This enveloping historical drama set in 1850s Monterey centers on Eliza, recently widowed and working as a prostitute. But she's content; far better to be an independent woman than married to an abusive man. When someone starts killing other prostitutes, she and her best friend, Jean, set out to solve the mystery no lawman seems to care about. Mischievously upending old-fashioned narratives of fallen women, Smiley brings time and place alive.

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Moms were over-worked and under-appreciated even before the pandemic laid bare the need to reevaluate family life. Journalist Grose weaves together history, memoir and interviews
with hundreds of women to persuasively propose a saner future for all.

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In 1927 South Africa, an unhappily married couple find their family endangered by the new so-called Immorality Act, which outlaws sex between the races. This haunting debut chronicles the lives of Alisa, Abram and daughter Dido during the chilling
early steps toward apartheid.

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Parikh's debut is a sweeping love story set amid a traveling circus and the horrors of WWII. Young, disabled Lena, the daughter of haunted illusionist Theo, falls in love with another outsider, tortured Jewish refugee Alexandre. As the Nazis encroach, the performers struggle to survive betrayals and
heartbreaking loss, all leading to a spinning-plates grand finale with an irresistible message: Finding your true self (and true love) is the greatest wonder of all.

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After her marriage collapses, Emily and her "bestie" decide to vacation in an Italian villa known for a gruesome 1974 murder. Flashing between past and present, Hawkins weaves an engrossing tale about betrayal, sisterhood and the power of telling your own story. Captivating!

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In sparkling slivers of stories set from the 1960s to the early 2000s, fortune batters a wealthy Black family of Connecticut, whose six children initially seem set for stardom in sports and beyond. A car wreck, a drug bust, illicit passions and long-kept secrets will change all that.

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An irresistible coming-of-age portrait of Sam, a young rock climber torn between achieving the better life her financially struggling mom pushes and embracing the reckless freedom of her adored but mostly absent addict dad. But what about what Sam wants for herself? A profound and gorgeously written gem about the tough, tender route Sam must navigate—grappling with friendships, love, insecurities and burgeoning womanhood—to chart her own course.

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Growing up with a disabled middle sister who died young has left siblings Joyce and Lydia Mellishman fragile and distant in adulthood. When both women divorce and move in together, red flags are everywhere. Zigman's quirky novel confronts the most painful family issues and is equally knowing—and funny—about what brings comfort and grace.

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Aretha's built a great life as a high-profile lawyer when she meets Aaron, an entrepreneur with potential. As their relationship deepens, his preparation-obsessed housemates push Aretha down a darker path. Cauley's sharp wit tracks Aretha's descent into survival mode.

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Ph.D. student Maggie is a bit of a mess. Only 29 and divorced after 608 days of marriage, she finds comfort in late-night burgers, a fantasy of encountering her ex while she's out with Harry Styles, and the transient pleasure of dating apps. Meanwhile, her friends remind her to shower and try to persuade her not to bleach her hair. This savvy TV writer's debut novel is a cringe-filled, funny—and surprisingly poignant—look at one woman's self-discovery after heartbreak.

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Vividly bringing to life rural 1980s Mississippi, Nkrumah's fearless debut unfurls the fraught friendship between an unhappy 11-year-old Black girl and a White researcher studying the effects of the civil rights movement—but hiding a nefarious
personal connection.

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This modern coming-of-age tale brims with heart, ambition, drama and a protagonist whose naivete makes him splendidly endearing. Ma thoughtfully navigates family dynamics and first
love. It's guaranteed to have you and the aunties laughing and crying along.

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A young widow and widower, decimated by the loss of their adored spouses, are unable to move on in their lives. But they're not the only ones. The ghosts of their late partners are equally grief-stricken, but instead of succumbing to sorrow, the spirits decide to matchmake their survivors. Told through song lyrics, emails and four different points of view, this is a tender exploration of finding your way through sorrow, and a heartfelt valentine to hope.

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Investigator Aaron Falk arrives in Australian wine country for his godson's christening, post-poned from last year when the community was rocked by a young woman's disappearance. There are clues they've missed, planted deftly by Harper in
the relationships and psyches of her nuanced characters.

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Apple Island's mixed-race community ignored the outside world until, in 1912, the state of Maine—impelled by misguided faith and supremacist pseudoscience—evicted the residents. At the center: a schoolteacher tries to help a talented young artist, even as his prejudices seal the islander's fates.

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