From the internationally bestselling author of The Gilded Hour comes Sara Donati’s enthralling epic about two trailblazing female doctors in nineteenth-century New York.
Obstetrician Dr. Sophie Savard returns home to the achingly familiar rhythms of Manhattan in the early spring of 1884 to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. With the help of Dr. Anna Savard, her dearest friend, cousin, and fellow physician she plans to continue her work aiding the disadvantaged women society would rather forget.
As Sophie sets out to construct a new life for herself, Anna’s husband, Detective Sergeant Jack Mezzanotte calls on them both to consult on two new cases: the wife of a prominent banker has disappeared into thin air, and the corpse of a young woman is found with baffling wounds that suggest a killer is on the loose. In New York it seems that the advancement of women has brought out the worst in some men. Unable to ignore the plight of New York’s less fortunate, these intrepid cousins draw on all resources to protect their patients.
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“As she brings the sights, sounds, smells, and social mores of 1884 New York into sharp focus, Donati creates a timely tale of the past that illuminates the ongoing struggle for women’s reproductive rights and sheds light on the passionate, centuries-long fight over abortion.”
— Booklist (starred review)
“Elegant prose, entrancing era descriptions, and occasional bits of wit add to the impact. This is a riveting medical mystery.”
— Publishers Weekly“Donati’s compelling prose explores ethnic and religious differences of the time. Readers will find themselves lost in late nineteenth-century New York City, from the orphanages to the practice of medicine and the court system.”
— Library Journal“Detectives, doctors, and dastardly scoundrels abound in this fascinating historical novel.”
— Kirkus ReviewsSara Donati, pen name of Rosina Lippi, is the internationally bestselling author of the Wilderness series, which includes Into the Wilderness, Dawn on a Distant Shore, Lake in the Clouds, Fire along the Sky, Queen of Swords, and The Endless Forest. The Gilded Hour books follow the story of the descendants of the characters from the Wilderness series. She lives with her family and various pets in an area between the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound.
Michael Kramer is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner, a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, and recipient of a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award. He is also an actor and director in the Washington, DC, area, where he is active in the area’s theater scene and has appeared in productions at the Shakespeare Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and Theater J.