Launch: Catherine Hughes’s Therein Lies the Pearl

INTERVIEW BY DAVID CONNON

Award-winning author of two historical fiction novels Catherine Hughes has taught American, British, and World Literature at the high school level for the last thirty years. When she is not teaching or reading, she can be found outdoors, drawing beauty and inspiration from the world of nature.

What is your “elevator pitch”?

Like the sisters in Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, in Therein Lies the Pearl, Margaret and Celia are tested by the horrors of war during the days leading up to the 1066 invasion. Manipulated by those in power to believe they are enemies, the Norman girl and Saxon princess soon realize they are kindred spirits—both yearning for truth, loyalty, and love in a world devoid of such virtues.

What inspired you to start writing? How does your occupational background affect your writing?

A 2019 trip to Scotland—Urquhart Castle, specifically—launched my writing career. Outside the dungeon stood a placard with the name of its most famous prisoner, Domhnull Donn. That cattle reiver was not only a thief, but he had the audacity to fall in love with the laird’s daughter, Mary Grant. And he was executed.

The castle, the prison, and the two lovers haunted my memory. When I returned to New York, I learned whatever I could about Domhnull and Mary. After researching the region, the political landscape, their lives, and his original poetry, I let my imagination run wild, filling up notebooks with what eventually became my first novel, In Silence Cries the Heart, a tale of love that transcends time.

The problem with teaching literature for over 30 years is this: I compare my words with the greatest writers of all time! Who did I think I was? Self-doubt can cripple if left unchecked. My strategy is simple: Knowing that “comparison is the thief of joy,” I tell myself, “Write to the best of your ability.”

Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Chronicles and Sharon Kay Penman’s Lionheart and King’s Ransom are male-centric. Therein Lies the Pearl, in contrast, focuses on Margaret and Celia. How did you decide to make this a female-centric book?

First, I loved Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and the way in which she examined the events of WWII through the lens of two sisters. Second, I wanted to write a book featuring Queen Margaret, the Pearl of Scotland, as she came to be called. After visiting her chapel at the summit of Edinburgh castle, I learned more about this pious mother of eight who altered the course of history. I decided to explore the Norman Conquest from her vantage point.

Alas, saints and virtuous people tend to be somewhat boring. That’s why I created Celia, the resilient young girl from Normandy sent across the sea to spy on Margaret. Together, their voices offer a narrative never before told in any chronicle or source.

When did you realize you had the makings of a fine novel?

When readers contact me and say things like, “Why’d you do that to Celia?” or “Margaret’s a total spitfire—especially for a nun in training!” then I know I’ve created characters that people actually care about.

Happily, Duke William’s invasion is a rich opportunity for characters to grow and flourish.

Do any maxims guide you as you put characters into horrible situations?

Hmmm, not really, but I try not to insert gratuitous violence just for spectacle.

What was your biggest challenge in researching, writing, and revising this book? How did you come at this challenge?

Documentation is sparse about Margaret’s arrival in England and her father dying within days of their coming ashore. But the gaps allowed me to explore how her father died and who was responsible. The answers I provide in the book are plausible; they may not sit well with every reader, especially those who are fond of the House of Godwin.

Writing this book was an exhilarating experience, especially when the characters themselves started to take over the story. It is a bit odd, isn’t it, how the writer becomes less of a creator and more of a channel? A kind of conduit through which the characters speak and act? Instead of adhering to a strict outline, I simply followed where Celia and Margaret led. For example, the whole section with the orphans at Wilton Abbey was spontaneous and not in the original plan. And now, when I look back, I marvel at how significant that scene was in establishing the powerful bond between the two women. Surrendering to an uncharted creative spark can be a bit frightening, but the rewards can be great!

What is your writing schedule like, and how do you manage your time?

During the school year, the actual creative process is limited to weekends. Extended vacations are prime writing opportunities. I can research and edit on “regular days,” but imaginative writing requires freedom from a set routine.

My sun-filled front porch is where I write in the early mornings. I like to use pen and paper and fill up marble notebooks. Being able to cross things out, sketch in arrows, and insert side notes helps keep the ideas flowing. Afterwards, I type it up.

What have you learned about the human condition?

Historical fiction teaches that we are all basically the same. Yes, the clothes, the spoken accents, and technology may be different, but our hearts yearn for fulfillment and meaning.

Literature enables us to step outside of our own experiences and identify with the hopes, dreams, and sorrows of another person. This is, perhaps, the greatest gift.

What is your next project, and how far advanced is it?

My third book, Thorn of Plimouth, should be published in late October 2026. Unlike my first two, which took place “across the pond,” this one is set in Plimouth Colony and involves a suspected case of witchcraft in 1621. Hopefully, its release will coincide with Halloween.

Currently, I’m researching book four. The setting is a seventh-century double monastery under the direction of Abbess Hild at Streoneshalh (later known as Whitby). The story involves an unsolved murder. The first English poet, Caedmon, will be among the characters. The early stages of reading and sifting through material is enthralling. I have to force myself to establish and adhere to deadlines; otherwise, I’d never stop looking for another book, article, map, or podcast!

What good book have you recently read?

Here are my recent top three: The Price of Loyalty by Malve Von Hassell (featuring Adela, daughter of William the Conqueror); Hatfield 1677 by Laura C. Rader (highlighting the tension between the New England settlers and indigenous people); and Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn (a dual timeline novel, partly taking place during the Tudor period).

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