Rare Objects - Softcover

Tessaro, Kathleen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1443443115 ISBN 13: 9781443443111

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2016

Synopsis

Rare Objects is a captivating new work of historical fiction from Kathleen Tessaro, the New York Times–bestselling author of The Perfume Collector. Near the end of the Prohibition era and the beginning of the Great Depression, in a city divided by privilege and poverty, two very unlikely friends meet in desperate circumstances, bound by a shared secret . . .

Boston, 1933. Maeve Fanning is a first-generation Irish immigrant, born and raised among the poor, industrious Italian families of Boston’s North End by her widowed mother. Clever, capable and as headstrong as her trademark red hair suggests, she’s determined to better herself despite the overwhelming hardships of the Great Depression.

However, Maeve also has a dangerous fondness for strange men and bootleg gin―a rebellious hunger for experience that soon finds her spiraling downward, leading a double life. When the strain proves too much, Maeve becomes an unwilling patient in a remote psychiatric hospital, where she strikes up a friendship with an enigmatic young woman, who, like Maeve, is unable or unwilling to control her unladylike desire for freedom. Once out, Maeve must start over again, and armed with a bottle of bleach and a few white lies, she lands a job at an eccentric antiques shop catering to Boston’s wealthiest and most peculiar collectors. Run by a retired anthropology professor and an elusive English archeologist, the exclusive shop is a haven of the obscure and incredible that opens a window onto the world of rare artifacts―and that of America’s social elite.

While delivering a purchase to the wealthy Van der Laar family, Maeve is introduced to beautiful socialite Diana Van der Laar―only to discover she’s the young woman from the hospital. Reunited with the charming but increasingly unstable Diana and pursued by her attractive brother James, Maeve becomes more and more entwined with the Van der Laar family―a connection that pulls her deep into a world of social and political ambition, deceit and ultimately betrayal. Bewitched by their wealth and desperate to leave her past behind, Maeve is forced to unearth her true values and discover just how far she’s willing to go to reinvent herself.

A rich, universal story of ambition, transformation, desire and betrayal, Rare Objects is acclaimed writer Kathleen Tessaro’s finest work to date.

“Kathleen Tessaro writes beautifully.” ―MARIAN KEYES

About this title

From the Back Cover

Maeve Fanning, who was raised in Boston’s North End by her widowed Irish mother, is determined to better herself despite the hardships of the Great Depression. However, she also has a dangerous fondness for strange men and bootleg gin—and a rebellious appetite for experience that leads to a downward spiral in New York City, including an involuntary admission to a remote psychiatric hospital upstate.

Upon her release, Maeve returns to Boston and lands a job at an antiques shop catering to the city’s wealthiest and most peculiar collectors. Run by an elusive English archeologist, the shop is a haven for the obscure and incredible, supplying one-of-a-kind artifacts to its customers while providing Maeve with unique access to New England’s social elite. While delivering a purchase to a wealthy family, Maeve is introduced to beautiful and charming socialite Diana Van der Laar—and recognizes her from the hospital.

Reunited with the increasingly unstable Diana and pursued by Diana’s brother James, Maeve becomes more entwined with the Van der Laar family. Bewitched by the family’s wealth and power, and desperate to leave her own past behind, Maeve is forced to confront just how far she’s willing to go to reinvent herself.

About the Author

Kathleen Tessaro is the author of Elegance, Innocence, The Flirt, The Debutante, The Perfume Collector, and Rare Objects. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and son.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1443443115
• ISBN 13: 9781443443111
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400