A Fortune of Sand

The daughter of an automotive magnate escapes to an artistic retreat that holds more secrets—and more intrigue—than she could have ever imagined, in this Prohibition-era novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea.

Detroit, 1927. A city of smoke and ambition, where glittering wealth conceals a graveyard of secrets.

Marjorie Lennox is the youngest daughter of a powerful automotive dynasty, a family known for money, not manners. Artistic, impulsive, and always slightly out of step, Marjorie has long been dismissed by her controlling father and self-absorbed siblings. But when she secretly applies to an exclusive arts program funded by an elusive benefactor, she sees a chance to redefine herself on her own terms.

The building is grand. The participants are gifted. But something…is off.

The program is uncomfortably restrictive. Doors lock at odd hours. Strange sounds echo through the halls amid whispers that women are disappearing. And the handsome benefactor—mostly absent, yet somehow everywhere—begins to unnerve her. As Marjorie’s sense of self begins to slip, so does her grip on the truth. What happens to women who don’t fit neatly into a gilded frame?

Set against the crumbling grandeur of 1920s Detroit and inspired by actual, long-buried historical events, A Fortune of Sand is a haunting mosaic of glamour and grift—a novel about those who vanish, and those who demand to be seen.“Ruta Sepetys is a literary citizen of the highest order, a true friend to readers, writers, and booksellers. Her books are moving, fascinating, and meticulously researched. She makes history live in order that we may learn from it.”—Ann Patchett, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

“Sepetys beautifully captures the madcap days of Prohibition in the Detroit suburbs, centered around the wealthy Lennox clan. Underneath the gilt, however, cracks abound, inspired by real-life events of the time and uncovered through Sepetys’s impeccable research. A heady exploration of women’s agency, as well as a killer romance and a beguiling mystery. Wildly entertaining.”—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen

“Enthralling . . . While history is often molded by those in power, there are always those who can wrest control and write a new story of their own. A Fortune of Sand should be required reading.”—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies

“I’ve been waiting for this day for years . . . at long last, Ruta Sepetys has given us an adult novel! Set in Prohibition-era Detroit, A Fortune of Sand is inspired by the documented lives of the nouveau riche automotive dynasties and the undocumented stories of the infamous Eloise Asylum. As a seasoned historical novelist, Sepetys knows gold when she finds it, and this book sparkles! For readers seeking the glamour of The Great Gatsby with the mystery of an Agatha Christie novel, A Fortune of Sand is for you.”—Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author of Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely?Ruta Sepetys is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Winner of the Carnegie Medal and honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Ruta gives voice to underrepresented history and those who experienced it. She has been invited to present at NATO, European Parliament, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and embassies worldwide. Ruta alternates her time between the hills of Tennessee and the flats of Florida.From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea