Overview

Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom—reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Timesbestselling author of The Summer Wives.

“My favorite kind of page-turner—unputdownable!”—Martha Hall Kelly, author of The Golden Doves

New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads—her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. Now, searching for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory’s forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams— one of the world’s most beloved singer-songwriters—a fairy tale cut short by a devastating betrayal.

Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself—marriage to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah’s longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men . . . and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.

Timeless and bittersweet, Husbands & Lovers takes readers on an unforgettable journey of heartbreak and redemption, from the revolutionary fires of midcentury Egypt to the moneyed beaches of contemporary New England. Acclaimed author Beatriz Williams has written a poignant and beautifully voiced novel of deeply human characters entangled by morally complex issues—of privilege, class, and the female experience—inside worlds brought shimmeringly to life.

Review

Mallory’s 10 year old son, Sam, has had a terrible accident at camp. He has eaten a poisonous mushroom. This damages his kidneys and he is on the wait list for a new one. Mallory and her sister have exhausted all options of their family and Mallory is fighting getting in touch with Sam’s dad, the famous Monk Adams. Mallory knows this will open old wounds and cause more heart break.

This book captivated me from start to finish. There are 3 different time periods. Not many authors can pull this off but Beatriz is a master. She kept them all intertwining around themselves and, as a reader, you just had to know what was going to happen next! Plus, I learned something. I had no idea about Egypt in the 50s.

Oh! And the characters! I am still thinking about them! I would love to see this as a movie!

I did figure out the ending pretty early on. But physically reading it still about made me cry! Beatriz has outdone herself with this one!

Need a good family drama full of secrets and mysteries…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub