The Secret Life of Violet Grant - Hardcover

Williams, Beatriz

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399162178 ISBN 13: 9780399162176

Publisher: Putnam Pub Group, 2014

Synopsis

Williams conjures up another substantive beach read steeped in history and familial intrigue.... Readers will love wallowing in the twists and turns of this irresistibly luxurious tale.”Booklist

Passion, redemption, and a battered suitcase full of secrets: the New York Times-bestselling author of A Hundred Summers returns with another engrossing tale.

Manhattan, 1964. Vivian Schuyler, newly graduated from Bryn Mawr College, has recently defied the privilege of her storied old Fifth Avenue family to do the unthinkable for a budding Kennedy-era socialite: break into the Madison Avenue world of razor-stylishMetropolitan magazine. But when she receives a bulky overseas parcel in the mail, the unexpected contents draw her inexorably back into her family’s past, and the hushed-overcrime passionnel of an aunt she never knew, whose existence has been wiped from the record of history.

Berlin, 1914. Violet Schuyler Grant endures her marriage to the philandering and decades-older scientist Dr. Walter Grant for one reason: for all his faults, he provides the necessary support to her liminal position as a young American female physicist in prewar Germany. The arrival of Dr. Grant’s magnetic former student at the beginning of Europe’s fateful summer interrupts this delicate détente. Lionel Richardson, a captain in the British Army, challenges Violet to escape her husband’s perverse hold, and as the world edges into war and Lionel’s shocking true motives become evident, Violet is tempted to take the ultimate step to set herself free and seek a life of her own conviction with a man whose cause is as audacious as her own.

As the iridescent and fractured Vivian digs deeper into her aunt’s past and the mystery of her ultimate fate, Violet’s story of determination and desire unfolds, shedding light on the darkness of her years abroad . . . and teaching Vivian to reach forward with grace for the ambitious futureand the loveshe wants most.

About this title

Review:

Praise for A HUNDRED SUMMERS:

"[A] fast-paced love story...the scorching sun illuminates a friend's betrayal and reignites a romance."-- "O, The Oprah Magazine"

"Perfect for fans of the Gossip Girl "series." -- People"

"Summer of 1938: A scandalous love triangle and a famous hurricane converge in a New England beach community. Add in a betrayal between friends, a marriage for money, and a Yankee pitcher, and it's a perfect storm."--"Good Housekeeping"

"A candidate for this year's big beach read."--Kirkus"

"Novels as masterfully done as A Hundred Summers come along only about that often. Beatriz Williams delivers an intricately woven tale of friendship, betrayal, old families, and closely guarded secrets. It is what every beach book should aspire to be - smart and engrossing."--Elin Hilderbrand, author of "Beautiful Day "and the bestselling S"ummerland"

"Smart, delicious writing... Williams adds a signature touch of historic drama."--"Library Journal"

"Williams' sweeping saga of betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption trenchantly examines the often duplicitous nature of female friendships and family friendships."--"Booklist"

A Hundred Summers "sparkles like the New England summer sun. A brilliantly told tale of love lost and found, of friendship, and of family ties that strangle... Definitely a book for my keeper shelf."--Karen White, "New York"" Times-"bestselling author of "Sea Change"

About the Author:

Beatriz Williams lives with her husband and children in Greenwich, Connecticut. She is the author ofA Hundred Summers and Overseas.

About this edition

• Publisher: Putnam Pub Group
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0399162178
• ISBN 13: 9780399162176
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 436