‘You may not know Marie-Louise Christophe but once you have met her, you won’t forget her. Vanessa Riley’s historical novel feels timely and relevant, commemorating a time when Black women were queens.’ Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author Can a queen without a country still rule people’s hearts? Hayti 1811 As Queen of Hayti, Marie-Louise Christophe rules alongside her husband, the King, in a court of opulence and beauty. But when King Henry is overthrown, Queen Louise and her daughters are forced to leave their royal palaces and flee to London. In exile, Louise must redefine her position in society. Journeying from London to Germany, and finally settling in Italy, Louise and her daughters continue to move in royal circles, living a life filled with glittering balls and princely marriage proposals. But when tragedy strikes, and with newspapers and gossip following their every move, Louise must decide what is most important in her new world, and what is worth fighting for. Based on the life of Hayti’s Queen Marie-Louise Coidavid, this is the tale of a remarkable Black woman of history, forced to rebuild her life on her own terms. Perfect for fans of Bridgerton. ‘A sweeping look at the political, social, and romantic intrigue surrounding Haiti’s first and only queen…richly imagined and wholly original.’ Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author

"Riveting and transformative...evocative and immersive...by turns vibrant and bold and wise...discovering Dorothy's story is a singular pleasure."-New York Times (Editors' Choice) A remarkable, sweeping historical novel based on the incredible true-life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies. Born into slavery on the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, Doll bought her freedom-and that of her sister and her mother-from her Irish planter father and built a legacy of wealth and power as an entrepreneur, merchant, hotelier, and planter that extended from the marketplaces and sugar plantations of Dominica and Barbados to a glittering luxury hotel in Demerara on the South American continent. Vanessa Riley's novel brings Doll to vivid life as she rises above the harsh realities of slavery and colonialism by working the system and leveraging the competing attentions of the men in her life: a restless shipping merchant, Joseph Thomas; a wealthy planter hiding a secret, John Coseveldt Cells; and a roguish naval captain who will later become King William IV of England. From the bustling port cities of the West Indies to the forbidding drawing rooms of London's elite, Island Queen is a sweeping epic of an adventurer and a survivor who answered to no one but herself as she rose to power and autonomy against all odds, defying rigid eighteenth-century morality and the oppression of women as well as people of color. It is an unforgettable portrait of a true larger-than-life woman who made her mark on history.