Sarah Ferguson Shares Video of Her New Book: ‘I Hope You Love This Novel as Much as I Do’

Published Aug 1, 2021

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7:33pm

Sarah Ferguson is not only a royal family member, but she is also a very prolific author.

The Duchess of York has produced numerous books for children throughout the years, including the Budgie the Little Helicopter series and her Little Red books. She has also written books for adults, and her latest, titled Her Heart for a Compass, will be a fictionalized account of one of her ancestors, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott.

This will be the first historical fiction novel written by the duchess, and based on her latest Instagram video, she seems super thrilled for its release. “A sweeping historical romance, #HerHeartForACompass is the fictionalised account of my ancestor, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott,” she wrote in the caption of her post. “The book, co-authored with my friend @marguerite_kaye, follows Lady Margaret from the drawing rooms of Queen Victoria’s court and the grand country houses of Scotland and Ireland, to the slums of London and the mercantile bustle of 1870’s New York.”

Ferguson added a personal note to the end, saying, “I hope you love this novel as much as I do. Available in bookshops around the world from 3rd August, Her Heart for a Compass is available to pre-order now. Link in my bio. @harpercollins @millsandboonuk @williammorrowbooks.”

In the video, the Duchess of York is seen excitedly preparing to open a box full of first prints of the novel. “I know, I know, I know. You don't need to tell me. I know what it is,” she says as she stands over the box. “It is...a fruit bowl. A fruit bowl? It's not a fruit bowl! It's a pair of shoes. No? Hmm, okay,” she jokes before she tears into the package.

The novel must have been a work in progress for quite some time, because the duchess says, “After 15 years and in the last year of the pandemic, we—Marguerite Kaye and I—we've done it. This is my book.”

But it seems like her hard work has paid off, because as we recently learned from Variety, there are already talks of adapting the book into a scripted TV series. “I’m really hopeful that Her Heart for a Compass will come to life on screen: I see it as a TV series rather than a film,” Ferguson said. “Things are at a very early stage but we’re already in talks with some program makers about the potential to make it into a historical drama.”

The duchess's tale of her great-great-aunt will hit shelves August 3. We can't wait to pick up our copy.

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Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.

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