First published 2001
In the glittering world of Gilded Age San Francisco, Lizzie Hayes is a dutiful spinster - until a mysterious outcast named Mary Ellen Pleasant arrives at the charity she runs. As Mary Ellen's notorious past and rumored voodoo powers unsettle Lizzie's elite circle, she finds herself drawn to this unconventional woman. With Mary Ellen's encouragement, Lizzie's long-dormant passions ignite, setting her on a path to defy the ruling conventions that have constrained her. A wryly funny tale of one woman's subversive transformation.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary, unconventional-heroine
Setting: San Francisco, California
Period: Gilded Age, mid 1800s
321 pages · Hardcover · Putnam Adult