by Monica Ali
First published 2011
The princess believes the Establishment wants her dead. Her marriage brought heartbreak and betrayal. Millions adore her, but she feels trapped and alone behind palace walls. Protocol suffocates her, yet she refuses to follow the rules. At her breaking point, she makes a desperate choice: stage her own death and disappear. Ten years later, she lives as Lydia in a quiet American town. She has altered her appearance and built a fragile new life. The glamour means nothing to her now. She grieves for her children, the precious thing she left behind. Then a paparazzi photographer appears in town by chance. Will he recognize her? Should she run or stay calm? Can she trust anyone, or will betrayal find her again? Her carefully constructed world hangs in the balance.
Genres: fiction, drama, romance, suspense, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, identity-crisis, second-chance
Setting: America, United States
Period: 21st Century
272 pages · Hardcover · Scribner
Content warnings: anxiety, depression