The Gilded Hour

The international bestselling author of Where the Light Enters presents a remarkable epic about two female doctors in nineteenth-century New York. The year is 1883, and in New York City, Anna Savard and her cousin Sophie--both graduates of the Woman's Medical School--treat the city's most vulnerable, even if doing so puts everything they've strived for in jeopardy... Anna's work has placed her in the path of four children who have lost everything, just as she herself once had. Faced with their helplessness, Anna must make an unexpected choice between holding on to the pain of her past and letting love into her life. For Sophie, an obstetrician and the orphaned daughter of free people of color, helping a desperate young mother forces her to grapple with the oath she took as a doctor--and thrusts her and Anna into the orbit of anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock, a dangerous man who considers himself the enemy of everything indecent and of anyone who dares to defy him. With its vivid depictions of old New York and its enormously appealing characters, The Gilded Hour is a captivating novel by an author at the height of her powers. Praise for Sara Donati and The Gilded Hour. A Seattle Times Best Book of 2015!. "Spellbinding.... Captivating....An enthralling love story [and] a heartwarming celebration of human kindness."--The Seattle Times. "Powerful...gorgeous, vividly described."--People. "Compelling....This satisfying read, rich in interpersonal relationships of many kinds, is part romance, part mystery, and part serial-killer thriller."--Booklist (starred review). "Each time you open a book, you hope to discover a story that will make your spirit of adventure and romance sing. This book delivers on that promise."--New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick. "Lushly written...Exemplary historical fiction, boasting a heroine with a real and tangible presence."--Kirkus Reviews. "Hugely satisfying."--The Orlando Sentinel. "Epic in scope, emotionally intense...an enrapturing, grand adventure."--BookPage. "From page one, the action is nonstop. The more you read, the better it gets."--Tulsa World. "An elegant, eloquent word journey...The author has [a] gift for capturing the history and the lives of the people of that time and place."--The Tampa Tribune. "A powerfully good read."--Toronto Sun - From the Publisher. 2015-06-30. Another meticulously researched period drama with dashes of mystery and romance from Donati, this time set in 1880s New York. Donati (The Endless Forest, 2010, etc.) introduces two women doctors living near Washington Square during the Gilded Age: Dr. Liliane "Anna" Savard (granddaughter of Nathaniel Bonner of the Wilderness series) and Dr. Sophie Elodie Savard (Nathaniel's great-granddaughter but about the same age as Anna). It's 1883, and the doctors live with their Aunt Quinlan and her widowed stepdaughter, Margaret. Much of the story centers on the women's work, and as the book opens, a young nun, Sister Mary Augustin, calls at their home for Sophie, who's delivering a baby. Anna goes in her place to issue health certificates to a group of orphans. She meets DS Jack Mezzanotte and Rosa, an orphan trying to keep her sister and two brothers together. Donati spins the tales of Anna and Jack, Sophie and her maternity patient, the doctors' childhood friend Cap Verhoeven, Rosa and her siblings, Sister Mary Augustin, and a plethora of friends and relatives into a story of more than 700 pages, all saturated with her signature historical detail. There's good bit of social history, covering everything from "rational dress" and careers for women to contraception and the Comstock Act, advances in sanitation and public health. There are two mysteries as well, involving a serial killer preying on women seeking abortions and the whereabouts of Rosa's brothers. Donati is skilled at giving depth to even the most minor characters, but she sometimes pursues tangents that are never fully explored. Despite the complexity, though, the novel never gets bogged down. Page-turning and atmospheric, Donati's novel leaves readers with plenty of questions, perhaps signaling a sequel to come. - Kirkus Reviews