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Showing 1 - 9 of
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The gripping and unforgettable new novel from Caroline Lea, based
on one of history's most shocking but largely untold scandals 'A
highly original and inventive writer' Sunday Times Toronto, Canada,
1926 Best friends Lily di Marco and Mae Thebault were once
inseparable. They lived under the same roof and cared for each
other's children. But with mouths to feeds and demanding husbands
to keep happy, both women are forced into terrible decisions as the
Great Depression tightens its grip. When lawyer Charles Vance
Miller's will promises a handsome sum of money to the woman who can
produce the most babies in the next ten years, it is initially
dismissed as a vanity project. But as the Great Depression worsens,
and times get increasingly tough across the world, for the most
desperate in society this contest known as The Great Stork Derby
suddenly seems like a way out. Ten years later, Lily and Mae
couldn't be further apart. And as The Great Stork Derby continues
to make headlines, for all the wrong reasons, both these women must
face up to their part in it, and the consequences... *** PRAISE FOR
Caroline Lea: 'Memorable and compelling' Sarah Moss 'Enthralling'
Stacey Halls 'Caroline's beautiful writing transported me entirely
to another time and land' Susan Fletcher 'Lea writes beautifully'
The Times 'Atmospheric, heart-wrenching, evocative - this is a
gorgeously written story about the scars we carry with us, and how
they can be overcome' Gytha Lodge 'Exquisitely researched,
beautifully told' Mary Beth Keane
Based on an incredible true story, Prize Women is a profoundly moving
novel that sheds light on a scandalous moment in history.
It's the 1920s, a time of unparalleled excess.
But for the rich to party, the poor must starve . . .
Into the city arrives pregnant runaway Lily di Marco.
She has nothing – and expects nothing.
But soon she will find herself in a towering mansion just streets away.
Confidante to, and best friends with, its glamorous owner Mae Thebolt.
Until the competition.
A childless millionaire leaves his fortune to the woman
who will have the most babies over ten years.
Is it an eccentric contest, or a horrible joke played by a rich man on
the poorest women of the city?
Either way, it will tear Lily and Mae’s friendship - and their lives -
to pieces . . .
Based on the incredible true story of The Great Stork Derby, Prize
Women is the profoundly moving novel that sheds light on a
scandalous moment in history just as relevant today 'Gorgeous.
Prize Women took my breath away. I haven't stopped thinking about
it' JENNIFER SAINT 'Wonderfully evocative and intelligent. Sheds
light on a scandalous moment in history I knew nothing about, told
with great sensitivity and grace. I was entranced' EMMA STONEX
'This heartbreaking story explores friendship, strength and the
fight to survive' WOMAN'S WEEKLY ___________ Toronto, 1926. A
childless millionaire leaves behind an astonishing will: the
recipient of his fortune will be decided in a contest 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. Lily di
Marco is young, pregnant, and terrified of her husband. Fleeing to
Toronto, she arrives on the doorstep of glamorous free spirit Mae
Thebault. At a time when men hold all the power, Lily and Mae look
out for each other. But as their friendship grows, Lily wonders if
there's more to Mae - and her past - than she has been told . . .
And as the Great Depression bites, the Stork Derby contest - with
its alluring prize - proves too good to ignore for Lily and Mae,
each living hand to mouth. These best friends are now fierce
rivals. But if only one woman can win, what will the contest cost
the other? ___________ 'A profoundly moving and absolutely gripping
novel about the choices women face - and the choices they are
denied. I cannot recommend it highly enough' ELODIE HARPER 'This
tale of two women resonates with what is happening in the world
today. I was gripped by Lily and Mae's story, the desperate choices
that women still face' LOUISE HARE 'Fascinating historical fiction
with a feminist slant' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'A serious, thoughtful and
epic journey into the trials of motherhood . . . With her
contrasting female characters, Lea interrogates the fight for
female agency across class divides, a struggle that continues to
this day. A fascinating snapshot of another time, perhaps not as
far removed from our own as we might hope' JANICE HALLET
'Wonderfully researched and full of evocative historical detail'
CULTUREFLY 'Masterful. Caroline Lea is a superb storyteller, and
Prize Women deserves a huge readership. So good, I had to pull
myself away' ELIZABETH MACNEAL
The beautifully compelling wartime story of freedom and love set
deep in the Scottish islands 'A powerful Second World War love
story' THE TIMES 'Deeply evocative of Orkney and its wild beauty. A
stunning tale of sisters, salvation and sacrifice' EMMA STONEX
_________ Orkney, 1941. Five hundred Italian prisoners of war
arrive to fortify these wild and desolate islands. Orphaned sisters
