Historical Fiction Books

Book SynopsisNow with a beautiful new series look, Christie’s classic mystery in which a murder is announced in a small-town newspaper advertisement—and Miss Marple must unravel the fiendish puzzle when a crime does indeed occur.The villagers of Chipping Cleghorn are agog with curiosity when the Gazette advertises “A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30 p.m.”A childish practical joke? Or a spiteful hoax? Unable to resist the mysterious invitation, the locals arrive at Little Paddocks at the appointed time when, without warning, the lights go out and a gun is fired. When they come back on, a gruesome scene is revealed. An impossible crime? It’s up to Miss Marple to get the scoop and make sure the killer doesn’t bury the lead.

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Book SynopsisMegan Frampton’s deliciously witty A School for Scoundrels series follows the adventures of five gentlemen who navigate life—and love—in London. Here, a dashing young businessman enters into a liaison with a widowed Duchess. Perfect for fans of Sarah MacLean and anyone who loves Bridgerton!Alexandra, Duchess of Chelmsworth, is tired of pretending to mourn a husband who squandered a fortune and never bothered to give her the time of day, much less any attentions at night. So, the still-beautiful duchess cuts up her mourning gowns, deciding to experience the pleasures long denied her by daringly visiting the Garden of Hedon. It is there the ton anonymously gives in to their deepest desires, and where Alexandra finds herself in the arms of a mysterious man. She willingly gives in to the passion he offers her, fully believing she would never see him again.But she is

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Book SynopsisAs Europe buckles under Nazi occupation, Maisie Dobbs investigates a possible murder that threatens devastating repercussions for Britain''s war efforts in this latest installment in the New York Times bestselling mystery series.September 1941. While on a delivery, young Freddie Hackett, a message runner for a government office, witnesses an argument that ends in murder. Crouching in the doorway of a bombed-out house, Freddie waits until the coast is clear. But when he arrives at the delivery address, he’s shocked to come face to face with the killer.Dismissed by the police when he attempts to report the crime, Freddie goes in search of a woman he once met when delivering a message: Maisie Dobbs. While Maisie believes the boy and wants to help, she must maintain extreme caution: she’s working secretly for the Special Operations Executive, assessing candidates for crucial work with the French resistance. Her two worlds collide when she spots the killer in a place she least expects. She soon realizes she’s been pulled into the orbit of a man who has his own reasons to kill—reasons that go back to the last war. As Maisie becomes entangled in a power struggle between Britain’s intelligence efforts in France and the work of Free French agents operating across Europe, she must also contend with the lingering question of Freddie Hackett’s state of mind. What she uncovers could hold disastrous consequences for all involved in this compelling chapter of the “series that seems to get better with every entry” (Wall Street Journal).

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Elissa R. Sloan has done it again with her whipsmart new novel, Hayley Aldridge is Still Here. Calling all smart readers and gossip lovers alike: this novel is an unputdownable ride, fiction inspired by the narratives of stars like Jennette McCurdy (I'm Glad My Mom Died) and Britney Spears. Sloan's examination of money, fame, and control is brilliant, necessary...and fun as hell." — Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author "Heart-wrenching and riveting, Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here is both a sensitive portrait of a young woman trying to take back control of her own life and an acute skewering of a toxic culture that still very much exists. Like watching a celebrity implode in front of your own eyes, I found it near impossible to look away." — Ella Berman, author of The Comeback "Grab your bucket hat. Queue up your favorite 90s boy band album. Then prepare to lose yourself in this thoughtful, page-turning exploration of how the world treats young women in the spotlight, and what happens when they finally decide to fight back." — Laura Hankin, author of Happy & You Know It and A Special Place for Women "Paparazzi, drugs, affairs, eating disorders, and family betrayal set the scene for fast-paced drama. In the wake of Britney buzz, this novel will grab anyone wondering how a female celebrity poised to have it all could be robbed, not just of her dignity, but her most basic freedoms." — Alena Dillon, author of Mercy House "Everyone knows Hayley Aldridge’s name, but no one knows who she really is. Sharp and sparkling, Elissa R. Sloan’s tale of a famous wild child turned commodity is filled with high stakes, shocking twists, and pitch-perfect explorations of celebrity and exploitation. If you’ve ever wondered the truth behind tabloid headlines, you need to read this irresistible and empowering story of a woman reclaiming her own life." — Sarah Priscus, author of Groupies "Sloan’s novel is a page-turner that speaks to our current reflections on, and past treatments of, celebrities." — Bust Magazine "Spirited...Sloan does a great job portraying Hayley’s grasping, opportunistic parents, and the twisty plot never lets up. Readers will devour this." — Publishers Weekly "Sloan’s fascinating examination of late-nineties and early-aughts celebrity culture feels equally authentic and terrifying...Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here does make an effective argument that audiences should be more thoughtful about the kinds of media they consume." — Booklist “This is a perfect, unputdownable book for fans of celebrity gossip and pop-culture fiction.” — Library Journal “A fun, twisty novel that looks at how parents can be over-bearing, and watching Hayley fight for what is hers is the highlight of this book.” — Red Carpet Crash “The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes is a page-turning peek inside the glamour and brutality of life as a pop star. Sloan takes us on a wild ride through the world of music video shoots, expensive hotels, and arena tours—showing us the darkness that threatens just below the surface.” — Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones and The Six “I didn't know I was waiting for a smart, literary writer to craft a novel about the rise and fall of a teen star akin to Britney Spears until I discovered The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes... A witty, bright, hilarious—and at times devastating—read... I loved it." — Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters “A witty, devastating and ultimately beautiful peek behind the illusion of fame...With a perfect combination of music, drama and depth, The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes takes us on a journey I won’t soon forget. From the opening line to the stunning close, this is a mesmerizing, thrilling and must-read debut.” — Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis "In The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes, Elissa R. Sloan ponders the dark side of fame with the fictional tale of Cassidy Holmes...Think of it as 13 Reasons Why meets Daisy Jones & The Six—a mediation on fame, friendships, depression—and it will keep you turning until the last page." — Teen Vogue "Readers looking to take a walk on the wild side should pick up Elissa R. Sloan’s debut for an exhilarating tale about the dark side of celebrity." — Harper’s Bazaar "Get ready for a whirlwind of 90s pop nostalgia." — Parade "If you loved Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones and the Six and know every lyric to a Britney Spears song, this one is definitely for you." — E! Online "Fans of Daisy Jones and the Six shouldn't miss out on The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan." — Popsugar

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Book SynopsisInspired by true events in World War II Latvia, an emotionally charged novel of sacrifice, trauma, resilience, and survival, as witnessed by three generations of women. On one extraordinary day in 1940, Miriam Talan’s comfortable life is shattered. While she gives birth to her second child, a son she and her husband, Max, name Monya, the Soviets invade the Baltic state of Latvia and occupy the capital city of Riga, her home. Because the Talans are Jewish, the Soviets confiscate Max’s business and the family’s house and bank accounts, leaving them with nothing. Then, the Nazis arrive. They kill Max and begin to round up Jews. Fearing for her newborn son and her young daughter, Ilana, Miriam asks her loyal housekeeper to hide them and conceal their Jewish roots to keep them safe until the savagery ends. Three decades later, in Chicago, 24-year-old Sarah Byrne is mourning the untimely death of her mother, Ilana. Sarah’s estranged grandmother, Miriam, attends the funeral, opening the door to shocking family secrets. Sarah probes Miriam for information about the past, but it is only when Miriam is in the hospital, delirious with fever, that she begs Sarah to find the son she left behind in Latvia. Traveling to the Soviet satellite state, Sarah begins her search with the help of Roger, a charismatic Russian-speaking professor. But as they come closer to the truth, she realizes her quest may have disastrous consequences. A magnificent, emotionally powerful story of family and the lingering devastation of war, The Daughters of the Occupation explores how trauma is passed down in families and illuminates the strength and grace that can be shared by generations.

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Book Synopsis?Fantastically original doesn?t begin to describe this exhilarating globe-spanning, decade-hopping masterpiece. Lee has achieved the impossible?from a fractured century of agonies and betrayals, she has woven a novel of immense beauty and regeneration.??Junot Díaz, author ofThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoWinner of the William Saroyan International Prize for WritingLonglisted for the Women''s Prize in Fiction.Longlisted for the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, Best Published NovelJoining the acclaimed ranks of Pachinko and A Woman is No Man, a riveting and genre-bending debut of love and survival, set in the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.Life near the North Korean border is a zero-sum game, an ongoing battle in which you either win or you lose. This dangerous, shadowed netherworld is home to an unforgettable woman known only as the ?trickster.?Inspired by the story of Lee?s great aunt, one of the oldest women to escape alone from North Korea, 8 Lives of a Century Old Trickster consists of eight dark and spellbinding chapters that follow this remarkable character and her family as they struggle to survive during the most turbulent times of modern Korean history. Mirinae Lee?s trickster is a shapeshifter?throughout the course of these interconnected chapters she is a slave, an escape artist, a murderer, a terrorist, a spy, a lover, and a mother?a woman who must often choose the unthinkable to survive war and conquest in Korea. Her story is a beguiling, complex tale of love and survival that will keep you riveted?and speculating?until the very end thanks to Lee?s brilliant talent for sleight of hand.A fascinating look at survival, trauma, and family, 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster is an incredible literary debut from a bright new talent.

