Showing posts with label Nancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nancy. Show all posts

Wednesday, 17 July 2013

J.K. Rowling and the "Discovery Problem" in Crime Fiction


By Nancy Bilyeau

There are not that many novelists who would be delighted with selling 500 copies of a book in four months. J.K. Rowling is one of them.

The gig is up, and "Robert Galbraith," debut author of the detective story The Cuckoo's Calling, is proven to be J.K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter series and multi-millionaire. The novel hit No. 1 on amazon and shall soon rule the print bestseller lists with the vigor of a vengeful Snape.

Right now everyone is taking a peek at the writing of "Rowlbraith:"

"The buzz in the street was like the humming of flies. Photographers stood massed behind barriers patrolled by police, their long-snouted cameras poised, their breath rising like steam. Snow fell steadily on to hats and shoulders; gloved fingers wiped lenses clear. From time to time there came outbreaks of desultory clicking, as the watchers filled the waiting time by snapping the white canvas tent in the middle of the road, the entrance to the tall red-brick apartment block behind it, and the balcony on the top floor from which the body had fallen."

I think that's a damn good opening paragraph--and I'm not alone. The crime novel earned good reviews and glowing recommendations from authors while, all insist, they thought they were reading the work of Robert Galbraith, vaguely defined as "ex military." That is surprising. It's extremely difficult for a debut author without a "platform" to garner this attention. Galbraith couldn't be interviewed or show up for a photo op at a bookstore launch, since I assume drag isn't Rowling's thing. Although this sounds fishy, I am determined to be generous and attribute the critical success to Little, Brown being a very good publisher.

On her website, J.K. Rowling said, "I hoped to keep this secret a little longer, because being Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience. It has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation, and pure pleasure to get feedback under a different name."

Right now everyone is focusing on Rowling's being able to pull off this magician trick, while pointing fingers at the commissioning book editors who last year didn't want to buy the novel when they thought they were assessing Galbraith. The game of gotcha is afoot.

But I keep thinking of those 500 sold copies. (According to The Guardian, 450 were sold in England.) The book was well reviewed, with a smart cover. Yet that was the best it could do.

Which brings me to last weekend's Thrillerfest, the annual conference in New York City bringing together hundreds of published authors, aspiring writers, agents, editors, and reporters. I had a fantastic time, happily serving on the panel "Who Killed Jack the Ripper? Putting the Mystery in History," moderated by bestseller Steve Berry and populated by fellow historical writers C.W. Gortner, David Liss, William Dietrich, David Morrell, and M.J. Rose.

It was M.J. Rose, author of the enthralling Seduction: A Novel and founder of Author Buzz, who first told me about the "discovery problem" in fiction. Novels by debut authors keep hitting the shelves, but some are having a hard time finding readers, no matter how well written. Newspapers and magazines have eliminated their review sections; bookstores are struggling; fiction fights for people's attention as twitter, Facebook and cable TV series beckon.

Still, The Cuckoo's Calling was well reviewed and it received bookstore placement. Something else is at work here, and it was M.J. Rose again who shared something interesting at last Friday's International Thriller Writers' membership meeting of Thrillerfest.

M.J. said that according to research conducted by the Codex Group, new thriller authors have the greatest challenge of all in finding readers, when compared to other genres.

Wait a minute, you're thinking. Don't thrillers (or "crime fiction," as the category is called in the UK) have a lock on the top of the bestseller lists? Yes, they do--the ones written by established authors, often called the franchise or brand name writers. The newbies have a rough time getting attention in the shadow of these brands.

I reached out to Peter Hildick-Smith of the Codex Group to go deeper.

"Among fiction fans, thriller and suspense fans are the most obsessed of all--telling us they primarily read authors they know and love most, to the exclusion of trying new writers," Peter emailed me. The debuts "have the greatest challenge trying to reach a new audience that simply isn't interested in reading unknown authors."

Romance readers are "more open to new voices," Peter explains. Of the number of books bought last year by fans of the thriller genre, 19 percent were written by unfamiliar authors--but when looking at fans' purchases of erotic romance, a whopping 45 percent were penned by new authors.

