The Briar Club
by Kate Quinn
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Pub Date Jul 18 2024 | Archive Date Jul 31 2024
HarperCollins Publishers Australia | HarperCollins
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Description
The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Rose Code returns with a haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.
Washington, D.C., 1950
Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, an all-female boarding house in the heart of the US capital, where secrets hide behind respectable facades.
But when the mysterious Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbours – a poised English beauty, a policeman’s daughter, a frustrated female baseball star, and a rabidly pro-McCarthy typist – into an unlikely friendship.
Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their troubled lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. And when a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the Briar Club must decide once and for all: who is the true enemy in their midst?
Capturing the paranoia of the McCarthy era and evoking the changing roles for women in postwar America, The Briar Club is an intimate and thrilling novel of secrets and loyalty put to the test.
'This powerful, unforgettable historical romance is for fans of Mary Anna Evans's Justine Byrne series and stories with strong women characters' Starred Library Journal Review
'Compulsively readable, The Briar Club will find eager readers in those who love woman-led historical fiction with rich, appealing characters' Starred Booklist Review
'Blending suspense with themes of class struggle and female empowerment, this is a thrilling addition to Quinn's repertoire’ Glamour Magazine
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780008643553 |
| PRICE | £14.99 (GBP) |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Francesca T, Reviewer
Kate Quinn delivers again with her new book, 'The Briar Club'.
Set against the backdrop of post-war America, and the paranoia of the McCarthy era, 'The Briar Club' offers a glimpse into the lives of the inhabitants of Briarwood House, a boarding house during the 1950s. Quinn's beautiful narrative skillfully weaves together the personal journeys, and secrets of its diverse protagonists, each grappling with the societal expectations and personal aspirations of the era.
This novel is character driven, and each protagonists view point is richly developed. I felt invested in the storylines of each of character, their struggles and triumphs resonating with authenticity. The boarding house setting serves as a microcosm of the broader societal changes of the time, offering a compelling lens through which to explore issues of gender, class, sexuality and identity.
Quinn's meticulous attention to historical detail further enhances the vibrancy of this book. I felt she accurately depicted the challenges of single motherhood and post-partum depression, the complexities of life as an Eastern European Immigrant in 1950s America, the stigma around the choice to have children, and the perils of being a "Lavender Lady" just to note a few!
The pacing of the novel was spot on, and the overall narrative arc is so engaging, driven by the compelling dynamics between each of the inhabitants of Briarwood Housr. The prose is evocative and accessible, capturing both the nostalgia and the complexities of a transformative decade in American history.
Fans of historical fiction will find much to appreciate in Kate Quinn's 'The Briar Club', it's hard not to immerse yourself in this tale of friendship, found family, ambition, secrets, and the enduring quest for personal fulfillment. I highly recommend it to all!
Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the ARC in exchange for this review!
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