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Book SynopsisThe critically acclaimed author of The Glass Woman and The Metal Heart reimagines the shocking story of one of the most controversial contests in history, the Great Stork Derby, in which a millionaire’s death spawns a furious competition for his inheritance.Toronto, 1926. Knowing that he will die without an heir, childless millionaire Charles Millar leaves behind a controversial will: the recipient of his fortune will be decided in a contest that will become a media sensation and be known as the Great Stork Derby. His money will go to the winner: the woman who bears the most children in the ten years after his death. It is a bequest that will have dramatic consequences for the lives of two women—allies and close friends.Lily di Marco is young, pregnant, and terrified of her alcoholic, violent husband. When her town is damaged by an earthquake, she flees to Toronto, arriving, by chance, on the doorstep of the glamourous Mae Thebault.While Mae presents an elegant, confident face to the world, she secretly struggles with her own tortured past and a present consumed with the never-ending burdens of motherhood. Lily enters her life at a breaking point, and soon a fierce friendship blossoms between the women. That is until the Great Depression and the contest, with its alluring prize, threatens to tear their friendship—and their lives—apart.Prize Women is an evocative and engrossing novel of motherhood, survival, and the heartbreaking decisions we make to protect the ones we love—even when it hurts those we care for most.

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Book SynopsisSvetlana resolves to avenge his death by destroying this vicious opponent, even as she longs to reunite with the daughter she has not seen in years.USSR 1941: Now living in obscurity in a remote village, Svetlana opens her home to Mila Rozovskaya, the eighteen-year-old granddaughter from Leningrad she has never met.Trade Review"Daughters of Victory is an action-packed, gripping read of revolution, war, and the complexities of family and love among strife. I loved The Last Checkmate and Gabriella Saab has done it again with this powerful and wonderfully researched historical fiction that readers will love!" — Madeline Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Last Bookshop in London "Gabriella Saab's Daughters of Victory is a sweeping, meticulously researched recounting of two key moments in Russian and Soviet history. Captivating from start to end, historical fiction lovers will delight in this epic saga. Not to be missed!" — Aimie K. Runyan, bestselling author of The School for German Brides "Expansive in scope yet intimate in its portrayal of two extraordinary women connected not only by blood but by a fiercely beautiful love for their motherland and their families, Gabriella Saab's Daughters of Victory is like a faded picture of a lost time coming back into brilliant focus, all at once vibrant, alive, and deeply emotional, leaving your heart pounding too fast as you breathlessly turn the pages to the story's stunning, surprising conclusion." — Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, author of The Witch and the Tsar "A gripping story of revolution, war, and two headstrong women fighting for their country. Daughters of Victory brings Russian history vividly to life, including the secrets and sacrifices so many endured in order to survive." — Elizabeth Blackwell, author of Red Mistress and On a Cold Dark Sea “Gabriella Saab does not disappoint with Daughters of Victory, which is as meticulously researched and spectacularly written as The Last Checkmate. This is a bold, ambitious novel that is also deeply intimate and emotional, with rich historical settings, gripping suspense, and flawed but impressive characters. I was blown away by this complex, engrossing read.” — Addison Armstrong, author of The War Librarian "A former aristocrat who embraced the uprising in 1905 Russia shepherds her granddaughter through similar difficult choices during the 1941 Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in the engrossing latest from Saab (after The Last Checkmate)… Saab brings a magnetic authenticity to the proceedings as her richly drawn characters make life and death decisions. Historical fiction fans will be riveted.” — Publishers Weekly “Challenged by hateful enemies, Saab’s protagonists absorb punishing blows, but their wily resilience lets them live and love another day… Reminiscent of Janet Fitch’s novels about the Russian Revolution.” — Library Journal "Meticulously researched, Saab’s novel, following her equally captivating The Last Checkmate (2021), blends history, tragedy, and intrigue into her characters’ impassioned journeys." — Booklist "From the strategic opening move of The Last Checkmate, I was in the grip of an unforgettable story. Vivid prose and heart-stopping scenes, Saab unfolds the story like her protagonist plays chess, with cunning wit and brilliant strategy. Gabriella Saab’s debut is immersive, smart, and haunting—a do-not-miss WWII historical novel.” — Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah “Just wow! I was speechless when I finished reading this book. Raw and powerful in its humanity, The Last Checkmate will break your heart and stitch it back together again. Gabriella Saab has given us a rare and wondrous gift. A must-read for all historical fiction lovers.” — Sara Ackerman, USA Today bestselling author of The Radar Girls "What's the best strategy to survive in a place as evil as Auschwitz? For Maria, a young member of the Polish resistance in Gabriella Saab's debut The Last Checkmate, chess is a lifeline... The Last Checkmate kept me turning pages long into the night. A fantastic debut!" — Anika Scott, international bestselling author of The German Heiress "The Last Checkmate is a winner. Gabriella Saab’s debut kept me turning the pages and I was rooting for our young, brave, and resourceful chess prodigy every step of the way." — Elise Hooper, acclaimed author of Sisters of the Pacific “A compelling and raw journey through the mind of a young Polish woman who comes of age in Auschwitz and lives only for revenge against her family’s killer.” — Sara Dahmen, author of Tinsmith 1865 “Still thinking about The Queen’s Gambit? Then The Last Checkmate by Gabrielle Saab is the book for you.” — PopSugar “Saab’s capable debut features a revenge plot set amidst the horrors of the Holocaust... Readers who love WWII fiction with strong female leads should check this out.” — Publishers Weekly on The Last Checkmate