"Fans read their favorite category to satisfy different needs," Peter says. "My personal view: thriller fans want guaranteed, consistent entertainment with minimal risk of disappointment--romance readers want new experiences, to experiment and take risks."

At first I had a hard time relating to these statistics. I've always been open to new voices. I love to discover an author, and years before publishing my first novel I would make a purchase based on the cover design, the jacket copy and a scan of the first paragraph. But then, I don't confine myself to thrillers. I read historical fiction, literary fiction, young adult, nonfiction. You name it. I'm also a newsstand-magazine editor living in New York City, and so am part of a tribe that loves to discover: the new independent film, restaurant, rooftop bar, weekend bed-and-breakfast, shoe store. I'm not obsessed with minimizing risk.

Masterpiece Mystery's "Endeavour"
But then I remembered Sunday night. A new mystery series was on "Masterpiece Mystery," called Endeavour. At the last minute, my husband and I, mystery fanatics, wavered between Endeavour and a classic episode of Columbo starring Ruth Gordon. Endeavour won--and I'm happy it did. I'm enjoying the series'  acting, deft layering of clues, and 1960s-era detail. But then, Endeavour isn't even totally new, it's an "origins story" of Inspector Morse, written so well by Colin Dexter and portrayed so memorably by John Thaw. What if the "Masterpiece Mystery" had been a completely new character and story? Might Columbo have won, even though I've seen that episode at least three times? I was tired Sunday night, and perhaps on some level I craved "guaranteed" entertainment.

I'm beginning to see why Robert Galbraith didn't stand a chance.


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Nancy Bilyeau's historical thriller The Chalice is on sale in North American and the United Kingdom. The first book in the series, The Crown, reached No. 1 on amazon's bestseller list and was on the short list of the Crime Writers' Association's Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Awards for 2012. The Chalice received a "Top Pick" review in March 2013 from Romantic Times and was praised by the Historical Novel Society: "The Chalice is writ large across England and the Continent as history and supernatural mysticism combine in this compelling thriller." For more information, go to www.nancybilyeau.com.

Touchstone Books/U.S.






Orion/UK

Monday, 3 June 2013

Why BEA Is Like High School--And That's Not a Completely Bad Thing

By Nancy Bilyeau


I went to a high school in suburban Michigan with a student body of greater population than some towns. We were three to a locker, packed tight in classrooms. It was hard not to feel lost in that sprawling, shining building, especially if, like me, you had zero interest in sports and the other pursuits of the popular crowd.
            Years later and half a country away, BookExpo America (BEA), by its own definition "the largest publishing event in North America," brings back a little of that feeling.
But before I explain why, it’s important to make an attempt to explain what BEA is. And what it isn’t. Each year, for four days at the end of May or beginning of June, a major city hosts the largest book trade fair in the country. It’s been New York City's Jacob J. Javits Convention Center since 2009, a logical place for such a huge undertaking. The only other time I’ve been to Javits Center is for Comic Con, but it’s always got something going, from national dog and auto shows to volleyball tournaments.
When you make your way to the extreme west side of Manhattan and walk in the big doors of Javits to be part of BEA, it looks like this:


