Kate Manning Books

“Immersive…awe-inspiring.” —The New York Times “An epic story of love, hope, and perseverance.” — #1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline This “stellar read” (Los Angeles Times) follows an unforgettable young woman who bravely exposes corruption in early 1900s Colorado. Sylvie Pelletier narrates her journey from her family's snowbound mountain cabin to working in a manor house for the Padgetts, owners of the marble-mining company that employs her father. Captivated by the luxurious surroundings and her enigmatic employer, the charming “Countess” Inge, Sylvie is also intrigued by Jasper, the bookish heir. However, her fairy-tale notions shatter as she uncovers the stark contrast between the Padgetts’ lofty ideals and their exploitative labor practices. The Gradys, formerly enslaved people, are planning a utopian community, while the town of Moonstone is rife with discontent, fueled by a handsome union organizer and labor leader Mary Harris “Mother” Jones. A bold newspaper editor takes Sylvie on as an apprentice, challenging her to confront the truth about the Padgett Company. As winter brings tragedy, Sylvie must navigate conflicting loyalties and decide to take action. Drawing from true Colorado history, this tale captures a bygone American West marked by ambition, longing for self-expression, equality, and adventure.

'In the end, they celebrated. They bragged. They got me finally, was their feeling. They said I would take my secrets to the grave. They should be so lucky.' Axie Muldoon, the headstrong daughter of Irish immigrants, forced to beg for pennies as a child on the brutal streets on New York City, grows up to become the most successful - and controversial - midwife of her time. 'Saved' from poverty by a well-meaning philanthropist, Axie is sent West with her younger brother and sister. But the kindness of strangers is short-lived and soon Axie returns to the city of her birth, alone, but determined to one day reunite her family. When she is taken in by a Manhattan doctor Axie learns the craft that she will live by - and later fight for. She rises from the gutter to the glitter of Fifth Avenue high society, and discovers that the right way is not always the way of the church or the law, and that you should never trust a man who says 'trust me.' But what if that man is an irresistible risk-taker with a poetical Irish soul? As Axie's reputation grows she finds herself on a collision course with the crusading official who would be the righteous instrument of her downfall. It will take all of her power to outwit him and save both herself and those she loves from ruin.