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Book SynopsisA RECOMMENDED READ FROM: The Washington Post • Atlanta Journal-Constitution • CrimeReads • Library JournalA gripping, radically intimate debut novel about a group of enslaved women staging a covert rebellion against their ownersOn a struggling Texas plantation, six enslaved women slip from their sleeping quarters and gather in the woods under the cover of night. The Lucys—as they call the plantation owners, after Lucifer himself—have decided to turn around the farm’s bleak financial prospects by making the women bear children. They have hired a “stockman” to impregnate them. But the women are determined to protect themselves.Now each of the six faces a choice. Nan, the doctoring woman, has brought a sack of cotton root clippings that can stave off children when chewed daily. If they all take part, the Lucys may give up and send the stockman away.

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Book SynopsisSet amid the backdrop of the massacre of Greeks and Armenians after World War I, a deeply affecting family story of love and survival infused with the rich historical detail and emotional power of Sisters of the Resistance and The Women in the Castle.It is 1908 and Smyrna is the most cosmopolitan city on the Mediterranean Sea. Though long a part of the Ottoman Empire, Smyrna has always been Greek, and its citizens honor the traditions of previous generations. The Demirigis and Melopoulos families are no different, and now Liana Demirigis will wed the only Melopoulos son, Vassili—a marriage arranged by her parents.After the wedding, Liana and Vassili build an idyllic life for themselves and their children outside of the city, safe from rising political tensions roiling the region and the world. But less than a decade later, the growing divisions between the Greeks and Turks threaten to boil over. When each country chooses a

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Book Synopsis?A beautiful, hallucinatory dream of a novel.? J.M. Miro, Author of the National Bestseller Ordinary Monsters?A fantastically moody, unsettling novel.Sarah Waters, New York Times bestselling author of The Paying Guests and FingersmithA bold ... hypnotic (The New Yorker) reimagining of Mary Shelley's youth, vividly exploring innocence, young love, gothic mystery and the roots of her literary masterpiece, Frankenstein.Switzerland, 1816. A volcanic eruption in Indonesia envelopes the whole of Europe in ash and cloud. Amid this ?year without a summer,? eighteen-year-old Mary Shelley and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley arrive at Lake Geneva to visit Lord Byron and his companion John Polidori. Anguished by the recent loss of her child, Mary spends her days in strife. But come nightfall, the friends while away rainy wine-soaked evenings gathered around the fireplace, exchanging stories. One famous evening, Byron issues a challenge to write the best ghost story. Contemplating what to write, Mary recalls another summer, when she was fourteen...Scotland, 1812. A guest of the Baxter family, Mary arrives in Dundee, befriending young Isabella Baxter. The girls soon spend hours together wandering through fields and forests, concocting tales about mythical Scottish creatures, ghosts and monsters roaming the lowlands. As their bond deepens, Mary and Isabella's feelings for each other intensify. But someone has been watching them the charismatic and vaguely sinister Mr. Booth, Isabella's older brother-in-law, who may not be as benevolent as he purports to be...With gripping mastery and verve, Anne Eekhout brings to life a defining moment in Mary Shelley's youth: the creative wellspring for one of the most original, thrilling, and timeless pieces of literature ever written. Provocative, wonderfully atmospheric and pulsing with emotion, Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein is a hypnotic ode to the power of imagination.Translated from the Dutch by Laura Watkinson

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Book SynopsisThe first novel from one of the original Kings of Comedy, Cedric “The Entertainer,” an engaging and entertaining crime caper that is a valentine to close-knit black families and tightly woven communities struggling to get by during the Depression and World War II. Babe is a charismatic and widely loved man, a gambler with a gift for gab that often gets him out of tricky situations. He’s also a dreamer, something he shares with his patient and loving wife, Rosie. They both yearn for financial stability and see the land they own as insurance for future generations. But when Babe and a few comrades enlist in a scheme that improbably falls apart, he endangers the little security the family has. On the verge of losing everything, what’s a family man to do?If you’re a gambler like Babe, you double down and risk it all for one big score—this time, a plan involving railroad boxcars.Will Babe succeed? Will Rosie continue to support her husband? Are the Feds on to his make-or-break scheme?Flipping Boxcars is Cedric “The Entertainer” at his most engaging best—a charming, fast-paced novel that pays homage to his beloved grandfather and a generation past, anchored by rich, multi-dimensional characters and oozing with irresistible charm.

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Book Synopsis“Petry is the writer we have been waiting for; hers are the stories we need to fully illuminate the questions of our moment, while also offering a page-turning good time. Ann Petry, the woman, had it all, and so does her insightful, prescient and unputdownable prose.” — Tayari Jones, New York Times Book ReviewFrom author of the bestselling novel The Street, a “masterpiece of social realism” (Wall Street Journal) about a tragic love affair, and a powerful look into how class, race, and love intersected in midcentury America.With a new introduction by Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of Libertie.“The Narrows deftly explores what it means to have an interior life under the unrelenting gaze of whiteness...it is a master class in using descriptions of place and space to explore the realities of race, gender, class and psychology.”—Kaitlyn Greenidge, from her introductionIt’s Saturday, past midnight, and thick fog rolls in from the river like smoke. Link Williams is standing on the dock when he hears quick footsteps approaching, and the gasp of a woman too terrified to scream. After chasing off her pursuer, he takes the woman to a nearby bar to calm her nerves, and as they enter, it’s as if the oxygen has left the room: they, and the other patrons, see in the dim light that he’s Black and she’s white.Link is a brilliant Dartmouth graduate, former athlete and soldier who, because of the lack of opportunities available to him, tends bar; Camilo is a wealthy married woman dissatisfied with and bored of her life of privilege. Thrown together by a chance encounter, both Link and Camilo secretly cross the town’s racial divide, defying the social prejudices of their times.In this stunning and heartbreaking story, Petry illuminates the harsh realities of race and class through two doomed lovers. This profound, necessary novel stakes Petry’s place as an indelible writer of American literature. “I’ve recently had my brain re-wired by Ann Petry, and it’s that exhilarating feeling of falling in love with one of your lifetime writers for the first time.” —Brandon Tyler

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Book Synopsis“Petry is the writer we have been waiting for; hers are the stories we need to fully illuminate the questions of our moment, while also offering a page-turning good time. Ann Petry, the woman, had it all, and so does her insightful, prescient and unputdownable prose.” — Tayari Jones, New York Times Book ReviewFrom the author of the bestselling novel The Street, Ann Petry’s classic 1947 novel portrays a small, sleepy New England town grappling with the indignities and lies of American life.Johnnie Roane has come home from four years of fighting in World War II to his loving parents and his beautiful wife, Gloria. But his first doubts of Gloria’s infidelity are created on the way home by the local taxi driver, a passionate gossip, and these doubts which mature with the hurricane that is bearing down on them darkening the seemingly perfect town of Lennox, Co

