This series chronicles the journey of a young woman navigating the world of New York and Massachusetts high society in the 1980s. It follows her coming-of-age, her search for identity, and her relationships within an environment filled with expectation and social rules. The narratives explore themes of class, love, and personal growth during an iconic decade.
This debut novel introduces a captivating new voice in American popular fiction, weaving a spellbinding narrative that promises to engage readers with its unique storytelling style. The author blends fresh perspectives with compelling themes, inviting audiences into a rich and immersive world. With a focus on character development and intricate plotlines, this book is poised to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape.
Madeline escapes the drudgery of rural Syracuse, but when her husband's job offer falls through, she becomes a teacher at the Santangelo Academy, a school for troubled teens. As she questions the director's bizarre methods, she finds herself trapped in a world of devoted colleagues and joins rebellious students to resist the questionable authority.
"Cornelia Read's darkest, most passionate, and most poignant book yet." -Tana French, New York Times Bestselling Author The smart-mouthed but sensitive runaway socialite Madeline Dare is shocked when she discovers the skeleton of a brutalized three-year-old boy in her own weed-ridden family cemetery outside Manhattan. Determined to see that justice is served, she finds herself examining her own troubled personal history, and the sometimes hidden, sometimes all-too-public class and racial warfare that penetrates every level of society in the savage streets of New York City during the early 1990s. Madeline is aided in her efforts by a colorful assemblage of friends, relatives, and new acquaintances, each one representing a separate strand of the patchwork mosaic city politicians like to brag about. The result is an unforgettable narrative that relates the causes and consequences of a vicious crime to the wider relationships that connect and divide us all.