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