is so good. I just for everybody if they
haven't seen it. Rebecca did this rollout on Instagram, and
you partnered with your publisher to do a many part
series about each step it takes to bring a book
into being, which there are so many fabulous writers and
hopeful writers that listen to our podcast, and so I
actually recommend that they go watch this series because it's
(20:39):
everything from writing it to getting an agent, to the
cover process to getting it onto bookshelves and in bookstores.
You really demystify it all. Where did this idea come from.
I've never seen anyone do this.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
It was Lizzie who works at Hapacolin's Australia. It was
her idea.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
She's the social media manager there, so she's brilliant and
it was so smart because I was talking to them
that often we talk about social media in the news
because that's where audiences are now and you have to
meet people where they are. And I had noticed as
they had, that when you do behind the scenes content
that does really well because people just want to know
(21:15):
how things are made. They want to know how it
all comes to be. They want a little glimpse behind
the curtain. So that was really their brilliant idea and
I learnt a lot like because I'm very new to
this and so for me, I had no idea how
half these things happened as well. So it's like you
can all learn from things.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
If you could share one piece of advice or tidbit
to somebody who has dreams of publishing, is there something
you learned in this process that you would pass on.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I think my biggest takeaway because you know I'm going
to be a first time published author at forty and
that's great, and I think that things happen when they're
meant to happen. But I do think I probably delayed
things a lot because I just didn't have the confidence
to do it and I didn't think i'd be able.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
To do it.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
So I had the idea for The Air Apparent from
probably about twenty eighteen, and I didn't write it until
twenty twenty three, so there was a five year period
where I was thinking about it, and obviously COVID happened,
so I was like kind of busy and things were crazy.
But I don't think I wrote it until I got
to the point where I was like, if I don't
write this, it's always going to be in my mind.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
It's going to be haunting my dreams. You know.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I'm in the shower and I'm thinking about it. It
was just kind of stalking me.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
And was it the number forty? Was it your fortieth
birthday or what was it?
Speaker 2 (22:28):
That?
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Not Cima, But I think.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I think it just got to a point where I
was thinking of nothing else and it was clearly not
going away, so I thought, if nothing else.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I just have to write it.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
So it exists outside of myself, and have no aspirations
to get it published, but just so that it exists.
And I think with all art that is the main
goal is it just needs to exist. And I think
my fear was that I would fail, that I would
write three chapters and then I would give up, or
that I would write it and then I might try
and get it published and it wouldn't happen, and that
would be so heartbreaking to have tried and to have failed.
(23:04):
So I think my advice is just do it like
you never know, but the act of making it is
the most important thing. Like the night I finished the
first draft is still the biggest moment for me because
I did something that I was for years too scared
to do. So I think you just have to write
your thing, and you need to write every day or
as close to every day as possible. That's not possible
(23:25):
for everyone if you've got you know, children or unpredictable shifts,
but it needs to be a practice and that needs
to be a part of your life. So just write
and then worry about the logistics later. But don't think, oh,
I'm not going to do it, because hardly anyone gets published.
You just never know, and you're not going to know
until you try.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
On Instagram today, and I'm sharing this because you're from Australia,
there was an Australian marathon and there was an eighty
year old man who signed up and when asked why
he signed up to complete it, which he did, he said,
I wanted to show all my grandkids to get over
their f of their fear of failure. Yes, which I
love it, and you got over yours.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Are you going to die thinking, oh I could have tried.
Our time on Earth is so fleeting. You don't want
to waste time. And I honestly think that even if
you write a novel and it's never published, that's still
an accomplishment to have written a novel. So don't let
practicality and fear and logistics get in the way. Like,
just make your thing and then just see what happens.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
You know, my grandfather passed away and he had three
film scripts that he never did anything with. But I
have them and they're so special to me, and so
I totally agree with you. Even if they're not published,
it's such an accomplishment.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, and now you have that connection forever, like that's
so beautiful. It doesn't have to be in book form
or film form to be real art. Art is the
thing that you make for yourself. And the magic of
what your grandfather has done is it's now with you. Like,
that's all you need to worry about. The rest might happen,
but it might not, It doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
What's so cool is that the magic of what you
you've written is going to be in so many people's hands.
I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I still can't believe it. I still can't believe I've
got a book deal. I'm still emotionally back there.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
I just imagine people reading this on a train on
the beach in bed, and it's like, those are your words.
It's amazing.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
The idea of people being transported and entertained and you know,
staying up for one more chapter.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
That's all I want. That's all I want. That's so amazing.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yeah. I love asking our guests each week what they've bookmarked.
It can be a poem, a quote, a weird fact,
something that you've saved on Instagram. Rebecca, what have you
bookmarked this week?
Speaker 2 (25:40):
I bookmarked a recipe. Actually it's kind of old, but
I highly recommend it. It's also a Lamne by Molly Bars,
and it's one of those recipes where if you've got
nothing in your pantry and nothing in your fridge, you
can make dinner.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
So you just.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Basically need a packet of also a lemon and a
little bit of parmesan, and you have a delicious meal.
So I highly recommend it because it just will save
you when you come home and you're like, oh my god,
what am I going to do?
Speaker 3 (26:06):
What am I going to make? You can make dinner.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
That's so fun and easy and spoken like a true
journalist that has no time on her hands exactly. So
I want to dig into the book. Eila is obviously
giving Diana her daughter LEXI. I know you said she's
Lady Jane Gray, but there was like kind of Prince
(26:32):
Harry codes a little bit. There is the story kind
of like what if Prince Harry was thrown a rope
and given a way out? What would have happened. I
feel like you were imagining that.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
The first seed of the book was I was asked
to collate some vision I think of Harry and Meghan's
wedding preparations, and at that point I didn't really know
much about royalty at all, So that was back in
twenty eighteen, and it was very clear that they were
love and he was thrilled to marry her. But there
are a couple occasions where he had this look on
(27:05):
his face where he looked really stressed or really upset
about something. And I now think that he, like Diana,
has no poker face. You can always see what he's
feeling and thinking on his face.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Is just one of those people.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
And I was like, Oh, that's weird. He just looks
really worried about something. And it planted the seed where
I thought, what happens if you're royal but you don't
want it? Are you allowed to leave? How does that work?
And that was the first idea for the book. So
Harry's intricately involved in the conception of the book, and
then obviously he went through with it and he stepped
(27:37):
back as a working royal, and then I had this
real life case study of what happens to a person
when they do that, which I was not expecting, but
it was obviously incredibly valuable to.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Me as a journalist and a writer to do.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
I had this idea and then I saw it literally
happening to a person, but I think it was ultimately
for me. I think there's this bargain you make with royalty,
even though you're born into it, so you don't really
get a choice. Where in exchange for privilege, money, fame, jewels, everything,
you have to let people into your life and let
(28:10):
them follow you, and your wedding needs to be televised
and when your children are chriscentificate about you. Yeah, that
is the exchange. And what Harry did was say I'm
not interested in this exchange anymore, and he stepped back.