Who are all these thousands of people? Publishers, booksellers, agents, librarians, educators, bloggers, reporters.  You wouldn't know that amazon is omnipresent in the book business by walking this floor. Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) are everywhere. It's all about paper! 
You have, I am sure, noticed that there is one group I haven't included: authors. And that's because it's complicated. BEA is not for us; it is, in many ways, about us. Authors of new work sign everywhere, either ARCs or finished books. There are "author stages" for the big guns, such as Amy Tan being interviewed by the Oprah magazine books editor. An author breakfast featured Chelsea Handler, Ishmael Beah, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Wally Lamb.
So how do authors get recruited for breakfasts and stages and panels? That's where BEA becomes oblique. This isn't a writer's conference, where you can volunteer to sign or submit an idea for a panel. I live in New York City and can show up at Javits, but it's not that simple.  The publishers arrange some things; the BEA higher-ups schedule other things. I get the feeling that many are called but few are chosen. 
Yes, this is when the high school memory in, when cool-kid parties were going on, but I rarely was given the address. It didn't help that my first time at BEA, I was clueless. In 2011, my publisher, Touchstone, kindly gave me a badge and I wandered the vast, cacophonic floor during a Friday afternoon. It was seven months before my debut novel would be published; I had no ARCs to sign and it seemed the interesting panels had all taken place that morning. At one point, my feet aching, I sat down on the floor with a $10 pretzel and a conference map/brochure, dazed. 
Two years later, it's BEA 2013, and my second novel, The Chalice, has been on sale less than three months. I have something to sign! But where--and how?
I'm not someone who gives other people much advice but I do have one tip to pass on to fellow authors: find a tribe. Back in high school, bored and alienated, I managed to discover like-minded students in the Drama Club and signed up, first painting sets and designing brochures and finally working my way up to performing onstage. I made quite the French maid in a performance of Eugene Ionesco's "The Bald Soprano," if I do say so myself.
Now, as an author, I've discovered the value of joining a different kind of tribe. My books are thrillers set in Tudor England--and so I've joined the Historical Novel Society, International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. At a meeting of MWA, a new friend, novelist Laura Joh Rowland (the Sano Ichiro mysteries), let me in on the inside scoop on BEA: if your publisher will give you a minimum of 50 books, you can sign them for a half-hour at a booth run by  MWA.
Sure enough, the regular MWA newsletter went out on email early this past spring, issuing a call for members to sign up for slots at BEA. I quickly checked in with the team at Touchstone; I was told yes, they could send over the books; and I emailed a request to MWA. A few weeks later, I had a slot late on Thursday afternoon. I was in!
My official BEA badge arrived in the mail, thanks to my publisher. I confess to a little shiver when I looked at my credentials. I am real.

         Ninety degree heat notwithstanding, I headed for the Javits Center last Thursday. One function BEA performs is a time for everyone to talk about The State of Book Publishing. I'd scanned the blogs and newspaper articles in the days leading up to the expo. Keith Kelly's Media Ink column in the New York Post struck a positive note: "Book Publishers Finally Get a Reason to Party." Among the party schedules and publishing house news releases, Kelly reported that, "Overall net revenue from trade publishing--the name used to describe books aimed at a consumer audience--increased 6.9 percent to $15 billion in 2012." Yes, $15 billion seems reason to pop a few bottles of champagne.
         Javits was just as crowded as I remembered. This time I was struck by the Malcolm Gladwell poster/flag hanging near the entrance. It made Olympic flags look minuscule.  At the MWA booth, administrative director Margery Flax said hello with a big smile. I was to sign from 3:15 to 3:45 with two other authors: Hank Phillippi Ryan (The Other Woman) and Sara J. henry (A Cold and Lonely Place). Namecards were ready; water bottles were in the mini-fridge; our books were neatly stacked. When I remarked on how flawlessly organized the event was, Margery said, "Well, we've been doing this a while."


Best of all, there they were...the people who wanted our signed books. It was, to my delight, an actual line. I would say that 75 percent of those who stood in front of me were librarians. Some of them had read my first novel, The Crown, or had heard of it. Others knew nothing about me but liked the cover and were interested in learning something about my fiction. While signing the title page, I told them my "log line."
The half-hour was up in what seemed like five minutes. Shaking hands with Margery and the MWA volunteers, I left the booth and ventured to the Simon & Schuster area, chatting with my wonderful Touchstone publicist, Jessica Roth, and getting a chance to meet my publisher, Stacy Creamer, face to face.
No, I wasn't the star of BEA, on a level with the Malcolm Gladwells and Amy Tans. But for an hour or so, I felt like the most popular girl at school.

Friday, 14 December 2012

The Bouncing Babies of 2012: Coming Soon to a Stocking Near You?

This was the year that Book Pregnant made its debut with...book debuts. The first batch of babies was born, and how. We've published everything from literary fiction to historical thrillers to romantic tales to  coming of age stories to memoirs. We met bookstore owners and reviewers; we read our work before people who wanted to listen; we signed title pages and responded to readers. It was all pretty amazing. 

Now, as the year draws to a close, we're doing a group giveaway. We want you to share in what we've accomplished! Scroll through our books, and then sign up for a giveaway in the comments section. You can ask for a specific book (we can mail a book within the United States) and leave your email address so we know how to contact you. This giveaway commences Dec 14 and ends Dec 30.

