It started out as a true story—a group of friends at a girl’s boarding school in Paris find a secret hideaway. But that’s where fact ends and fiction begins.
“Instead of finding a molecular secret, we would smoke cigarettes,” said Sue Williams, a former Clifton Park resident.
Williams drew on her childhood abroad (London, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, Rome) and the compelling history of World War II to craft a novel that’s equal parts scientific mystery and passionate love story: “Anna’s Secret Legacy.”
“The biggest response I’m getting is on Facebook. People are saying ‘This would make an unbelievable film’ and ‘When are they making the movie?’” said Williams.
“Anna’s Secret Legacy” debuted on Travers Stakes Weekend at Saratoga Race Course exactly one year ago, so it only makes sense that Williams returned to the area to sign copies of her book at this year’s Travers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 25, 26 and 27.
“I’ve been going to Travers for years. I’m the daughter of a thoroughbred breeder. His passion for racing and breeding, as a child I’d work out thoroughbreds on the track,” said Williams.
She lives in Philadelphia now, but Saratoga was where “Anna’s Secret Legacy” truly evolved.
“A lot of research started when I was doing this book took place at the Roosevelt Spa in Saratoga. I really consider it almost the hometown and seeds for the beginning of this project,” said Williams. “It was 800 books and 2,000 pages of research later that we ended up tying in not only molecular secrets from sulfur water but what I call historically accurate, scientifically credible and a wonderful love story.”
The books follows a Copenhagen research institute scientist, Anna, who during WWII unravels the molecular formula for sulfur water that can “revolutionize medicine or wipe out humanity in the wrong hands.” Anna’s journey involves a avoiding a group of Hitler-hired assassins, an American pilot she falls in love with and the story surrounding it all.
The book’s interactive website, www.annassecretlegacy.com gets thousands of hits a day and gives detailed historic information about the events in the book.
Williams wrote a film script for the book and is in the process of creating the prequel. It’s been a hit, she said, because it appeals to both men and women.
“Statistics show 70 percent of all women are the book buyers but we’re finding 50 percent of men are buying this book, so it’s split right down the middle,” said Williams. “Guys are buying it for the military accuracy, historical part and molecular secret and women are buying it because they love the idea of the Goddess of the Moon, what she goes through trying to heal her sister and the love story.”