And I think the anger from sections of the public
was really telling because they felt like he'd broken that
(28:31):
agreement with them.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
But what did you have to change in the book?
Because Lexi's obviously a woman, so there is like added
things to grapple with, added elements. I would say, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I think I wanted it to be a woman because
I felt more comfortable running from the perspective of women firstly,
but I also really wanted to play with the idea
that I think as little girls, we are taught that
being a princess is the ultimate status you could ever achieve,
Like we watched Disney movies and fairy tales and all this.
It's just so steeped in our culture that there is
(29:03):
no greater status as a woman than being a princess.
So what happens if a princess is like, I don't
want this, I don't want anything to do with this.
What is the vitriol that she's going to face. She's
going to be completely slammed by the press, She's going
to be smeared. So I really wanted to play with
that idea of what happens when you're given the thing
that we are all told to.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Want and you don't want it.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
And I do think that the way women are treated
in the tabloids was worthy of exploration as well, the
way they treat her weight loss and weight gain, the
way she's just picked over as public property.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
And well, to your point, one of the themes that
stuck out to me was appearance as armor, and especially
for female characters. It's very clear when the royals do it.
I think women do it on a daily basis, regardless
of if the royals or not. What are you saying
about all of us?
Speaker 2 (29:56):
That's why there's a lot of talk about outfits in
the book. I talk about clothes a lot, not just
because I enjoy fashion, but because I think that is
like a weapon that royal women wield, and it's often
the only weapon they have. They can't do interviews that often,
they can't do television interviews, they can't really write books,
they can't release pressure releases, they can't go on Instagram
(30:19):
live and you know, speak their truth like they often
they're told that they never complain, never explain, so they
have to communicate their messages in other ways, and often
that is through clothes, and you can see that, like
you can tell sometimes Princess Kate will wear an outfit
where she you almost can't see her.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
There was a Christmas a few years ago where she was.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Wearing this dark green hat and coat and she faded
into the background to the point where you actually kind
of missed her in the photo. And that was the
deliberate choice that whatever was happening that year, she wanted
to be in the background. And then sometimes she'll wear
a really bright color and she'll be in the foreground,
and those choices are made very deliberately, and I think
we all do that as well, you know, and I
(31:00):
think particularly for women, if you go to work, you
think well.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Is this skirt too short? Is this jacket too tight?
Speaker 2 (31:06):
What does this say about me? And it's not what
you think of you, it's how other people are going
to interpret you. So we're all speaking a language with
our clothes.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Well, I think another idea in your book it has inheritance.
So even if you're not royal or don't have money
or jewels coming to you, we all inherit legacy. And
I realize that legacy is more about what you leave
in people than what you live for them, and we
all have that from our bloodlines. I can feel the
pride when you talk about this book, and I'm wondering
(31:37):
what you've inherited from your mom that she'd be proud
of you sharing in this world.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I definitely inherited from her a love of reading. I
had the chicken pox when I was five or six,
and she bought me a Babysitters Little Sister Club book
and that was meant to last me the week, and
I read it in a day, and she was like, Oh,
I think I have a reader. And she loves reading,
and she's got no ego about what she reads. It's
just she's always got a book going. She probably reads
(32:03):
two books a week. I was allowed to borrow any
book I wanted from the library. Like she basically said
to them, whatever she wants, it's fine. So I read
like Silence of the Lambs when I was eleven or twelve,
which is probably a little bit inappropriate, but she was like,
you're reading, That's all I want from you. And I
think reading is how you learn to become a writer.
So this absolutely would not have happened if she had
not bought me that Babysitter's Little Sister book.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
That's amazing. I wrote down so many questions when I
was reading your book, and not questions about the book,
but questions that the book left with me that I
wanted to start asking my cell for my friends are considering.
Can I read you a few of them to see
if you meant if you meant for these or not?
Of course, okay, So I wrote down, what does it
(32:47):
mean to inherit power you didn't ask for?
Speaker 2 (32:51):
I think it can be incredibly dangerous. I think inherited
power is probably a scourge on the earth and probably
shouldn't happen because power should be something that is bestowed
upon people who have sought it and campaigned for it
and who have made a reasonable argument for why they
(33:12):
should be entrusted with it.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Speaking of power, my next one was, can you ever
truly reckon, say a love and power?
Speaker 2 (33:18):
I think it's really hard. I think they are in
many ways polar opposites.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Of each other.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I think, you know, tyranny and love are probably polar opposites.
But power can so easily slip into tyranny, you know,
So I think I don't think that you have to
sacrifice love to get power or sacrifice power to get love,
but I think it can be probably one of the
most difficult things a human being can do. But then
you look at the Obamas and they have both, so
(33:46):
it is definitely possible. But I think it's a negotiation
and there's probably a lot of sacrifice on both parts.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
And lastly, what does it cost to tell the truth?
Speaker 2 (33:56):
I think it can cost you everything that you have,
But I think that secrets can also make us really sick,
and holding onto secrets, it's like it festers inside you,
and sometimes the only option you have is to tell
the truth, even though it's going to cost you a lot.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Did writing this book change you in any way? Do
you feel like a different person from manuscript to published author.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
I think it's probably made me a more confident person,
because I think the lack of confidence was the thing
holding me back from writing it in the first place.
So I think I've lost a lot of fear. One
of the things you find when you write a book
is that when you tell people, they're like, oh, I've
always run it to write a book, or I've got
this manuscript and now I'm like, you've just got to
do it and you've just got to try, which was
(34:44):
probably not my vibe before this. So I think it's
definitely changed my outlook on life in the sense that
I'm like, you just have to take the risk, because
you don't want to get to the end of your
life and realize that you never gave it a shot.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Rebecca Armitage, published author, journalist, an inspirational speaker.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
I'm adding a tight sure, I'll take that.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Okay. So we are coming up on the end of
our conversation, which means it's time for speed read. I'm
gonna see how many rapid fire literary questions you can
get through. Okay, are you ready?
Speaker 3 (35:17):
I'm ready?
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Okay? Three? Two one? Who is your favorite fictional royal? Family.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Ooh, I really love the Princess Diaries. I want to
live in Genovia. I want her to be my grandmother.
Like it's just yeah, send me there right now.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Okay. Your favorite book about journalism or media?
Speaker 2 (35:37):
I look, it's it's the one everyone reaches four. But
there's a book called It's Actually an It's about being
an author, really, but Stephen King's on writing was so
fundamental to me as a journalist, and just the way
he breaks things down so practically. So if you want
to be a journalist or a writer write anything at all,
(35:58):
I highly recommend that book.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
What book do you wish you could read again for
the first time?
