Katherine Keenum

Feb 08, 2014 6:51 AM EST

I's say both you and Ann Patchett are right, depending on the kind of novel that's being written. Sometimes accuracy of detail is essential, and requires significant research, but not always. Novels set in a past time are much more rewarding to read when the time and place are vivid and not just suggested or incorrect, as an author's lack of knowledge would make them. In the case of the photograph of the sleeping woman, I think all that matters would be that it could have happened as pictured, not whether it actually did. A good novel can be an excellent way to learn about other times and places, but fiction allows the imagination to be present and true in its own way.

- Eva