{"product_id":"the-mesmerist-isbn-9780593685860","title":"The Mesmerist","description":"\u003cb\u003e“Immersive and compelling . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist \u003c\/i\u003ewill linger long after you turn the last page.” –\u003ci\u003eNPR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore hypnotism, there was Mesmerism. In 1894 Minneapolis, spiritualism of every stripe is all the rage, and women are dying under mysterious circumstances. When a new guest arrives at the Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers, refusing to speak, the stories of unexplained deaths seem unconnected—until Faith’s suspicious reticence sets the house abuzz with whispers of dark magic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbby, the Bethany Home’s treasurer, thinks the rumors swirling around Faith are nonsense, but she recognizes the danger of a good story. Abby tasks Faith’s roommate, May, with tracing Faith’s path to the Bethany Home. Desperate to end her year at Bethany Home engaged and on track to her happily-ever-after, May begins digging into Faith’s shadowy background. But the more May learns, the more she’s forced to question the dubious motives of everyone around her, and as the body count rises, May must reevaluate her future, and which lies she’s willing to tell, for whom. Inspired by a true crime that rocked the nation, Caroline Woods reimagines a classic American story through the eyes of three unforgettable women.\u003cb\u003eAn NPR Best Book of 2024\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Immersive and compelling . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e will linger long after you turn the last page.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eNPR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Braiding spiritualism with sexism, this historical novel will chill you to the bone.\" \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e --The Boston Globe\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"History and imagination merge in \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Minneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Caroline Woods is a masterful storyteller. You will be on the edge of your seat as you read the story of Faith, Abby and May as they set out to solve a murder in nineteenth-century Minneapolis. Unforgettable characters set in a time of dark history is haunting, atmospheric and thrilling. True crime junkies and historical fiction fanatics, this fabulous read is for you!\" \u003cb\u003e--Adriana Trigiani, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Good Left Undone\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The magic of \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e is not only found in the spiritualism that haunts every page, but also the three tenacious women at its core, dedicated to unmasking America’s first serial killer. With expert skill, Woods turns the screw, ratcheting up the real danger and the contemporary panic around women’s independence. A darkly textured, delicious read.\" \u003cb\u003e--Katy Hays, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Cloisters\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A mystery, a page turner, and a glimpse of true crime in nineteenth-century Minneapolis, \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist \u003c\/i\u003eis both entertaining and enlightening. It’s a compelling story of murder, deception, unwed mothers, and the steadfast women dedicated to helping them. Beautifully rendered characters and excellent storytelling.\"\u003cb\u003e --Allegra Goodman, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e bestselling author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSam\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e nimbly explores the power of women’s solidarity in fin-de-siècle Minneapolis, weaving dark magic and peril into a propulsive and chilling read. Clever, atmospheric and haunting.\" \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--\u003c\/i\u003eMichelle Min Sterling\u003ci\u003e, New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eCamp Zero\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Based on the real-life journals of Abby Mendenhall, \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e is part mystery, part exploration of lives of young women on the margins in the Gilded Age, prey to men who will use and abuse them. It’s mesmerizing. Put it at the top of your TBR list.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Pioneer Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Excellent . . . Fastidious historical detail, expert suspense, andindelible characterizations combine to make this acertifi ed page-turner. Readers will be up all night.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A jewel box of a historical novel, Caroline Woods' \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e draws the reader into a richly detailed story of women forced to make their own way in a world that would really prefer they didn't. With bare-faced, beautiful honesty, \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e navigates the complexities and intimacies of womens' lives outside of polite society, all with a deliciously sinister undercurrent of mystery.\" \u003cb\u003e--Claudia Cravens, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLucky Red\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist . . .\u003c\/i\u003e entrances and intrigues with its thrilling mix of fact and fiction. . . Discerning readers will detect what Woods does so well, which is to complicate simple female archetypes--such as the crone, the mother, and the harlot--by having characters occupy many of these roles simultaneously or move between them fluidly. While relationships with men propel the novel, the relationships women form with each other are front and center.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Riveting. . . . A good, timely choice for discussion on women's bodily autonomy and the ability to live independently from a man's control.\" \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Booklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This historical crime novel, based loosely on actual events, is intricate and intelligently written and proceeds through its pages with increasing suspense and tension. . . Recommended.” \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--The Historical Novel Society\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Caroline Woods exposes the plight of Victorian women and transforms history into an intricately plotted mystery in \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A super smart thriller set in a past that feels too close for comfort and reminds us just how terrifying real women’s lives could be.” \u003cb\u003e--Kirsten Miller, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Change\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The trust that ebbs and flows among the characters is this novel’s strength. . . . . An atmospheric turn through a real-life 19th-century scandal.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Caroline Woods, known for the historical novels \u003ci\u003eThe Lunar Housewife\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFräulein M.\u003c\/i\u003e, has created something magical with \u003ci\u003eThe Mesmerist\u003c\/i\u003e.” \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Big Thrill\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fascinating\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eBookRiot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A dark mystery, a nervous thriller . . . I exulted in it.\" \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Delaplaine Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eCAROLINE WOODS holds an M.F.A. in fiction from Boston University. She is the author of the novels \u003ci\u003eThe Lunar Housewife\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFräulein M.\u003c\/i\u003e, and she has taught fiction writing at Loyola University Chicago, Boston University, and the Boston Conservatory. Raised in Delaware, she now lives near Chicago with her husband and two daughters.Is it magic, or is it murder?","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233713172709,"sku":"NP9780593685860","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593685860.jpg?v=1767740483","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-mesmerist-isbn-9780593685860","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}