Speaker 2 (36:03):
I love a book called The Lost Flowers of Alice
Hart by Holly Ringland. It's about a young woman who
grows up in a domestic violence riven family and then
she tries to break that cycle.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
It's the most beautifully written book.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Who is your Desert Island Author? Who are you reading
for the rest of your life?
Speaker 2 (36:21):
I'm going to take with me Daphne du Maurier.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Favorite fictional character one that you think you're secretly most like.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Ooh, I think I'm a lot actually like the Unnamed
narrator in.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
The book Rebecca, which I was your name.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
See, yeah, I was actually named after the book Rebecca.
But Rebecca, yeah, she's she doesn't actually appear in the
book Rebecca. She's long past and it's the new Missus
de Winter, but she's she's this all seeing character who
thinks that she's not worthy and she lacks a lot
of confidence and then she slowly, slowly grows up. So
(36:59):
I've that's one of my favorite books and I always
identify with that unnamed woman.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
What's her book that shaped the way you see the world?
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Probably there's an Australian book called Boys Swallows Universe by
Trent Dalton, and it's considered Australia's great novel.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
It's about a young journalist.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Actually he grew up in the suburbs of Brisbane and
he eventually became a crime writer and it's just the
most beautifully written book and it's totally shaped my view
of Australian.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Of the world. You have ten minutes in a bookstore.
Where are you headed?
Speaker 2 (37:26):
First, I'm going to new releases, Then I'm going to
the romance section. Then I'm going to the desk to
ask for recommendations.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Have you ever recommended a book to somebody without ever
reading it.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
I don't think so, because I would be scared that
I'd done the wrong thing, so I try not to.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Who would narrate your memoir audiobook?
Speaker 2 (37:45):
I'm going to pick Helen Mirren just because I love
her voice.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
Yeah, love. I thought you were going to say Naomi
Watts because you guys kind of look alike, but Helen
Maren is so iconic.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Yeah, well, thank you. Naomi Wats is everything, So thank
you for that.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Absolutely, Rebecca, this book is so fabulous and so fun
and I'm so excited for everybody to read it. So
thank you so much for joining.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Us, Thank you for having me on It's an Onna.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
In the very first episode, I told you that I
loved great shoes and great books because they both take
us places. And honestly, the books and authors and actors
and artists that we've talked to this season have taken
us everywhere emotionally, intellectually, occasionally existentially. And one of my
biggest takeaways from almost every author we've spoken to is this,
(38:43):
so many of them carried a book in their heart
for years before ever writing it, and once they finally did,
every single one said it was life changing, no regrets,
no looking back, just the thought of why didn't I
do this sooner? So, if you have a story in
you right down, and if the thing on your heart
isn't a story, maybe it's building a family or a business,
(39:05):
or finally sending that email that you've been drafting in
your notes out for three years. Let's make this the
year you take a step toward it. Small counts, nervous,
it counts googling, how do I even start? Absolutely counts.
I actually did that the other day. I just think
it's all about taking small steps towards something bigger. And
that brings me to this idea of being legendary. Someone
(39:28):
said that word the other day and I decided to
look up the Latin root, which is lager, and it
means things to be read. Can you believe that? So
in the Middle Ages it referred to stories about the
lives of saints that were read aloud during religious services,
stories legends. Being legendary isn't about being louder or bigger
or more online. It's about being lasting. It's the quiet
(39:52):
power of impact, the way something you said, built or
dared keeps rippling through other people's lives long after the
moment has passed. And what things last words and books
and stories and sometimes a good pair of shoes that
they're really made. Well, you know, that's it for this
episode of Bookmarked. Getting to share these stories with you
(40:13):
over the last six months has been such an honor.
I cannot wait to continue learning and laughing with you
in the new year. We have so much fun stuff coming.
I'll see you in twenty twenty six. Stay tuned. If
you want a little bit more from us, come hang
with us on socials. We're at Reese's book Club on Instagram,
(40:36):
serving up books, vibes and behind the scenes magic. And
I'm Danielle Robe rob Ay. Come say hi and DM
me And if you want to go nineties on us,
you can call us. Okay, so our phone line is open,
So call us now at five zero one two nine
to one three three seven nine. That's five zero one
two nine one three three seven nine. Share your literary
(40:59):
hot takes, your book recommendations, oh please show those, and
questions about the monthly pick, or just let us know
what you think about the episode you've just heard, and
who knows, you might just hear yourself in our next episode,
so don't be shy, give us a ring, and of
course make sure to follow Bookmarked by Reese's book Club
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
(41:20):
your shows until then, see you in the next chapter.
Bookmarked is a production of Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts.
It's executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and me Danielle Robey.
Production is by ACAST Creative Studios. Our producers are Matty Foley,
Britney Martinez, and Sarah Schweid. Our production assistant is Avery Loftis.
(41:41):
Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder are the executive producers for
Acast Creative Studios. Maureen Polo and Reese Witherspoon are the
executive producers for Hello Sunshine. Olga Kaminwa, Sarah Kernerman, Kristin
Perla and Ashley Rappaport are associate producers for Reese's book Club.
Ali Perry and Lauren Hanson are the executive users for
iHeart Podcasts.
Bookmarked by Terese's book Club is presented by Apple Books. Hi,
I'm Danielle Robe and welcome to Bookmarked by Terese's book Club.
It's our final episode of the year. How did that happen?
We launched this show in June and all of a sudden,
it's the end of December. You know, it only felt
(00:23):
right to close things out with our December pick, The
Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage because it's a story that
quite literally begins on New Year's Eve, So here's a
quick little refresher. We meet our heroin Lexi, as she's
living this adventurous life as a doctor, and she also
happens to be the granddaughter of the Queen of England.
When a tragic accident suddenly puts her directly in line
(00:45):
for the throne, Lexi's forced to confront a future that
she never asks for, and she's deciding whether she's willing
to accept it or not. So, yes, it takes us
inside the British monarchy. Yes, there are tiaras and palaces
and jaw dropping privilege, but at the center of this
story is Lexi, who's staring down a life that looks
(01:07):
perfect on paper, but is asking herself a very real question,
what if this life isn't the life I want? And
that's what makes this book such a great year ender.
Beneath the royal drama, it's really about reflection and agency
and that quiet panic that comes from realizing that you
might be living somebody else's plan. I know I've felt
(01:30):
that panic, and Lexi isn't trying to blow up the monarchy.
She's just trying to imagine a future where she gets
to choose herself. The book is sharp and escapist, and
it's surprisingly relatable, and as we all stand on the
edge of a new year thinking about what we want
to keep and what we want to release and who
(01:50):
we want to become, it feels like exactly the right
story to sit with. So if this season has you
thinking less about letting life happen more about choosing what
comes next, you're in the right place. Let's turn the
page with Rebecca Armitage. Rebecca Armitage, Welcome to the club.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Thank you so much. It's a huge honor. I still
comp believe it.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
We are so excited for you. I'm so excited for you.
