A Splendid Ruin
Books | Fiction / General
4
Megan Chance
"This is a spellbinding page-turner of a book." --Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale. A mesmerizing novel of dark family secrets and a young woman's rise and revenge set against the backdrop of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The eve of destruction. After her mother's death, penniless May Kimble lives a lonely life until an aunt she didn't know existed summons her to San Francisco. There she's welcomed into the wealthy Sullivan family and their social circle. Initially overwhelmed by the opulence of her new life, May soon senses that dark mysteries lurk in the shadows of the Sullivan mansion. Her glamorous cousin often disappears in the night. Her aunt wanders about in a laudanum fog. And a maid keeps hinting that May is in danger. Trapped by betrayal, madness, and murder, May stands to lose everything, including her freedom, at the hands of those she trusts most. Then, on an early April morning, San Francisco comes tumbling down. Out of the smoldering ruins, May embarks on a harrowing road to reclaim what is hers. This tragic twist of fate, along with the help of an intrepid and charismatic journalist, puts vengeance within May's reach. But will she take it?
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More Details:
Author
Megan Chance
Pages
348
Publisher
Amazon Publishing
Published Date
2021
ISBN
1542022398 9781542022392
Community ReviewsSee all
"Copy sells it as a revenge story but it's a boring historical romance with an insipid heroine."
Sarah Brown
"What an excellent example of historical fiction! This was steeped in San Fran history, with a little bit of the Nellie Bly experience and a classic rags to riches story thrown in for good measure. The description of the treatment of residents in Chinatown hit me particularly hard, especially given the current climate. But this was meticulously researched, which is why I love reading these kinds of stories.<br/><br/>I was particularly drawn to the sense of place. I found myself consulting my handy coffee table book of San Francisco then and now (what can I say, I love the city) to look at Nob Hill and City Hall as they were described. It made me want to book a trip to Cali immediately and see it all again myself! It’s a city that was forced to reinvent itself after the horrors of the earthquake and fire, but has thrived despite the conditions, much like our protagonist May!"
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Allie Peduto
"The blurb for this reads like a revenge thriller but it isn't. Most of the book is the main character being tossed around by circumstance and making foolish decisions, then there's a "revenge" plot that doesn't really involve her and manages to totally keep her hands clean and an insipid romance. Everything is solved because of something outside the protagonist’s control."
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