Taylor Swift’s Secret Inspiration for Emily Henry’s New Novel

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Warning: Spoilers for the novel Great Big Beautiful Life ahead.  

All along there were some invisible strings tying Taylor Swift to Emily Henry’s latest novel.

Besides being a big Taylor Swift fan, the movie “Great Big Beautiful Life” (now available) is similar to its predecessors as it offers an enthralling romantic comedy experience. The story revolves around Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson, both vying to become the authorized biographer of Margaret Ives, a reclusive media heiress. In this installment, Henry introduces a third pivotal character – a charismatic 20th-century tabloid queen. This intriguing figure not only controls the professional destinies of Alice and Hayden but also influences their potential future together.

For Henry, the challenge of delving into Margaret’s life and over a century of her family’s rich history—a lineage that traces back to the Gilded Age—was no easy feat. He found inspiration in various real-life characters, one of whom was socialite Rebekah Harkness, whose intriguing life and contentions Taylor Swift portrays in “The Last Great American Dynasty.

As I shared with TopMob News during our private chat, that song is more than just music to me – it’s an enchantment. Time and again, I find myself drawn back to the Wikipedia page, immersed in its tales. There’s something about those extraordinary families that stirs my fascination, and I can’t seem to get enough of their captivating narratives.

However, Harkness, as seen from Swift’s perspective, only represented a piece of the puzzle that was Margaret. Indeed, she was a character molded by enduring love and heartbreak in the limelight, and persevering through adversity and personal tragedies.

 

In fact, Henry delves into this topic extensively in “Great Big Beautiful Life“. However, it’s important to note that he doesn’t view this concept as exclusive to the wealthy or famous.

She shared with TopMob her perspective that what captivates us about these popular families in pop culture is often an exaggerated mirror of our personal pasts. “In a way, I believe we all harbor the sensation – or have harbored it at some point – that there’s history that both forms and defines us,” she said. “We didn’t create events that happened long before we existed. These can be positive or negative, and they can significantly impact your choices. Understanding one’s origins can greatly influence you, for better or for worse.

I, being utterly captivated, found the genesis for Margaret’s character to be truly intriguing. This woman, embedded in a grander-than-life narrative, is someone that many Americans might recognize from their history books. Yet, their understanding of her would likely stem from sensationalized media portrayals, painting a picture of her that was more scandalous than factual.

Henry remarked, “The British Royal Family holds significant interest for many contemporary individuals. In particular, I believe it was Princess Diana who captivated Americans during the ’90s. Her life story was filled with unnecessary tragedy and continues to cast a long shadow in our collective memory.

Indeed, we also have the Kennedy family. Notably, their heart-wrenching history with airplane mishaps serves to illustrate how families evolve over multiple generations, marked by adversity and fortitude.

The author of “Beach Read” expressed intrigue about those families due to the perception that their lineage carries a rich heritage, accompanied by numerous advantages and encounters that most people cannot experience. However, they also noted a feeling of a family’s potential burden or affliction.

Certainly, Henry delves into this topic extensively in “Great Big Beautiful Life“. However, it’s important to note that he doesn’t view this theme as exclusive to the wealthy or renowned individuals alone.

She explained to TopMob that what captivates us about these families in popular culture is often an exaggerated version of our own personal stories. In many ways, I believe everyone has felt the sense that there are events from the past that have influenced and molded us, which we didn’t actively participate in. These events can occur long before we existed, and they can be positive or negative, greatly impacting your choices. Understanding where you come from can significantly affect you, both positively and negatively.

Henry explained, ‘Margaret’s character originated from there.’ He spoke about a woman whose life was intertwined with a significant part of history that many Americans might recognize, yet they often held a sensationalized or tabloid-inspired view of her.

In Margaret’s account as told to Alice in the book, it’s crucial for her story to begin well before her birth, according to Henry. He was particularly intrigued by exploring, starting from the late 1800s, how love is transmitted over time, and in what ways it doesn’t get passed down in ways we can interpret and comprehend.

Since Margaret comes from a well-known media dynasty, Henry considered examining the impact of notable figures such as the “highly influential” Hearsts, the Pulitzers (who were rivals in the book), and contemporary powerhouses like the Murdochs, all of whom are part of Ives Media’s competitive landscape.

Although we can’t see directly into their lives as we might have been able to in the 1920s due to their skillful creation of privacy, we remain intrigued,” she observed, referencing the captivating cultural and critical hit, HBO’s Succession, which is widely believed to be influenced by the Murdochs. “We understand that there’s an unseen force shaping our understanding of reality.

She noted that she was deeply inspired by their history due to its captivating nature, explaining, “It’s fascinating to consider that the individual behind such a significant invention might reflect some of the machine’s characteristics.” Regarding Margaret in particular, she is often referred to as the ‘tabloid princess’ because she is an heiress who not only comes from a family known for creating tabloid culture but also finds herself frequently featured on the covers of those very tabloids.

There is a certain authenticity about Henry’s creation, as it seems reminiscent of numerous real-life individuals. This isn’t due to him intentionally imitating Margaret or any specific character from the Ives family. Rather, he is drawing inspiration from various sources, not focusing on any one figure in particular.

As a dedicated enthusiast, I eagerly delved into a multitude of diverse lineages for my creative endeavor. Primarily, this was a means to infuse a historical backdrop. My intention was to ensure that each character I crafted wouldn’t be a carbon copy of anyone from our reality.

Great Big Beautiful Life is out now. For more new spring book releases, keep reading…

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2025-04-22 13:18