According to his original introduction, Kwee was inspired to write the novel after hearing his daughter singing Charles Ridgewell and Will Godwin's "If Those Lips Could Only Speak" (identified by Kwee as "Mimi d'Amour").
Kwee menulis bahwa ia terinspirasi untuk menulis novel ini setelah mendengar putrinya bernyanyi lagu karya Charles Ridgewell dan Will Godwin berjudul "If Those Lips Could Only Speak" ("Jika Bibir Itu Dapat Berbicara" -diidentifikasi oleh Kwee sebagai "Mimi d'Amour").