A haunting and memorable classic of biographical fiction. The real-life Nellie Bly arrives in New York, keen to make her name as a journalist, and willing to do almost anything. Daringly, astonishingly, she agrees to pretend to be mad, and is incarcerated in a terrifying and notorious insane asylum. The horrors of the place are almost unspeakable as she descends into the darkest depths. The fact that this is a true story, and that her report helped to change the system for the better, makes it all the more powerful.
**A HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES**
The extraordinary story of a woman's quest for the truth against all odds - and how her story changed the world
'A moving story' SUNDAY TIMES, Best historical fiction books of 2022
'A must read!' GILL PAUL
'Intriguing ... A fascinating read' HAZEL GAYNOR
'Remarkable' ESSIE FOX
'An astonishing tour de force' REBECCA MASCULL
In 1887 young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take.
But life in the…
Gill Paul is a master of biographical fiction, always finding fascinating women from the past to write about. The Manhattan Girls, about Dorothy Parker and her circle in the glittering 1920s is completely riveting. Dorothy Parker may have been the wittiest person who ever lived, but she was deeply troubled, and only survived thanks to her loyal friends. This has been compared to a 1920s version of Sex and the City. Humour, joy, sorry, friendship - oh yes, and sex, and an un-housetrained dog!
It’s a 1920s version of Sex and the City, as Dorothy Parker—one of the wittiest women who ever wielded a pen—and her three friends navigate life, love, and careers in New York City. Perfect for fans of Fiona Davis, Beatriz Williams, and Renée Rosen.
NEW YORK CITY 1921: The war is over, fashions are daring, and bootleg liquor is abundant. Here four extraordinary women form a bridge group that grows into a firm friendship.
Dorothy Parker: renowned wit, member of the Algonquin Round Table, and more fragile than she seems. Jane Grant: first female reporter for the New York Times,…
Sometimes I look around and think the world has not improved much, but then a book like this reminds me of how far we have come. This is a heart-breaking tale about a child with epilepsy in a time when the fashion for eugenics meant that children with epilepsy were wrenched away from their families, shut up in institutions, injected with ghastly substances which turned them into zombies, and forcibly sterilised so they could not pass on this 'defect'. As a mum and a grandmother, I was twisted and torn apart as the mother in this novel (who has few rights, being a woman) tries to rescue her beloved child.
“The Hidden Child is a heart-wrenching depiction of a golden couple in the 1920s…. Shocking, emotive, and compelling, but ultimately a story of hope. I loved it.” -- Deborah Carr, USA Today bestselling author
Londoners Eleanor and Edward Hamilton have it all. But the 1929 financial crash is looming, and they’re harboring a shameful secret. How far are they willing to go to protect their charmed life?
Eleanor Hamilton is happily married and mother to a beautiful four-year-old girl, Mabel. Her husband, Edward, is a leading light in the burgeoning Eugenics movement, which is designing the very…
The Prisoner's Wife is based on a true story of passion, heroism and a love that transcends overwhelming odds. Inspired by the true story of a daring deception, a young Czech woman is plunged into the horrors of a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp to be with the English soldier she loves. She spends the last six months of the war posing as a British soldier right under the noses of her Nazi guards. This astonishing story was told to me in a lift by a World War II prisoner of war and I subsequently visited Czechoslovakia, Poland and Germany as part of my research for the book, learning largely forgotten aspects of the war. The story can be harrowing at times, but it's essentially about the power of friendship and of love, and the unquenchable human spirit.
