Patricia Donovan. Photo / Tara Lemana
It was during a trip through Syria when Patricia Donovan became intrigued by the stories of Jane Digby, a beautiful English aristocrat in the 19th century.
"She was smart and capable, and craved an adventurous life, but was severely constrained by the mores of European society.
"When she moved to Syria, she put those mores behind her and forged her own path. In doing so, she found herself."
Donovan and her partner was travelling from Damascus across the desert to see the Roman ruins at Palmyra when their guide regaled her about Digby and that "we were following in her footsteps".
She was hooked by "one of England's most notorious and appealing socialites" but also "saw a great story in what Jane's life there might have been like".
Donovan's trip to Syria was in 2008 and it wasn't until 2017 when she started to write her debut historical novel The Remarkable Miss Digby which has just been published.
She did extensive research for the book and "followed faithfully what is known of Digby's life and then filled in the gaps to create a story".
"While it's a historical novel, the issues it addresses – feminism, religion, community – are as relevant today as they ever were."
And while she was entranced by Digby's life, she was also entranced by Syria.
"Syria is a culturally rich and romantic place - which now, due to the civil war, seems like a lost world.
"I wanted to capture it and take readers there."
Donovan, from Te Horo, is donating her earnings from book sales to ReliefAid, an international organisation founded by New Zealander Mike Seawright.
"It works on the ground in conflict zones, distributing shelter materials, such as blankets, tarpaulins, cooking equipment and children's clothing to families that would otherwise receive no help.
"I believe in giving back.
"When I first began thinking about this book, Syria was a lovely, friendly place to visit, but by the time I finished it, the country was mired in a long, dark war, leaving millions of Syrians struggling to survive.
"It is a travesty what has happened there and as the production of this book was nearing completion, it occurred to me that I could use it to help.
"A small donation to ReliefAid goes a long way, for example, $1 leverages $10 in material support, while $25, which is less than the cost of my book, delivers life-saving aid to a family of six."
The Remarkable Miss Digby is in bookstores now.
Book teaser:
In 1853, only a lunatic would consider crossing the Syrian desert to see the Roman ruins at Palmyra. Most travellers from Europe rash enough to venture into the desert are never seen again, and a woman considering such a journey, without her husband, is preposterous. When Jane Digby, the Lady Ellenborough, granddaughter of the Earl of Leicester, informs the British Consul in Damascus that this is what she intends to do, he quickly learns she's a woman who brooks no argument. Jane Digby's life until now has never been conventional and nor, with so many marriages and love affairs behind her, has it been without scandal. In Syria she hopes to settle at last, find sanctuary, and fulfil her long-time wish to establish an Arabian horse stud. What she discovers there is a world of recklessness and integrity, of cruelty and desire, and where her own passion is stirred more than she ever dared hope for.