The book is so so good, and it's a story
all about a woman stepping into her power, which who
doesn't want to read about that? Right? But it has
like another layer because it's about this woman becoming the
heir and owning the crown that comes with it. And
there are definitely a few nods to real life royals
(02:36):
or at least inspired moments. Shall I say so? I
want to ask you something fun to start off with.
Which princess are you most like? Are you most like
Princess Diana of Wales, Princess Catherine, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales,
Princess Charlotte, the next Generation Spark or Princess Anne officially
(02:59):
titled the Princess Royal who.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
I don't think I bring princess vibes at all, But
if I had to choose, I'd probably go Princess Anne,
just because, particularly in her youth, when she was a
little bit mouthy, and she was a little bit out
of control, and she was a little bit impatient. Like
I think if I ever found myself as a princess,
that's how I would be. I would not be able
to bring the elegance that Kate brings.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
I just would mess it up, I think, And that's
what I love about Anne Is.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
She's such a spitfire and she just does whatever she
wants and it's paid off.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Everyone loves her.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
She has this no nonsense attitude. And wasn't she an
Olympic equestrian.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
I think that's what's so cool about her is she
had a passion and she dedicated her life to that.
And I think it took a long time for the
British people to understand her because she was very.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Much like her father.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
She was very impatient and she would just pop off
at people. But she was such a hard worker and
remain such a hard worker, and I think people were like, oh, no,
I get her now. She's just utterly herself and she
does the job perfectly. But she doesn't pretend.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Ever, no pretense, no pretending, no nonsense. I like that
about you.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Well, hopefully all my best days.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Well we'll see. By the end of the interview, I'll
let you know what I think.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yes, Pleaster, So you.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Described this book as a modern day fairy tale, but
for our protagonist Lexi, it begins with a major family
tragedy and her getting pushed back into the world that
she doesn't really want to be in. And I wrote
this down you say that the question that the book
answers is really is she going to step into this
throne that she was given? Like she's the only person
(04:36):
that's really standing in her own way. Which is interesting
because I think in other fairy tales that I've seen,
it's like the evil queen or a man or somebody
is in their way. But in your book, Lexi is
in her own way. So how do you describe a
fairy tale?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I think there's different versions and different understandings of fairy tales.
Like if you think of a Disney fairy tale that
is so different from Grimm's Brother's fairy tale, Like if
you go back to the origins of the story, they're
so dark and they're full of terrors, and they were
conceived to warn children about the dangers of going into
the forest, like that.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Was the purpose they served.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
So it was like, if you stray from the family home,
this is what's going to happen. So I think I
think most fairy tales are built around someone leaving the
comfort of their home and encountering dangers, but also encountering
the thing that's going to make them who they are,
and they have to overcome obstacles they have to fight
against their enemies. But in the case of Lexi, yes
(05:37):
she's got an evil uncle, but the biggest thing she
has to overcome is her past traumas, is her sense
of self, is her fear of being in love. She
really is waging this battle not against dragons or against
an evil queen. It's against her own demons in a way.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
What do you think makes it modern?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Obviously the setting is contemporary, it's set in the current day,
but the forces that she's fighting against a modern media
environment where she's got the tabloids chasing her and twisting
her words. There are members of her family who are
leaking secrets against her, so she's really fighting against a
media narrative rather than a dragon. There are fantastical elements.
(06:19):
It's glamorous and there's designer clothes and they're hanging around castles,
but it's happening in this world and she's dealing with
the things that every young woman who's coming to her
thirtieth birthday.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Is dealing with.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
You know, I was really excited when I closed the
book and I learned that you were a journalist. I
heard that the first big royal event that you covered
was Harry and Magan's wedding back in twenty eighteen. And
I think that as Americans we have this absolute fascination
with the monarchy because we're so removed from it. Will
you give us the gasset? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Look, I'm not part of the royal rota, which is
like the press pool that follows the royal around that's
only open to British journalists. So I do it from afar.
And I truly believe that no journalists will hold back
a secret.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
They can't. They can't do it.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Like, if a journalist know something, they will tell you,
because that's just in our nature. We're not discreete people.
We are terrible with secrets. So even if they manage
it for a few months, eventually they will tell someone
who will tell someone. It'll end up in a group chat.
So I'd say, like, if you read everything, you probably
pretty much know everything. Like stories are definitely twisted and
information is posed in a certain way to control the narrative.
(07:33):
But I don't think much is being held back from us.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Can I ask you your takes on certain royals?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yes, of course?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Okay, which royal gives you mean character energy? In real life?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Harry? I think Harry.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah, Harry was born to be a prince. Like I think,
if you think about that, it is a job.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
He's so good at his job. He's such a good prince.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
He is handsome, he's charming, he's amazing with children, he's hilarious,
he's extroverted, so he gets.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Energy from those events.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
So I really think, Wow, he was a real loss
when they I think, whatever you think about you know,
there's obviously very strong opinions about Harry and Meghan, but
I think I was just startled that they allowed them
to leave, because they were just such assets to the
family and I just couldn't believe that you would let
your two most charismatic main characters go.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Yeah, you're right, they really were the main characters.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
I think it's very clear that the House of Windsor
is often torn apart by jealousy, and I think that
the fact that they had such star power did not
sit well with It's hard to say if it's royals
or the people that work for them, but I think
that they were seen as a threat by a lot
of people because they've got every front page. Every time
they had an event, people came out to see them,
(08:52):
and I think If you don't have that, it can
be quite threatening.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Which royal do you think should be an influencer?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
I actually think it would have been amazing if Diana
had lived. For many reasons, but I think she would
have meant, she would have just owned that game. Like
can you imagine if she had an Instagram account? It
would just be incredible.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Incredible, well said, Okay, you know how the other royals
have all these fabulous hats whose hat game is on point.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I think that Beatrice and Eugeny, like, look, they're not
hats I would wear.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I don't know really a hat wearer, but I.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Just think it just brings me so much joy every
time they come out and they're just wearing the most elaborate.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Headpieces that just they're like six foot tool.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
It's just amazing, Like that's the energy you want a
princess to bring, right, It's just like a big hat.
