Book cover of The Golden Gate

Book description

Amy Chua's debut novel, The Golden Gate, is a sweeping, evocative, and compelling historical thriller that paints a vibrant portrait of a California buffeted by the turbulent crosswinds of a world at war and a society about to undergo massive change.

In Berkeley, California, in 1944, Homicide Detective Al Sullivan…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Golden Gate as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love hard-boiled detective stories—the snappy dialogue, the hard-to-discern motives, the glamorous yet seedy settings in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Chua’s first work of fiction (she’s a renowned law professor and memoirist) has all those essential elements along with a long-neglected, much-needed update for the complex racial politics of the day. It all is a lot of fun and keeps you wondering whodunnit. This is the perfect vacation read.

If you love The Golden Gate...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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