Book cover of The Imposter Bride

Book description

The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler is an unforgettable novel about a mysterious mail-order bride in the wake of WWII, whose sudden decision ripples through time to deeply impact the daughter she never knew

In the wake of World War II, a young, enigmatic woman named Lily arrives in Montreal…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Imposter Bride as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book has a premise that resonates with me, rooted in my belief that at birth, we are handed a suitcase that someone else packed.

A haunting, heartbreaking drama, the novel follows a mysterious WWII mail-order bride who assumes a dead woman's identity to immigrate to Canada. After she gives birth, she abandons her daughter, leaving behind only a diary.

When I came across Richler’s novel, I was stunned to find echoes of my own novel’s plot. Richler’s daughter—in search of her missing mother—is an achingly poignant reminder of the power exerted by buried family secrets and mother-daughter bonds gone…

I fell in love with this story about stolen identities and the anguish of an absent mother damaged by the war who communicates through letters sent to the daughter she abandoned.

There is a poignancy that struck a chord with me as the daughter’s life unfolds in the shadow of a distant, absent mother. And I understood her need to find out who her mother was and why she left. I was also captivated by the way the mother and daughter’s lives are spun out to weave an intricate yet powerful web of intrigue. 

Most importantly, I loved the premise…

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