So I pay full credit to their hat game.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Now, you could have written about so many things. What
about the royals personally fascinates you.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I think families are fascinating because families have a way
of stripping us of our dignity and our sophistication, whether
it's the family that raised you or the family that
you built. They know you better than anyone, and they've
seen you in your worst moments. They've seen you throwing
up and sick, and it's hard for you to put
on that face that we present to the world like
(10:11):
they know you. But the thing with the royal family
is that they're not just a family. They have to
present this image of perfection. Like they don't just have
constitutional responsibilities, they have social responsibilities, and that is to
basically model the perfect.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Family for the masses.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
And that's kind of an impossible ask, particularly under the
conditions they're in because they are under a spotlight, everyone's
watching everything they do. They're ranked against each other, and
I think that just goes against human nature to know
that your brother is more important to the family because
he was born first. Like, I just think that does
something to a relationship. So for me, it's just like
(10:49):
they are just like us, but they are told that
they are better than us, And I think what that
does to the human brain is just so fascinating.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
When you say they're told they're better than us, you
mean like because they live in a castle, or do
you think they're actually told that.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Yeah, I think they are, and I think every time
sometimes they're like, oh, no, you know, just call me William.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
I'm just like you.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
But it's they are told that they have been chosen
by God, like whether they will admit to it or not.
Their role within society is that they've been chosen by
God and to be held above all other families. And
if you're the monarch in particularly, it's in the documents
that God has chosen you to be his representative on earth.
So I don't know how you execute those duties and
(11:32):
dedicate your life to that position if a part of
you doesn't secretly believe that's true, because otherwise why would
you do it?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
It would be like a lie.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
I just it would be so stressful. And I think
that's the problem for Lexi is I think deep down
she's not quite sure if that's true. And I think
that's what she really struggles with because she thinks, well,
this is just an ancient institution that continues on. I
don't believe that we are better than other people.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
She has a little more self awareness.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, well, she's had time away and her mother dies
when she's young, and I think that really sweeps away
a lot of her illusions and she starts to question everything,
and that's why she leaves, is because she I don't
think she can hold up the illusion anymore.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Three of them mean female characters are Lexi who's our protagonist, Amirah,
and Ayla. Where these characters modeled after any specific princesses.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yes, yeah, absolutely, I openly admit that I used the
scaffolding of the House of Windsor to build the fictional
House Civiliers. So every character has a real life royal
that they're.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Very loosely modeled on.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So Eiler is very, very obviously Diana and just in
the broad strokes, like, I've written a lot about her,
so I know a lot about her, But I ultimately
think that these people are unknowable to us, like we
don't really know who they were as human beings. We
know their iconic image and you can read a lot
about them get a sense of the person, but their
true selves don't.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Belong to us.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
She belongs to Harry and William and the people that
knew her. But yes, Eiler is definitely Diana. Lexi, weirdly
is based on a royal from the sixteenth century called
Lady Jane Gray, who was queen for about two weeks
when she was sixteen. It was a period where there
wasn't an obvious heir, so she was just kind of
(13:24):
pushed to the front by her husband and her father,
and she ruled for two weeks and then she was executed,
and it was just such a tragedy because she was
this really smart girl. She spoke twelve languages, and if
the conditions had been different, she probably would have been
a great queen, but she was just sort of at
the mercy of the.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Men around her.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
And then Amerror I really wanted the experience of an outsider,
a commoner who marries into the family. So she's not
Megan and Kate, but I definitely read a lot about
their experiences to build that character.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
So I think it first glance, people might feel like
it's giving Princess diaries little bit. Obviously, we have the title,
which is the heir apparent, and then there's the first line,
which I don't know, should I read it or you
read it, because it's an amazing first line.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
You read it, I want to hear you read it.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Okay, so you write I was about to kiss my
best friend when the helicopter came. It feels very romance,
doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Yeah, And I'm like unapologetic about the fact that this
is a love story. Yeah, And it will be aspirational
and it will be juicy, and I talk about clothes
and I love all that stuff, and I think often
women are interested in that stuff and it is dismissed
as frivolous as a result. And I often find the
same with royal reporting, like it is dismissed as a
(14:43):
silly bait of journalism all the time.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
The only thing, though, is that like you would think
that this book is romance and whimsical, but it's actually
like way more complicated and a little dark sometimes. And
I think at the heart of the book is the
battle halfen waged in the media, which you're a part of.
What was it like writing this from the other side
or other perspective.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
I think it was.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Me probably working out the complexities of the industry I
work in.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
And I think with royal reporting, like.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I'm not deep in it in the Rota, so I'm
not talking to courts and I'm not talking to royals,
like I'm very much removed from that and so just
reporting on it from afar. But it just became quite
obvious to me that way royal reporting works. Like, Harry
really likes People magazine and so his people often talk
to people, So then you get this sense if Harry
(15:39):
or a source close to Harry's quoted and people, you
can take that to the bank that that is Harry's perspective.
And then Charles really likes the UK time, So if
a source close to Charles is saying something in that,
then you know that's probably come from either him or
someone close to him. And then you realize that they're
talking to each other. So Harry's talking to his father
and then his father is responding, and so it's just
(16:02):
the most bizarre form of journalism where you are kind
of like a carrier pigeon between these two royals who
won't just pick up the phone and talk to each other.
They are transporting secret messages via the media and they're
trying to control each other's narrative. And once you understand that,
then you can kind of understand the language.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
With which they speak and you can see what's going on.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
But if you're just a casual reader, you're not going
to pick that up. And I have real ethical concerns
about that because I think if you hear the way
people talk about Megan and Harry, they've obviously just casually
read things here and there, and they've just taken that
as God's spell, and it's like, no, there's a certain
person who wants you to believe that, and if you
just casually dip in and out, you might succumb to
(16:47):
lives or mythstruths or half truths. And so I think, yeah,
for me, definitely, this was me grappling with the industry
that I work in and the limits and the way
we don't always tell the audience the full truth, and
what is the ethic of that.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I'm personally so curious about how you had to transition
your writing because news rating it's very to the point,
and writing a novel, especially fiction, is very different. Did
you have to kind of relearn how to write for
this genre? Did it come naturally? And average news stories
about seven hundred words? So I said, I'll write seven
hundred words a night because I know I can do that,
(17:26):
and if I just keep going, eventually a novel will
be there. How long did it take you to write it?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
The first draft took six months. I don't know how
I did it. Because I was working all day and
I have a job where sometimes you're woken up in
the middle of the night or you know, something happens
and then everyone's got to jump on a call and
figure it out. So I don't really know how I
did it. I just had this burst of creative energy
that will probably never happen again. But I was just
so I was so in the zone that I just
(17:54):
It was from eight pm to ten pm, and I
just and I think because I'm so deadline oriented as
a journalist, it was like, well, at ten pm, I
have to stop, so I better get my seven hundred
words in.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I remember one time reading a tidbit from Jennifer Garner,
and her tip for working out was just get on
the treadmill and walk for ten minutes, because usually you'll
end up walking longer even running. And it made me
think of what you just said, which is like, just
get on your computer in your journal and write, you know,
two hundred words or three hundred words, and you'll end
up with a whole book.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Because I think writer's block is often just you're uncomfortable
or you don't really know what to do next, and
so you just back away. But I think, just write
one sentence and doesn't even have to be good, just
write it and then usually be like, okay, I've just
write one more and then you're going. So you just
have to push through that initial discomfort and I think
you'll get there.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Was there ever a moment where you had to toil
between fact and fiction? And when I say that, I mean,
did you write anything that was too close to the
truth and you had to pull back and sort of
reimagine it?
