This is a book of a lifetime. I conceived the idea when I was studying at Stanford-in-Austria, and realized that this was a history that no one knew about. Today, even fewer people know about that great Austro-Hungarian Empire that ruled most of Central Europe for five hundred years. I wanted to tell the story, especially what happened between the wars and why the democratic experiment failed in Austria. Especially that in light of Santyana's statement about "those who do not study history are condemned to relive it"

It took me forty years of writing and rewriting (though I published 7 books in between!) until I was finally satisfied. It slowly dawned on me that at twenty-seven years old, I had the makings of an epic here. But what did I know of true suffering—what it would mean to emerge from the glitter of fin de siecle to a dull post-war world? I also had a great desire to explore different aspects of marriage and love—what it is, what it isn't: the difference between narcissistic love and real love.

I have learned over the course of a 38-year marriage that real love redeems the character. I am a different person than I was as a newlywed. And I learned of suffering by surviving a twenty-five year depression. During that time, I wrote and wrote until pieces of me were inside all of the characters.

Writing was difficult. It wasn't until my fifties that I realized what was wrong with the book. Epics are not told from the point of view of a nineteen year old girl. I asked my self somewhat humorously, "What would Tolstoy do?" The answer was obvious. Tolstoy was an omniscient narrator. He told his epics from inside the heads of all his significant characters. After realizing that, the book became a deepening adventure of unfolding characters, and finally defined itself as an epic.

I think that readers will agree that the theme of the book is this: The building of a strong and admirable character requires constant and difficult self-examination and then carrying out your decisions no matter what the consequences. The business of this fleeting life is building character. Your finest legacy does not consist of wealth, power, or fame, but of a life well-lived.