Emily Franklin's "The Lioness of Boston"

Emily Franklin is the author of more than twenty novels and a poetry collection, Tell Me How You Got Here. Her award-winning work has appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Guernica, JAMA, and numerous literary magazines as well as long-listed for the London Sunday Times Short Story Award, featured and read aloud on NPR and named notable by the Association of Jewish Libraries.

Here Franklin dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Lioness of Boston:

The Lioness of Boston is based on the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a daring visionary who triumphed over personal tragedy and created an inimitable legacy in American art and transformed the city of Boston itself. The novel takes place between 1861 when Isabella is 21 years old and up to her death 1924. This is a Gilded Age historical with a feminist slant. This is based on a real person's life so there are real artists and writers,

So... Greta Gerwig, who directed the latest version of Little Women, would be amazing for this. She's sharp, detail-oriented, modern, and would really get to the heart of this woman who was famous before celebrity, misunderstood and outspoken in elite Boston society, and who ultimately surprises everyone's expectations. Plus, Greta Gerwig has terrific choices for actors.

But - there's also a version of this with Julian Fellowes directing - sort of Downton Abbey but in historic Boston. Either way, this novel has so many big name artists and writers for fun cameos - Henry James, Oscar Wilde, John Singer Sargent, and a whole long scene at the first Impressionist Exhibit in Paris (before they were even called the impressionists), including Renoir, Monet, Manet, Pisarro and Berthe Morisot, the only woman in that show. Who doesn't want to play Henry James? In my version, I think Jane Lynch would be great or Hugh Grant.

The Lioness of Boston dream casting likely involves multiple actresses playing the same role since the story spans Isabella's lifetime. For Isabella Stewart Gardner casting I would love to see some sort of mix of the brilliant Olivia Colman who would embody Isabella's wit, boldness, and hidden vulnerability. And Kate Winslet would be great, too. Saoirse Ronan would be a wonderful new-to-Boston Isabella. And of course I'd be a fool not to fantasy cast Meryl Streep as Isabella looking back on her life.

The cameos would be: Jessica Williams, who is hilarious with the best comedic timing and joyfulness, Matthew Rhys because come on, he could play anyone, Uzo Aduba who is an incredible actor with such a range, Zoe Chao who would make an amazing Julia, Isabella's BFF/Sister-in-Law. Let's take George Clooney as a surprise artist - John Singer Sargent - who paints Isabella's portrait and causes a scandal. And let's have Julia Roberts as one of Boston's grande dames. Neil Patrick Harris, are you listening? If so, please take on the role of Oscar Wilde and - if we're lucky - burst into song in the dinner party scene. Ben Whishaw would stun us all as Mr. Valentine, as head of the Boston Public Gardens and kindly bon vivant.

And, oh, look, here's Taylor Swift who has seen the script, been inspired by this tale of a woman who defied expectations and whose vision of art will outlive us all and she's agreed to partner with Sufjan Stevens and Phoebe Bridgers for the Greta Gerwig version soundtrack. The only question is who plays the person with whom Isabella has an affair? Paul Rudd? Matt Damon because it's a Boston movie? Gary Oldman?

Visit Emily Franklin's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Lioness of Boston.

Q&A with Emily Franklin.

--Marshal Zeringue