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah, because I definitely pretty much every anecdote in the book,
particularly in the first half, is based in fact. So
I say that Lexi's father got in trouble because he
took a helicopter from London to Cambridge when he could
have taken like a bus, a train, a car, like
literally anything. And that's something that Prince Andrew did. And
(19:18):
there's a scene where Bertie cuts her friend's ear with
a sword because she's drunk and she's drunkenly nighting him.
Beatrice did that to ed Sheeran King Charles apparently has
someone who squeezes his toothpaste onto his toothbrush. I just
wanted the limits to be I could use those fun
little things. But when it came to really serious stuff
and the family law that had to be fictional. You know,
(19:41):
they're ultimately still real people, and I don't want to
invade anyone's privacy, you know, with Princess Diana, Princess Ayla,
who was her inspiration, she dies in a boat accident.
I was never going to do a car accident because
I think Princess Diana is still very alive in the
minds of people, and I didn't want to, you know,
think of a real family's trauma in a way.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, and that's very kind.
I know that you are a digital editor, so I
wouldn't expect anything less. But you did an epic book
rollout on Instagram.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
It is so good. I just for everybody if they
haven't seen it. Rebecca did this rollout on Instagram, and
you partnered with your publisher to do a many part
series about each step it takes to bring a book
into being, which there are so many fabulous writers and
hopeful writers that listen to our podcast, and so I
actually recommend that they go watch this series because it's
(20:39):
everything from writing it to getting an agent, to the
cover process to getting it onto bookshelves and in bookstores.
You really demystify it all. Where did this idea come from.
I've never seen anyone do this.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
It was Lizzie who works at Hapacolin's Australia. It was
her idea.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
She's the social media manager there, so she's brilliant and
it was so smart because I was talking to them
that often we talk about social media in the news
because that's where audiences are now and you have to
meet people where they are. And I had noticed as
they had, that when you do behind the scenes content
that does really well because people just want to know
(21:15):
how things are made. They want to know how it
all comes to be. They want a little glimpse behind
the curtain. So that was really their brilliant idea and
I learnt a lot like because I'm very new to
this and so for me, I had no idea how
half these things happened as well. So it's like you
can all learn from things.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
If you could share one piece of advice or tidbit
to somebody who has dreams of publishing, is there something
you learned in this process that you would pass on.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I think my biggest takeaway because you know I'm going
to be a first time published author at forty and
that's great, and I think that things happen when they're
meant to happen. But I do think I probably delayed
things a lot because I just didn't have the confidence
to do it and I didn't think i'd be able.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
To do it.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
So I had the idea for The Air Apparent from
probably about twenty eighteen, and I didn't write it until
twenty twenty three, so there was a five year period
where I was thinking about it, and obviously COVID happened,
so I was like kind of busy and things were crazy.
But I don't think I wrote it until I got
to the point where I was like, if I don't
write this, it's always going to be in my mind.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
It's going to be haunting my dreams. You know.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I'm in the shower and I'm thinking about it. It
was just kind of stalking me.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
And was it the number forty? Was it your fortieth
birthday or what was it?
Speaker 2 (22:28):
That?
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Not Cima, But I think.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I think it just got to a point where I
was thinking of nothing else and it was clearly not
going away, so I thought, if nothing else.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I just have to write it.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
So it exists outside of myself, and have no aspirations
to get it published, but just so that it exists.
And I think with all art that is the main
goal is it just needs to exist. And I think
my fear was that I would fail, that I would
write three chapters and then I would give up, or
that I would write it and then I might try
and get it published and it wouldn't happen, and that
would be so heartbreaking to have tried and to have failed.
(23:04):
So I think my advice is just do it like
you never know, but the act of making it is
the most important thing. Like the night I finished the
first draft is still the biggest moment for me because
I did something that I was for years too scared
to do. So I think you just have to write
your thing, and you need to write every day or
as close to every day as possible. That's not possible
(23:25):
for everyone if you've got you know, children or unpredictable shifts,
but it needs to be a practice and that needs
to be a part of your life. So just write
and then worry about the logistics later. But don't think, oh,
I'm not going to do it, because hardly anyone gets published.
You just never know, and you're not going to know
until you try.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
On Instagram today, and I'm sharing this because you're from Australia,
there was an Australian marathon and there was an eighty
year old man who signed up and when asked why
he signed up to complete it, which he did, he said,
I wanted to show all my grandkids to get over
their f of their fear of failure. Yes, which I
love it, and you got over yours.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Are you going to die thinking, oh I could have tried.
Our time on Earth is so fleeting. You don't want
to waste time. And I honestly think that even if
you write a novel and it's never published, that's still
an accomplishment to have written a novel. So don't let
practicality and fear and logistics get in the way. Like,
just make your thing and then just see what happens.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
You know, my grandfather passed away and he had three
film scripts that he never did anything with. But I
have them and they're so special to me, and so
I totally agree with you. Even if they're not published,
it's such an accomplishment.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, and now you have that connection forever, like that's
so beautiful. It doesn't have to be in book form
or film form to be real art. Art is the
thing that you make for yourself. And the magic of
what your grandfather has done is it's now with you. Like,
that's all you need to worry about. The rest might happen,
but it might not, It doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
What's so cool is that the magic of what you
you've written is going to be in so many people's hands.
I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I still can't believe it. I still can't believe I've
got a book deal. I'm still emotionally back there.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
I just imagine people reading this on a train on
the beach in bed, and it's like, those are your words.
It's amazing.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
The idea of people being transported and entertained and you know,
staying up for one more chapter.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
That's all I want. That's all I want. That's so amazing.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yeah. I love asking our guests each week what they've bookmarked.
It can be a poem, a quote, a weird fact,
something that you've saved on Instagram. Rebecca, what have you
bookmarked this week?
Speaker 2 (25:40):
I bookmarked a recipe. Actually it's kind of old, but
I highly recommend it. It's also a Lamne by Molly Bars,
and it's one of those recipes where if you've got
nothing in your pantry and nothing in your fridge, you
can make dinner.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
So you just.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Basically need a packet of also a lemon and a
little bit of parmesan, and you have a delicious meal.
So I highly recommend it because it just will save
you when you come home and you're like, oh my god,
what am I going to do?
