If you were born anywhere west of Turkey, you’ve probably never heard of her. If you’re of Arab descent, Khawlah bint al-Azwar is as famous as Joan of Arc and pretty much for the same reason. Fundamentalist Muslim women aren’t generally encouraged to show initiative outside the home.

Having recently plowed through every episode of The Crown, I witnessed several generations of British crowned heads get hitched. This experience led me to contemplate the public fascination with royal weddings.

When I first started writing my Gilded Age Chicago Mysteries over two decades ago, I was only sure of one thing. The books were going to be set in Chicago at the turn of the twentieth century. I foolishly thought that since I am a Chicago native, I was following the adage to “write what you know.”