Oh and watch this space for the babies of 2013. We've got some beauts. :)

Meet the class of 2012:

Fobbit, by David Abrams


In the satirical tradition of Catch-22 and M*A*S*HFobbit takes us into the chaotic world of Baghdad’s Forward Operating Base Triumph. The Forward Operating base, or FOB, is like the back-office of the battlefield – where people eat and sleep, and where a lot of soldiers have what looks suspiciously like an office job. Male and female soldiers are trying to find an empty Porta Potty in which to get acquainted, grunts are playing Xbox and watching NASCAR between missions, and a lot of the senior staff are more concerned about getting to the chow hall in time for the Friday night all-you-can-eat seafood special than worrying about little things like military strategy. 



"[T]his darkly comic novel is a slice of awesome. Like the best writing of M*A*S*H, it is true dark comedy in that it reinforces how unpleasant life can be for soldiers, and how ridiculous, funny, and stupid life can be. And it reminds us how cheap life is; how cheap American lives are."
--Library Journal

"[T]hese Dickensian characters are all so skillfully wrought that we quickly accept their idiosyncrasies....What’s most intriguing about this work is that, at its center, it is both a clever study in anxiety and an unsettling expose of how the military tells its truths. Fobbit traces how 'the Army story' is crafted, the dead washed of their blood, words scrutinized, and success applied to disasters."
--The Washington Post

http://www.davidabramsbooks.com/
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At the Mercy of the Queen, by Anne Barnhill


A sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, AT THE MERCY OF THE QUEEN is a rich and dramatic debut historical about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.


"An absolutely splendid read!" Diane Haeger, author of I, Jane.

"Fresh and absorbing." Sara Poole, author of Poison





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The Crown, by Nancy Bilyeau

Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun, learns that her favorite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned at the stake. When she defies the rule of enclosure, Joanna along with her father is arrested for interfering with the king's justice and imprisoned. While Joanna is in the Tower of London, the ruthless Bishop of Winchester forces her to spy for him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so powerful, it may possess the ability to end the Reformation. With Cromwell's troops threatening to close her priory, Joanna must decide who she can trust so that she may save herself, her family, and her sacred way of life. 




"A stunning debut. This is one of the best historical novels I have ever read"-- bestselling historian and novelist Alison Weir


“Bilyeau deftly weaves extensive historical research throughout, but the real draw of this suspenseful novel is its juicy blend of lust, murder, conspiracy, and betrayal.” – O, The Oprah Magazine


www.nancybilyeau.com


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The Exceptionals, By Erin Cashman

In a famous family of exceptionally talented people, fifteen-year-old Claire Walker is ordinary . . . or so she leads everyone to believe. Yet the minute she steps out of line, her parents transfer her to Cambial Academy: the prestigious boarding school that her great-grandfather founded for students with supernatural abilities, or “specials”. Although Claire can’t see ghosts or move objects with her mind like the other students, she does have a special she considers too lame to admit: she can hear the thoughts of animals. Just as she is settling in, one by one the most talented students – the Exceptionals – go missing. In an attempt to find out what happened to them, Claire uncovers a dark prophecy involving a plot to destroy Cambial and a mysterious girl who can communicate with a hawk. Could she be that girl? Does the gorgeous but secretive boy she meets in the woods know more than he is letting on? After years of ignoring her special gift, Claire decides the time has come to embrace her ability . . . before it’s too late.

"From the first few paragraphs, I was hooked and read this page-turner in two sittings. Claire, the spunky and completely believable protagonist, engages the reader as she struggles to stay afloat in her new reality and make the most out of an unfortunate turn of events... Even though Cambial Academy and its extraordinary students are beyond normal, Cashman has created a completely believable supernatural world. I highly recommend this book because a wide range of ages (11 and up) and audiences could enjoy this read and relate to the story and characters. Its a fantastical coming of age story..."
-- http://www.swonlibraries.org/royal-reviews?a=dr&id=6489

"With it's varied and intriguing cast of characters, The Exceptionals will appeal to a wide range of readers, all of whom will be eager to see if there will be forthcoming adventures at Cambial Academy" -- School Library Journal


 http://www.amazon.com/Exceptionals-Erin-Cashman/dp/0823423352

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The Underside of Joy, by  Seré Prince Halverson



A stepmother fights for custody of her two young stepchildren after their father dies and their biological mother who abandoned them returns to claim them.




“Set aside a full evening to read Seré Prince Halverson’s first novel, the engrossing and keenly affecting The Underside of Joy; once you’ve started, you’ll be all in.” –Dallas Morning News

“There are no villains here; just two women who love these children dearly. The wonderful characters and beautiful writing make this debut novel a rewarding read.—Minneapolis Star Tribune





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Monarch Beach, by Anita Hughes




Monarch Beach is the story of a young San Francisco heiress who discovers her French chef husband is cheating on her, and escapes to the St. Regis, Monarch Beach to chart a new road to happiness.




"Perfect summer reading" - Booklist

"Absolutely riveting and brimming with emotion. Monarch Beach charmed me from the very first page." - Jane Porter, Author of The Good Woman.


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Night Swim, by Jessica Keener

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Kunitz lives in a posh, suburban world of 1970 Boston. From the outside, her parents' lifestyle appears enviable - a world defined by cocktail parties, expensive cars, and live-in maids to care for their children - but inside their five-bedroom house, all is not well for the Kunitz family. Coming home from school, Sarah finds her well-dressed, pill-popping mother lying disheveled on their living room couch. At night, to escape their parents' arguments, Sarah and her oldest brother, Peter, find solace in music, while her two younger brothers retreat to their rooms and imaginary lives. Any vestige of decorum and stability drains away when tragedy hits one terrible winter day. Soon after, their father, a self-absorbed, bombastic professor begins an affair with a younger colleague. Sarah, aggrieved, dives into two summer romances that lead to unforeseen consequences. In a story that will make you laugh and cry, Night Swim shows how a family, bound by heartache, learns to love again.

"This gripping first novel announces the arrival of a strong, distinct and fully evolved new voice." 
--Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize winner

"Keener's observations perfectly capture a certain kind of 1970s adolescence" 
--The Boston Globe


www.jessicakeener.com

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The Sister Queens, by Sophie Perinot


THE SISTER QUEENS weaves the tale of two 13th Century sisters separated by royal marriages—but never truly parted.  The eldest, Marguerite, becomes the Queen of France, marrying the greatest monarch of the age, Louis IX, and soon finds he is a better monarch than husband.  Her marriage will take her on a crusading adventure, but will it bring her happiness?  The second, Eleanor, becomes Queen of England with a marriage to Henry III, and quickly discovers he is a very good man but a very bad king.  She will have love but, competitive as she is, can she settle for that?




“What Philippa Gregory did for Anne and Mary Boleyn, Perinot has done for Marguerite and Eleanor of Provence. This is, without a doubt, one of the best novels I’ve read all year!” ~Michelle Moran, Author of MADAME TUSSAUD

“THE SISTER QUEENS has it all… court life, balls, rivalry, politics, love and lust; with the added element of seeming so real to the reader as though watching a film. A fantastic debut!” ~Peeking Between the Pages




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Hemingway's Girl, by Erika Robuck


When a Cuban-American woman in Key West takes a job as a maid for Ernest Hemingway to support her family, her relationships with the famous writer and a WWI veteran and boxer reveal that she may be in over her head on all fronts.



“You’ll love this robust, tender story of love, grief, and survival on Key West in the 1930s…addictive.” ~New York Times Bestselling Author Jenna Blum




“Evokes a setting of the greatest fascination…This is assured and richly enjoyable storytelling.” ~Margaret Leroy, Author of The Soldier’s Wife


www.erikarobuck.com


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The Rules of Inheritance, by Clare Bidwell Smith



Every once in a while a memoir so striking and beautifully written comes along that people can’t stop talking about it long after they’ve finished it. On a wave of buzz and praise in advance of its hardcover publication, The Rules of Inheritance quickly became beloved as a courageous and honest blueprint for how to start over. Said Interview,Smith holds nothing back in her confessional memoir of devastation, but also of rebuilding.”