Dorothy and Constance volunteer to nurse the wounded. But while
beautiful, damaged Constance remains wary of the men, Dot finds
herself increasingly drawn to Cesare, a young man fighting on the
wrong side and broken by the horrors of battle. Secretly,
passionately, they fall in love. When a tragic mistake from Con's
past returns to haunt them, Dot must make a choice: Protect her
sister no matter the costs, or save the man who has captured her
heart? _________ Praise for Caroline Lea: 'Enthralling' Stacey
Halls, author of The Familiars and The Foundling 'Fantastic' The
Times 'Memorable and compelling' Sarah Moss, author of The Times
Book of the Year Ghost Wall 'Intensely written and atmospheric'
Daily Mail 'Gripped me in a cold fist. Beautiful' Sara Collins,
author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton 'Brilliant' Daily
Express
Wild, beautiful and spellbinding, this is the compelling wartime
story of freedom and love on the windswept islands of Orkney
'Powerful . . . Lea writes beautifully of island life and love, and
the sacrifices that both demand' THE TIMES 'Deeply evocative of
Orkney and its wild beauty. A stunning tale of sisters, salvation
and sacrifice' Emma Stonex The sky is clear, star-stamped and
silvered by the waxing gibbous moon. No planes have flown over the
islands tonight; no bombs have fallen for over a year. ___________
Orkney, 1940. Five hundred Italian prisoners-of-war arrive to
fortify these remote and windswept islands. Resentful islanders are
fearful of the enemy in their midst, but not orphaned twin sisters
Dorothy and Constance. Already outcasts, they volunteer to nurse
all prisoners who are injured or fall sick. Soon Dorothy befriends
Cesare, an artist swept up by the machine of war and almost broken
by the horrors he has witnessed. She is entranced by his plan to
build an Italian chapel from war scrap and sea debris, and
something beautiful begins to blossom. But Con, scarred from a
betrayal in her past, is afraid for her sister; she knows that
people are not always what they seem. Soon, trust frays between the
islanders and outsiders, and between the sisters - their hearts
torn by rival claims of duty and desire. A storm is coming . . . In
the tradition of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, The Metal Heart is a
hauntingly rich Second World War love story about courage, freedom
and the essence of what makes us human during the darkest of times.
___________ 'Confirms Lea as a highly original and inventive
writer' Sunday Times 'A tense, passionate and deeply atmospheric
novel . . . Caroline's beautiful transported me entirely to another
time and land' Susan Fletcher 'A beautiful, heart-breaking tale of
grief, love and the bond between sisters' Louise Hare 'Myth,
legend, fear and superstition all play a part in this intensely
atmospheric novel' Choice Magazine 'Atmospheric, heart-wrenching,
evocative' Gytha Lodge Praise for Caroline Lea: 'Enthralling'
Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars and The Foundling 'Fantastic'
The Times 'Memorable and compelling' Sarah Moss, author of The
Times Book of the Year Ghost Wall 'Intensely written and
atmospheric' Daily Mail 'Gripped me in a cold fist. Beautiful' Sara
Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton 'Brilliant'
Daily Express
1686, Iceland. A cold, windswept land where they talk of witches
and fear strangers . . . 'Gripped me in a cold fist. Beautiful'
Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton 'A
perfect, gripping winter read. I loved it' Sophie Mackintosh,
author of The Water Cure ________ When Rosa is betrothed to Jon
Eiriksson, she is sent to a remote village. There she finds a man
who refuses to speak of his recently deceased first wife, and
villagers who view her with suspicion. Isolated and disturbed by
her husband's strange behaviour, her fears deepen. What is making
the strange sounds in the attic? Who does the mysterious glass
figure she is given represent? And why do the villagers talk of the
coming winter darkness in hushed tones? A mysterious and
captivating tale of love, fear and superstition, perfect for
readers of The Miniaturist, The Silent Companions, and The Bear
& The Nightingale. Venture to the wild, beautiful and
spellbinding Orkney islands in THE METAL HEART, the compelling new
story of freedom and love from Caroline Lea. ________ 'ENTHRALLING'
Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars & The Foundling 'CRACKLES
WITH TENSION. MOVING AND ATMOSPHERIC, I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN' Laura
Purcell, author of The Silent Companions & Bone China
'MEMORABLE AND COMPELLING. A NOVEL ABOUT WHAT HAUNTS US - AND WHAT
SHOULD' Sarah Moss, author ofGhost Wall 'EVOCATIVE, COMPELLING,
WITH A BRILLIANT TWIST' Daily Express 'AN ICELANDIC JANE EYRE . . .
COMPELLING, ATMOSPHERIC' Sunday Times 'INTENSELY WRITTEN AND
ATMOSPHERIC, WITH AN UNUSUAL SETTING' Daily Mail 'A CHILLING TALE'
Good Housekeeping 'LIKE A GHOST STORY TOLD AROUND A WINTER FIRE Tim
Leach, author of Smile of the Wolf SHORTLISTED FOR THE HISTORICAL
WRITERS ASSOCIATION DEBUT AWARD
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