Speaker 3 (26:06):
What am I going to make? You can make dinner.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
That's so fun and easy and spoken like a true
journalist that has no time on her hands exactly. So
I want to dig into the book. Eila is obviously
giving Diana her daughter LEXI. I know you said she's
Lady Jane Gray, but there was like kind of Prince
(26:32):
Harry codes a little bit. There is the story kind
of like what if Prince Harry was thrown a rope
and given a way out? What would have happened. I
feel like you were imagining that.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
The first seed of the book was I was asked
to collate some vision I think of Harry and Meghan's
wedding preparations, and at that point I didn't really know
much about royalty at all, So that was back in
twenty eighteen, and it was very clear that they were
love and he was thrilled to marry her. But there
are a couple occasions where he had this look on
(27:05):
his face where he looked really stressed or really upset
about something. And I now think that he, like Diana,
has no poker face. You can always see what he's
feeling and thinking on his face.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Is just one of those people.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
And I was like, Oh, that's weird. He just looks
really worried about something. And it planted the seed where
I thought, what happens if you're royal but you don't
want it? Are you allowed to leave? How does that work?
And that was the first idea for the book. So
Harry's intricately involved in the conception of the book, and
then obviously he went through with it and he stepped
(27:37):
back as a working royal, and then I had this
real life case study of what happens to a person
when they do that, which I was not expecting, but
it was obviously incredibly valuable to.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Me as a journalist and a writer to do.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
I had this idea and then I saw it literally
happening to a person, but I think it was ultimately
for me. I think there's this bargain you make with royalty,
even though you're born into it, so you don't really
get a choice. Where in exchange for privilege, money, fame, jewels, everything,
you have to let people into your life and let
(28:10):
them follow you, and your wedding needs to be televised
and when your children are chriscentificate about you. Yeah, that
is the exchange. And what Harry did was say I'm
not interested in this exchange anymore, and he stepped back.
And I think the anger from sections of the public
was really telling because they felt like he'd broken that
(28:31):
agreement with them.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
But what did you have to change in the book?
Because Lexi's obviously a woman, so there is like added
things to grapple with, added elements. I would say, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I think I wanted it to be a woman because
I felt more comfortable running from the perspective of women firstly,
but I also really wanted to play with the idea
that I think as little girls, we are taught that
being a princess is the ultimate status you could ever achieve,
Like we watched Disney movies and fairy tales and all this.
It's just so steeped in our culture that there is
(29:03):
no greater status as a woman than being a princess.
So what happens if a princess is like, I don't
want this, I don't want anything to do with this.
What is the vitriol that she's going to face. She's
going to be completely slammed by the press, She's going
to be smeared. So I really wanted to play with
that idea of what happens when you're given the thing
that we are all told to.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Want and you don't want it.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
And I do think that the way women are treated
in the tabloids was worthy of exploration as well, the
way they treat her weight loss and weight gain, the
way she's just picked over as public property.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
And well, to your point, one of the themes that
stuck out to me was appearance as armor, and especially
for female characters. It's very clear when the royals do it.
I think women do it on a daily basis, regardless
of if the royals or not. What are you saying
about all of us?
Speaker 2 (29:56):
That's why there's a lot of talk about outfits in
the book. I talk about clothes a lot, not just
because I enjoy fashion, but because I think that is
like a weapon that royal women wield, and it's often
the only weapon they have. They can't do interviews that often,
they can't do television interviews, they can't really write books,
they can't release pressure releases, they can't go on Instagram
(30:19):
live and you know, speak their truth like they often
they're told that they never complain, never explain, so they
have to communicate their messages in other ways, and often
that is through clothes, and you can see that, like
you can tell sometimes Princess Kate will wear an outfit
where she you almost can't see her.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
There was a Christmas a few years ago where she was.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Wearing this dark green hat and coat and she faded
into the background to the point where you actually kind
of missed her in the photo. And that was the
deliberate choice that whatever was happening that year, she wanted
to be in the background. And then sometimes she'll wear
a really bright color and she'll be in the foreground,
and those choices are made very deliberately, and I think
we all do that as well, you know, and I
(31:00):
think particularly for women, if you go to work, you
think well.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Is this skirt too short? Is this jacket too tight?
Speaker 2 (31:06):
What does this say about me? And it's not what
you think of you, it's how other people are going
to interpret you. So we're all speaking a language with
our clothes.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Well, I think another idea in your book it has inheritance.
So even if you're not royal or don't have money
or jewels coming to you, we all inherit legacy. And
I realize that legacy is more about what you leave
in people than what you live for them, and we
all have that from our bloodlines. I can feel the
pride when you talk about this book, and I'm wondering
(31:37):
what you've inherited from your mom that she'd be proud
of you sharing in this world.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I definitely inherited from her a love of reading. I
had the chicken pox when I was five or six,
and she bought me a Babysitters Little Sister Club book
and that was meant to last me the week, and
I read it in a day, and she was like, Oh,
I think I have a reader. And she loves reading,
and she's got no ego about what she reads. It's
just she's always got a book going. She probably reads
(32:03):
two books a week. I was allowed to borrow any
book I wanted from the library. Like she basically said
to them, whatever she wants, it's fine. So I read
like Silence of the Lambs when I was eleven or twelve,
which is probably a little bit inappropriate, but she was like,
you're reading, That's all I want from you. And I
think reading is how you learn to become a writer.
So this absolutely would not have happened if she had
not bought me that Babysitter's Little Sister book.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
That's amazing. I wrote down so many questions when I
was reading your book, and not questions about the book,
but questions that the book left with me that I
wanted to start asking my cell for my friends are considering.
Can I read you a few of them to see
if you meant if you meant for these or not?
Of course, okay, So I wrote down, what does it
(32:47):
mean to inherit power you didn't ask for?
Speaker 2 (32:51):
I think it can be incredibly dangerous. I think inherited
power is probably a scourge on the earth and probably
shouldn't happen because power should be something that is bestowed
upon people who have sought it and campaigned for it
and who have made a reasonable argument for why they
(33:12):
should be entrusted with it.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Speaking of power, my next one was, can you ever
truly reckon, say a love and power?
Speaker 2 (33:18):
I think it's really hard. I think they are in
many ways polar opposites.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Of each other.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I think, you know, tyranny and love are probably polar opposites.
But power can so easily slip into tyranny, you know,
So I think I don't think that you have to
sacrifice love to get power or sacrifice power to get love,
but I think it can be probably one of the
most difficult things a human being can do. But then
you look at the Obamas and they have both, so
(33:46):
it is definitely possible. But I think it's a negotiation
and there's probably a lot of sacrifice on both parts.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
And lastly, what does it cost to tell the truth?