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Book SynopsisA hauntingly powerful and emotionally charged novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging.Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a shared secret.Early 1900s London: Taken from his homeland, twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of the time locked away in the attic of a large house by the sea. The only time Celestine isn’t bound by confines of the small space is when he is acting as an unpaid servant to English explorer Sir Richard Babbington, As the years pass, he desperately clings on to memories of his family in Africa, even as he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .1974: Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege whose fortunes have now changed, finds herself trapped in the same attic. Searching for a ray of light in the darkness of the attic, Lowra finds under the floorboards an old-fashioned pen, a por

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Book SynopsisLouise Erdrich meets Karen Russell in this deliciously strange and daringly original novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble: set in 1926 Nashville, it follows a death-defying young Cherokee horse-diver who, with her companions from the Glendale Park Zoo, must get to the bottom of a mystery that spans centuries.Two Feathers, a young Cherokee horse-diver on loan to Glendale Park Zoo from a Wild West show, is determined to find her own way in the world. Two’s closest friend at Glendale is Hank Crawford, who loves horses almost as much as she does. He is part of a high-achieving, land-owning Black family. Neither Two nor Hank fit easily into the highly segregated society of 1920s Nashville.When disaster strikes during one of Two’s shows, strange things start to happen at the park. Vestiges of the ancient past begin to surface, apparitions appear, and then the hippo falls mysteriously ill.

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Book SynopsisThere were Bridgertons before the eight alphabetically named siblings. In the fourth of the Bridgerton prequel series, following The Other Miss Bridgerton, we go back to where it all began. . . from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia QuinnShe was given two choices...Georgiana Bridgerton isn’t against the idea of marriage. She’d just thought she’d have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she’s abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her life as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.Enter Option #3As the fourth son of an earl, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to chart his own course. He has a life in Edinburgh, where he’s close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time—or interest—to find a wife. But when he discovers that Georgie Bridgerton—his literal girl-next-door—is facing ruin, he knows what he must do.A Marriage of ConvenienceIt might not have been the most romantic of proposals, but Nicholas never thought she’d say no. Georgie doesn’t want to be anyone’s sacrifice, and besides, they could never think of each other as anything more than childhood friends... or could they?But as they embark upon their unorthodox courtship they discover a new twist to the age-old rhyme. First comes scandal, then comes marriage. But after that comes love...

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Book SynopsisBehind the spectacle, there are always secrets.Unruly crowds descend on Crillick’s Variety Theatre. The young, mixed-race actress Zillah is headlining tonight as “The Great Amazonia, a Savage Queen from Darkest Africa.” Zillah, an orphan from the slums of Victorian London, knows that her rise to stardom is her ticket to freedom and, she hopes, to high society. The absurd caricature of her role, along with the leers of the drunken audience, are simply the price she’s willing to pay.Zillah’s late mother made her promise to make a better life for herself, and now she’s on the verge of attaining everything she’s ever dreamed of. But when Crillick’s newest Black actress suddenly disappears, Zillah is haunted by worry—can she risk her own neck to save this troubled stranger?A reckless pursuit of the truth takes Zillah into the underbelly of the city—from gaslit streets to the sumptuous p

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Book SynopsisA bestselling Italian writer makes her American debut with this delightful dramedy of manners, family, romance, and fashion that is set on the island of Sardinia at the end of the nineteenth century—a dazzling and original literary blend of Jane Austen and Adriana Trigiani.In 1900 Sardinia, a young woman’s remarkable talent with a needle earns her a position as a seamstress with a wealthy family. Inside this privileged world far different from her own humble beginnings, the skilled sewer quietly takes measurements, sketches designs, mends hems—and in the silence, hears whispered secrets and stories of all those around her.Through the watchful young seamstress’s eyes, this small Italian city and its residents emerge in all their vitality, vanity, and fragility—flawed yet congenial people who are not quite what they pretend to be. There is the Marchesa Esther, who rides horses and studies mechanics and ancient Greek; Miss Li

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Book SynopsisAs Seen on The TODAY Show!Called One of the Best Crime Novels of the Year by New York Times * NPR * New York Post * Washington Post * Buzzfeed * South Florida Sun-Sentinel * Library Journal * CrimeReadsFrom the award-winning author of All Her Little Secrets comes yet another gripping, suspenseful novel where, after the murder of a white man in Jim Crow Mississippi, two Black sisters run away to different parts of the country . . . but can they escape the secrets they left behind?It’s the summer of 1964 and three innocent men are brutally murdered for trying to help Black Mississippians secure the right to vote. Against this backdrop, twenty-one year old Violet Richards finds herself in more trouble than she’s ever been in her life. Suffering a brutal attack of her own, she kills the man responsible. But with the color of Violet&

