"Madame Bovary's Daughter" Reading Comes to Wilton Library

Ever since Linda Howard Urbach, a Fairfield County author and copywriter, adopted her beloved daughter, Charlotte, 28 years ago, she has been concerned by the plight of orphans.

“Having Charlotte made me think about the whole experience of adoption,” Urbach said. A longtime resident of Westport, Urbach currently lives in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, on the Fairfield border. “I often think about the children who get saved and the kids who don't. It amazes me because people from the most horrible beginnings have the uncanny ability to survive.”

This coming-of-age story of a young girl left alone in the world is the driving force behind her recently released book, “Madame Bovary's Daughter,” a fictional account of the orphaned daughter, Berthe, who is first introduced in Gustave Flaubert's classic tale, “Madame Bovary.”

“The character just popped out at me,” Urbach admitted. “She had this terrible mother and a father who was never there. I wondered what it would be like to be the only daughter of the most world's most scandalous mother.”

On Thursday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m., award-winning actress E. Katherine Kerr will join Howard for a reading and book signing at the . The duo will also appear at the Westport Barnes and Noble on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m., the  on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m and at the  on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.

Although Urbach has written other books, including “Expecting Miracles”, and is the founder of MOMoirs.com and a popular writing workshop and play of the same title, “Madame Bovary's Daughter” marks her first foray into the historical fiction genre. Before sitting at the keyboard to actually write, though, Urban found that extensive research about the Victorian era was needed. “I don't know how people wrote books before the internet,” Urbach laughs.

However, she enjoyed researching high fashion found in France during this time period as well as learning about the responsibilities and duties assigned to a 'lady' and her maid. She humorously recounts some of the maid's tasks that are listed in a 1,200-page, hardbound book called “Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management”, of which Urbach was able to get ahold.

Earlier in the summer, Urbach unofficially celebrated the book's release at a book store signing on Cape Cod, where some of her family resides. Charlotte flew up from her home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to be part of the festivities. However, she didn't read “Madame Bovary's Daughter” until she flew home. Urbach said that she was simply thrilled that Charlotte was reading a book because although she was a Dean's List and Honors' student, Urbach noted that her daughter didn't share her passion for the written word.

Urbach commented, “Charlotte said that not only was she reading it but that she actually really liked it. I was as thrilled by this as I was about having the book published.”

The book is dedicated to Charlotte and, in her honor, Urbach plans to donate a portion of the book's profits to a local foster care and adoption agency. In conjunction with her book signing in Houston in October, Urbach is making a contribution to DePelchin Children's Services. “Yes, I want people to buy lots and lots of copies of this book but I also want to send some of my proceeds to a charity that involves children,” Urbach stated. 

For all of the local book readings, Urbach is thrilled to enlist the assistance of Kerr. The two initially met at Norwalk's Theatre Artists Workshop. “She's such a fabulous actress,” Urbach said, enthused.

Urbach is currently working on a book called “Sarah's Hair,” which focuses on the hairdresser of the infamous actress, Sarah Bernhardt. Another orphan, the young woman is not only responsible for styling the 19th century celebrity's coif, but she also fantasizes that Bernhardt might be her real mother. Urbach says that there is also a lot of information about Victorian hair fashions and French theater. 

“Madame Bovary's Daughter” can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound. For more information, go to madamebovarysdaughter.com.