Speaker 2 (33:56):
I think it can cost you everything that you have,
But I think that secrets can also make us really sick,
and holding onto secrets, it's like it festers inside you,
and sometimes the only option you have is to tell
the truth, even though it's going to cost you a lot.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Did writing this book change you in any way? Do
you feel like a different person from manuscript to published author.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
I think it's probably made me a more confident person,
because I think the lack of confidence was the thing
holding me back from writing it in the first place.
So I think I've lost a lot of fear. One
of the things you find when you write a book
is that when you tell people, they're like, oh, I've
always run it to write a book, or I've got
this manuscript and now I'm like, you've just got to
do it and you've just got to try, which was
(34:44):
probably not my vibe before this. So I think it's
definitely changed my outlook on life in the sense that
I'm like, you just have to take the risk, because
you don't want to get to the end of your
life and realize that you never gave it a shot.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Rebecca Armitage, published author, journalist, an inspirational speaker.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
I'm adding a tight sure, I'll take that.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Okay. So we are coming up on the end of
our conversation, which means it's time for speed read. I'm
gonna see how many rapid fire literary questions you can
get through. Okay, are you ready?
Speaker 3 (35:17):
I'm ready?
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Okay? Three? Two one? Who is your favorite fictional royal? Family.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Ooh, I really love the Princess Diaries. I want to
live in Genovia. I want her to be my grandmother.
Like it's just yeah, send me there right now.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Okay. Your favorite book about journalism or media?
Speaker 2 (35:37):
I look, it's it's the one everyone reaches four. But
there's a book called It's Actually an It's about being
an author, really, but Stephen King's on writing was so
fundamental to me as a journalist, and just the way
he breaks things down so practically. So if you want
to be a journalist or a writer write anything at all,
(35:58):
I highly recommend that book.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
What book do you wish you could read again for
the first time?
Speaker 2 (36:03):
I love a book called The Lost Flowers of Alice
Hart by Holly Ringland. It's about a young woman who
grows up in a domestic violence riven family and then
she tries to break that cycle.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
It's the most beautifully written book.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Who is your Desert Island Author? Who are you reading
for the rest of your life?
Speaker 2 (36:21):
I'm going to take with me Daphne du Maurier.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Favorite fictional character one that you think you're secretly most like.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Ooh, I think I'm a lot actually like the Unnamed
narrator in.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
The book Rebecca, which I was your name.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
See, yeah, I was actually named after the book Rebecca.
But Rebecca, yeah, she's she doesn't actually appear in the
book Rebecca. She's long past and it's the new Missus
de Winter, but she's she's this all seeing character who
thinks that she's not worthy and she lacks a lot
of confidence and then she slowly, slowly grows up. So
(36:59):
I've that's one of my favorite books and I always
identify with that unnamed woman.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
What's her book that shaped the way you see the world?
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Probably there's an Australian book called Boys Swallows Universe by
Trent Dalton, and it's considered Australia's great novel.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
It's about a young journalist.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Actually he grew up in the suburbs of Brisbane and
he eventually became a crime writer and it's just the
most beautifully written book and it's totally shaped my view
of Australian.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Of the world. You have ten minutes in a bookstore.
Where are you headed?
Speaker 2 (37:26):
First, I'm going to new releases, Then I'm going to
the romance section. Then I'm going to the desk to
ask for recommendations.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Have you ever recommended a book to somebody without ever
reading it.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
I don't think so, because I would be scared that
I'd done the wrong thing, so I try not to.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Who would narrate your memoir audiobook?
Speaker 2 (37:45):
I'm going to pick Helen Mirren just because I love
her voice.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
Yeah, love. I thought you were going to say Naomi
Watts because you guys kind of look alike, but Helen
Maren is so iconic.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Yeah, well, thank you. Naomi Wats is everything, So thank
you for that.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Absolutely, Rebecca, this book is so fabulous and so fun
and I'm so excited for everybody to read it. So
thank you so much for joining.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Us, Thank you for having me on It's an Onna.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
In the very first episode, I told you that I
loved great shoes and great books because they both take
us places. And honestly, the books and authors and actors
and artists that we've talked to this season have taken
us everywhere emotionally, intellectually, occasionally existentially. And one of my
biggest takeaways from almost every author we've spoken to is this,
(38:43):
so many of them carried a book in their heart
for years before ever writing it, and once they finally did,
every single one said it was life changing, no regrets,
no looking back, just the thought of why didn't I
do this sooner? So, if you have a story in
you right down, and if the thing on your heart
isn't a story, maybe it's building a family or a business,
(39:05):
or finally sending that email that you've been drafting in
your notes out for three years. Let's make this the
year you take a step toward it. Small counts, nervous,
it counts googling, how do I even start? Absolutely counts.
I actually did that the other day. I just think
it's all about taking small steps towards something bigger. And
that brings me to this idea of being legendary. Someone
(39:28):
said that word the other day and I decided to
look up the Latin root, which is lager, and it
means things to be read. Can you believe that? So
in the Middle Ages it referred to stories about the
lives of saints that were read aloud during religious services,
stories legends. Being legendary isn't about being louder or bigger
or more online. It's about being lasting. It's the quiet
(39:52):
power of impact, the way something you said, built or
dared keeps rippling through other people's lives long after the
moment has passed. And what things last words and books
and stories and sometimes a good pair of shoes that
they're really made. Well, you know, that's it for this
episode of Bookmarked. Getting to share these stories with you
(40:13):
over the last six months has been such an honor.
I cannot wait to continue learning and laughing with you
in the new year. We have so much fun stuff coming.
I'll see you in twenty twenty six. Stay tuned. If
you want a little bit more from us, come hang
with us on socials. We're at Reese's book Club on Instagram,
(40:36):
serving up books, vibes and behind the scenes magic. And
I'm Danielle Robe rob Ay. Come say hi and DM
me And if you want to go nineties on us,
you can call us. Okay, so our phone line is open,
So call us now at five zero one two nine
to one three three seven nine. That's five zero one
two nine one three three seven nine. Share your literary
(40:59):
hot takes, your book recommendations, oh please show those, and
questions about the monthly pick, or just let us know
what you think about the episode you've just heard, and
who knows, you might just hear yourself in our next episode,
so don't be shy, give us a ring, and of
course make sure to follow Bookmarked by Reese's book Club
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
(41:20):
your shows until then, see you in the next chapter.
Bookmarked is a production of Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts.
It's executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and me Danielle Robey.
Production is by ACAST Creative Studios. Our producers are Matty Foley,
Britney Martinez, and Sarah Schweid. Our production assistant is Avery Loftis.
(41:41):
Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder are the executive producers for
Acast Creative Studios. Maureen Polo and Reese Witherspoon are the
executive producers for Hello Sunshine. Olga Kaminwa, Sarah Kernerman, Kristin
Perla and Ashley Rappaport are associate producers for Reese's book Club.
Ali Perry and Lauren Hanson are the executive users for
iHeart Podcasts.
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