Clara, the Real Main Character of Fall River

Though Lizzie Born is one of the main characters of Fall River, she isn’t the only one. Author, Cat Winters, said this:

I wasn’t sure if a fictional cousin of Lizzie Borden’s would stand out compared to Lizzie, but Clara was a complex, fascinating character, as was her relationship with Josiah. I’m so impressed!

That’s exactly what I was going for. Clara needed to be as psychologically complex as my depiction of Lizzy Borden and I think I hit the perfect note. Clara, for much of the story is traumatized. Traumatized by her parents death at the age of fifteen, traumatized by her summer in the Borden household and traumatized again by her admittance into an insane asylum after her breakdown at the university.

This is what I imagine Clara to look like. Beautiful, remote and underneath it all, furious.
Actor Natalie Dormer nails it.

For a large portion of the novel, Clara is reacting to her abuse and her circumstances, allowing the past to dictate much of her actions, but like all the best character arcs, growth, no matter how painful, is a necessary part of her journey. Spoiler alert: It ends well, but she has to earn it.

You can read the first chapter here.

You can order the book (either digitally or the paperback), here.

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