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Book SynopsisIf some prose sings, Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s truly dances. Although set in the early sixteenth century, The Dance Tree addresses issues of the utmost importance today—the subjection of women, class inequality, the dangers of religious fundamentalism. Ultimately, however, the book’s wisdom, compassion, and beauty transcend historical boundaries: this is a timeless novel.—Hernan Diaz, author of In the Distance and Trust“An intriguing, haunting novel pulsing with raw, beautiful emotion. Kiran Millwood-Hargrave effortlessly intertwines the stories of women tenderly and sympathetically, creating a novel in which female courage and resilience shines brightly against a brilliantly evoked backdrop of claustrophobic horror.”—Jennifer Saint, author of AriadneIn this gripping historical novel, the internationally bestselling author of The Me

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Book SynopsisGrowing up in the 1990s, a young girl escapes her abusive parents-and the “ranch” they ran for “bad” girls—and becomes an advocate for teen runaways in this harrowing and heartfelt novel for fans of Joanna Goodman and Lisa Wingate.While other adolescent girls are listening to grunge rock or swooning over boy bands and movie stars, Loretta knows little of life beyond the Home for Wayward Girls, the secluded ranch where her parents run a program designed to “correct” teen girls’ “bad behavior.” Some new residents arrive with their moms and dads, while other are accompanied by transporters—people paid to forcibly deliver these “problem” teens—girls caught swearing, smoking, drinking, or kissing. Many are failed runaways desperate to leave their controlling and sometimes brutal homes. Few have any idea of the suffering that lies ahead.Loretta witnesses firsthand how the adults use abusive discipline to crush these young women’s spirits and break their wills. She understands these girls’ pain and shares it. Since childhood she’s been afraid of her father, and avoids him by spending time with the residents, secretly teaching them the survival skills they’ll need in case they manage to escape. Until the day a horrifying act of violence forces her to make her own terrible choice. Terrified and with no other option, Loretta flees the ranch and hitchhikes across the country, ending up in New York. Eventually finding safety and a sympathetic community, Loretta dedicates herself to working with lost, vulnerable, and defenseless teens, determined to prevent the same thing from happening to other girls like her.

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Book SynopsisFrom the internationally bestselling author of The Children?s Train comes an unforgettable coming-of-age novel, set in 1960s Sicily and based on a true story, of how a young Sicilian girl defied centuries old tradition to win the right to control her own life.As provincial Sicily bursts into life with the jaunty hum of pop music and the heady scent of wild jasmine, fifteen-year-old Oliva Denaro dares to challenge convention, ignoring the taunts of peers, her mother?s scolds, and her own changing body. Spirited and carefree, she loves to run until her lungs burst: to feel the strength of her lithe limbs, to relish the freedom she cherishes, to honor the friends forced by propriety to conform. Though she knows she cannot stop growing up, Oliva resists the future. To her, becoming a woman means denying oneself.But adulthood comes all too quickly when the baker?s son sets his sights on her. Offered a blood orange, Oliva?haunted by her mother?s warning, ?a girl who smiles has already said yes??spurns the fruit. Yet, this act sets into motion an unwanted courtship that will force Oliva to fight for the right to choose her own path, even though the odds of winning are steep. While America and Europe are in the throes of social change, Sicily fiercely clings to its rigid traditions, including the custom of fuitina ?by which kidnappings could be disguised as elopements? which is accepted and enshrined in law. Oliva?s battle for independence is based on the real-life story that would ultimately rock Italy?capturing the attention of both the Pope and the nation?s president?and transform life for all Italians.The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro is a lyrical tale of staggering beauty. Viola Ardone beautifully evokes a land and its people, customs, and passions, and breathes life into an unforgettable girl in all her intensity, desperation, perseverance, and bravery. Alternating between the lighthearted and the tragic, it is a classic coming-of-age novel?powerful, spellbinding, and liberating.Translated from the Italian by Clarissa BotsfordTrade Review“Viola Ardone’s novel is about the freedom of young women, so fragile… Ardone succeeds by letting a simple story speak for itself." — La Repubblica “Ardone has created an unforgettable character.” — Corriere della Sera

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