"Amazing...I was completely surprised by the ending of this beautifully told and written book." --Reese Witherspoon "A triumph of historical fiction" (The Washington Post), an instant New York Times bestseller, and a Reese's Book Club pick, set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal. 1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC's elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don't let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William's family and grant her the life she's been searching for. But having a baby--and fitting in--is easier said than done. With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.

The heartbreaking and completely unputdownable instant New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick about the pain and sacrifice of forbidden love, the lengths a mother will go to protect her child, and survival against the odds.

Philadelphia, 1948: Fifteen-year-old Ruby's dreams are almost within reach. She's going to be the first in her family to attend college, despite having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising her only daughter. But falling madly in love with the one boy she is forbidden from threatens to pull Ruby back into poverty and desperation. When she's imprisoned in a home for unwed mothers - locked in the House of Eve with other 'fallen girls' - everything she's worked so hard for starts slipping through her fingers.

Washington, DC, 1948: Eleanor arrives in the city with ambition, hope and a past she's trying her hardest to run from. When she meets William at Howard University, with his inky black eyes and broad shoulders, it's love at first sight. But William hails from one of Washington, DC's elite Black families, who don't let just anyone into their inner circle - especially not a girl from 'the wrong side of the tracks'. Eleanor hopes that a baby will mean they finally accept her, and that her secrets won't see the light of day - but fate has other plans in store...

In the dawn of the 1950s, Ruby and Eleanor are complete strangers - until their paths unexpectedly collide. Forced to make the most heartbreaking decisions of their lives, will their choices save them... or be their undoing?

Fans of Kate Quinn, Lisa Wingate and Kristin Harmel will fall head over heels for this totally gripping and heart-wrenching historical-fiction page-turner.

Virginia, 1850: 'Ain't many choices for a slave woman. Just know everything I do is for you. You are meant to see freedom. I's makin' sure.' Pheby Delores Brown was born on the Bell Plantation in Charles City, Virginia. The daughter of the estate's medicine woman, and cherished by the Master's sister, her days as an enslaved girl are almost over... She has been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday. But when she finally turns eighteen, the life she has dreamed of is tragically torn from her. Instead of being free, she is thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil's Half-Acre, a jail where slaves are broken, tortured and sold every day. Her life flashing before her eyes, Pheby is forced to become the mistress of the jailor, the brutal man who owns the prison. Yet even in hell, Pheby never loses sight of her freedom. But how much will she have to sacrifice? And in the face of such darkness, will she survive? Just as transfixing as it is devastating, this page-turner is inspired by the true story Mary Lumpkin, the enslaved woman who forged her own path to freedom. Perfect for fans of The Help and The Forest of Vanishing Stars, this heartbreaking read is about hope in a world of hate and the heart-wrenching price of survival. Readers love Yellow Wife: 'Will literally stay with you forever. It was absolutely heartbreaking... I could not put it down. My heart was pounding throughout the entire book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Uhhhhhhh... My heart aches!! This was such a powerful and heart-wrenching read... Amazing read!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Whew... One of the best historical fiction novels that I've ever read... Phenomenal.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'The fastest page-turner ever and a heart-pounding read... With riveting prose, the pages fly and your heart races.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I ended up crying all the way through... Yes, I cried over these pages.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'My heart aches!! Such a powerful and heart-wrenching read.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I was completely captivated by the first page and couldn't put this book down.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Beyond amazing.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'A harrowing, emotional, incredible historical saga!... I felt I right there with Pheby every step of the way. Equal parts heartbreaking and triumphant and inspiring.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars