The Parting Glass

✍ Scribed by Guadagnino, Gina Marie

• Publisher: Atria Books
• Year: 2019
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 196 KB
• Category: Fiction
• City: New York
• ISBN: 1501198424

✦ Synopsis

Devoted maid Mary Ballards world is built on secrets, and its about to be ripped apart at the seams, in this lush and evocative debut set in 19th century New York, perfect for fans of Sarah Waterss Fingersmith and Emma Donoghues Slammerkin.

By day, Mary Ballard is ladys maid to Charlotte Walden, wealthy and accomplished belle of New York City high society. Mary loves Charlotte with an obsessive passion that goes beyond a servants devotion, but Charlotte would never trust Mary again if she knew the truth about her devoted servants past. Because Marys fate is linked to that of her mistress, one of the most sought-after debutantes in New York, Marys future seems secureif she can keep her own secrets

But on her nights off, Mary sheds her persona as prim and proper ladys maid to reveal her true selfIrish exile Maire OFarrenand finds release from her frustration in New Yorks gritty underworldin the arms of a prostitute and as drinking companion to a decidedly motley crew consisting of a barkeeper and members of a dangerous secret society.

Meanwhile, Charlotte has a secret of her ownshes having an affair with a stable groom, unaware that her lover is actually Marys own brother. When the truth of both womens double lives begins to unravel, Mary is left to face the consequences. Forced to choose between loyalty to her brother and loyalty to Charlotte, between societys respect and true freedom, Mary finally learns that her fate lies in her hands alone.

A captivating historical fiction of 19th century upstairs/downstairs New York City, The Parting Glass examines sexuality, race, and social class in ways that feel startlingly familiar and timely. A perfectly paced, romantically charged story of overlapping love triangles that builds to a white-knuckle climax, this is an irresistible debut thats impossible to put down.

**

Review

"Downton Abbey meets Gangs of New Yorkin thisdarkly compelling debut. In a world where high-society debutantes and industry titans live oblivious of the immigrant poor and desperate on their doorsteps, proud and cleverIrishwomanMary Ballard moves easily between both spheres, acting by day as prim lady's maid to society heiress Charlotte Walden and letting loose by night in the company of her reckless twin brother and his gang of none-too-savory compatriots. Mary harbors a secret passion for the beautiful Charlotte, who only has eyes for Mary's brother, and this claustrophobic love triangle of stifled desire and class warfare plays out to deadly, devastating effect. A gem of a novel to be inhaled in one gulp." (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network )

"Read The Parting Glass for its rich tapestry of 1830s lower Manhattan, where the stately drawing rooms of wealthy WASPs on Washington Square are sustained by the cheap labour drawn from the tenements nearby. Or read it as a fascinating study of immigration and social class, race and ethnicity, religion and sexuality in early New York. Or as the tale of Maire O'Farrell and her twin brother Seanin, fresh off the boat, who help each other lie to get work in a wealthy householduntil they both fall in love with the daughter of the house. Or read it as a tragedy of lies and a triumph of love, or a delicious subversion of the marriage plot. But read it." (Nicola Griffith, author of Hild and So Lucky )

Knotted thickly with secrets both fervid and calculating, to readThe Parting Glassis to enter a jungle of passions and lies. Immaculately researched and gorgeously written, this book is noteworthy for its grasp ofthe agony caused by hiding cracks in the human heart. A thoughtful, lyrical, sensuous, moving tour-de-force. (Lyndsay Faye, author of Jane Steele )

"Delectable....Guadagninos story of the sumptuous world of the privileged and the precarious, difficult environs of the immigrant working poor is highlighted by vibrant characters and a well-paced plot, which will pull readers into the tangled tale." (Publishers Weekly)

Set in nineteenth-century New York, Guadagnino's erotically charged debut novel is packed with intrigue, confessions, and betrayal. Fans of Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures (2009) and Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See (2014) will be impressed by Guadagnino's vivid portrayal of female companionship and the blurred boundaries of friendship, love, and something deeper. Exploring class mobility and identity, The Parting Glass is an impressive debut.

(Booklist)

About the Author

Gina Marie Guadagnino holds a BA in English from New York University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School. Her work has appeared in the Morris-Jumel Mansion Anthology of Fantasy and Paranormal Fiction, Mixed Up: Cocktail Recipes (and Flash Fiction) for the Discerning Drinker (and Reader). She lives in New York City with her family.

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✦ Subjects

Fiction