by Ruta Sepetys
First published 2026
Marjorie Lennox has always been the misfit daughter of Detroit's automotive royalty. In 1927, while her family builds cars and counts money, she dreams of art and freedom. Her controlling father dismisses her. Her siblings ignore her. When she discovers an exclusive arts program funded by a mysterious benefactor, Marjorie applies in secret. The retreat seems perfect at first. The building impresses her. The other participants show real talent. But restrictions multiply quickly. Doors lock without explanation. Women whisper about disappearances. Strange sounds drift through the halls at night. The benefactor remains mostly absent yet his influence permeates everything. Marjorie came here to find herself. Instead, she feels her identity dissolving. The program demands conformity she cannot give. Other women have vanished when they refused to fit the expected mold. As Marjorie uncovers the truth about the retreat, she must decide whether artistic freedom is worth the deadly price.
Genres: art, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Detroit, United States
Period: 1927
304 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books