"A brave and intelligent book about big loss and even bigger love. The gritty truth and hard won grace in this beautiful memoir astonishes me." –Cheryl Strayed, New York Times bestselling author of WILD


"Gritty, poetic, and illuminating." -Oprah Magazine

http://www.amazon.com/The-Rules-Inheritance-A-Memoir/dp/0452298873/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1344878220&sr=8-1

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Hand me Down, by Melanie Thorne


A tough, tender, debut novel, in the tradition of Dorothy Allison and Janet Fitch, Hand Me Down is the unforgettable story of a girl who has never been loved best of all.



“A sad, compelling read.” –People

“Thorne populates her pages with characters who are fascinating and sharply drawn. . . . Liz is a wise, wry, wonderful heroine.” – (starred review) Kirkus, which recently named Hand Me Down one of the best books of 2012.


/http://melaniethorne.com/book/

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The Lost Saints of Tennessee, by Amy Franklin Willis


 The Lost Saints of Tennessee chronicles middle-aged Ezekiel Cooper's struggle to find his way back to his family and himself after the mysterious drowning of his twin brother."



“It is the natural voices of Franklin-Willis’s characters and the Southernsetting that carry this novel. The honest prose rises from the heart[and] . . . leaves the reader rooting for the charactersuntil the novel’s last page.”—The Boston Globe

“A riveting, hardscrabble book on the rough,hardscrabble south, which has rarely beenwritten about with such grace and compassion."—Pat Conroy

www.amyfranklin-willis.com

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The Unfinished Garden, by Barbara Claypole White



Tilly Silverberg, an English nursery owner living in the forests of North Carolina, wants the world to bugger off and leave her alone with her son, her plants, and remorse for decisions she made three years earlier—as her husband was dying.
But James Nealy has other plans. An entrepreneur battling the obsessive-compulsive disorder that estranged him from his family, James speeds into Tilly’s life convinced that only she can help him face his greatest fear: dirt.
When a family emergency lures Tilly back to rural England, James follows—tapping and counting through aviophobia. Away from home, they forge an unlikely bond. And as they work to create a garden and unearth trust, Tilly realizes she too must confront her own secret terror: that love will always end in loss.

“A fabulous debut novel, THE UNFINISHED GARDEN easily earns Romance Junkies’ highest rating of five blue ribbons and a recommended status for its unpredictable originality! So good!” Romance Junkies


The Unfinished Garden is a powerful story of friendship and courage in the midst of frightening circumstances… I highly recommend this wonderful love story.” Bergers’ Book Reviews 


http://barbaraclaypolewhite.com

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The Plum Tree, by Ellen Marie Wiseman



THE PLUM TREE follows a young German woman through the chaos of World War II and its aftermath as she tries to save the love of her life, a Jewish man. “Bloom where you’re planted,” is the advice Christine Bolz receives from her beloved Oma. But seventeen-year-old domestic Christine knows there is a whole world waiting beyond her small German village. It’s a world she’s begun to glimpse through music, books—and through Isaac Bauerman, the cultured son of the wealthy Jewish family she works for. Yet the future she and Isaac dream of sharing faces greater challenges than their difference in stations. In the fall of 1938, Germany is changing rapidly under Hitler’s regime. Anti-Jewish posters are everywhere, dissenting talk is silenced, and a new law forbids Christine from returning to her job—and from having any relationship with Isaac. In the months and years that follow, Christine will confront the Gestapo’s wrath and the horrors of Dachau, desperate to be with the man she loves, to survive—and finally, to speak out. Set against the backdrop of the German home front, this is an unforgettable novel of courage and resolve, of the inhumanity of war, and the heartbreak and hope left in its wake. 


"Stories of WWII rarely look at the lives of the average German; Wiseman eschews the genre’s usual military conflicts in favor of the slow, inexorable pressure of daily life during wartime, lending an intimate and compelling poignancy to this intriguing debut.”—Publisher’s Weekly

"The meticulous hand-crafted detail and emotional intensity of THE PLUM TREE immersed me in Germany during its darkest hours and the ordeals its citizens had to face. A must-read for WW2 fiction aficionados--and any reader who loves a transporting story."—Jenna Blum, NYT bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and one of Oprah's Top 30 Women Writers