In total, it took Kay eighteen months to complete the novel, during which time she traveled to the United States and Rome and researched various aspects of nineteenth-century life in the countries in which the novel was set.
ケイはこの作品を完成させるのに18ヶ月をかけ、この間ケイはアメリカやローマへ赴き、小説の舞台となる19世紀の様々な生活様式を研究した。