English Teacher Publishes Novel

English teacher Mollie Pilling says it was an evening at the opera that inspired her to write her recently published novel, “The Ensign’s Wife,” which is based on Shakespeare’s play “Othello.” She was sitting close to the stage at the Kennedy Center Opera House watching the final scenes of Verdi’s opera based on “Othello” when she felt compelled to create the story of Emilia, wife of the villain Iago.

“The Ensign’s Wife” is set in Venice in the 1600s and follows Shakespeare’s storyline in the development of the character of Emilia, an outspoken woman who ultimately exposes Iago’s intrigue. A possible treason has taken place in Cyprus and a wounded Emilia is taken under guard to the prison in the Doge’s Palace in Venice and accused of treachery against the Republic. Emilia is the sole survivor of the murders and suicide that have shaken the Republic and is implicated for her role in the plot. The story mixes themes of treachery, treason, cruelty and betrayal with themes of love, loyalty, family and perseverance.

“A year of weekends spent in the Johns Hopkins University library researching Venice in the 1600s and wars with the Turks culminated in a novel written during the summer of 2006 on the island of Samos,” explained Mollie. “The novel is not high literature, but keeps the historical and literary roots of the tale intact. It is a complimentary text to ‘Othello,’ and if you were to take the book to Venice, it would serve as a fairly useful guide to that magical city.”

Mollie enjoys traveling to Europe every summer to inspire her writing and continues to study the ancient cultures of the Romans and Greeks. Prior to her appointment to the Westminster faculty in 2008, she taught English many years overseas including 17 years in international independent schools in Switzerland, Greece, England and Italy. For seven years at St. Stephen’s School of Rome, she served as English Department Chair, Coordinator of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, and taught English AP, IB and Theory of Knowledge.

In addition to teaching Fourth Form and Sixth Form English and team teaching AP English at Westminster, Mollie is a reader for the College Board for AP English Literature and Composition and an examiner for the IB Language A1 Program. Her new book is available for purchase at Amazon.com and is soon to be in Barnes and Noble, Borders and on Kindle.