Ellen Marie Wiseman's Books

The Life She Was Given

A Moving and Emotional Saga of Family and Resilient Women

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Life She Was Given

A Moving and Emotional Saga of Family and Resilient Women

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

A GREAT GROUP READS Selection of the Women’s National Book Association and National Reading Group Month A GOODREADS Best of the Month Selection “A powerful, poignant novel.” —In Touch, Grade A From the internationally bestselling author of The Orphan Collector comes a beautifully written and moving tale of family secrets and the importance of a mother’s love—and how it can shape a life—even in the most shocking ways. A painful saga of strength and reinvention perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Lisa Wingate—set in two different times, as two young women come of age and uncover the mysteries of their families, and find their own ways in the world… On a summer evening in 1931, Lilly Blackwood glimpses circus lights from the grimy window of her attic bedroom. Lilly isn’t allowed to explore the meadows around Blackwood Manor. She’s never even ventured beyond her narrow room. Momma insists it’s for Lilly’s own protection, that people would be afraid if they saw her. But on this unforgettable night, Lilly is taken outside for the first time—and sold to the circus sideshow. More than two decades later, nineteen-year-old Julia Blackwood has inherited her parents’ estate and horse farm. For Julia, home was an unhappy place full of strict rules and forbidden rooms, and she hopes that returning might erase those painful memories. Instead, she becomes immersed in a mystery involving a hidden attic room and photos of circus scenes featuring a striking young girl. At first, The Barlow Brothers’ Circus is just another prison for Lilly. But in this rag-tag, sometimes brutal world, Lilly discovers strength, friendship, and a rare affinity for animals. Soon, thanks to elephants Pepper and JoJo and their handler, Cole, Lilly is no longer a sideshow spectacle but the circus’s biggest attraction...until tragedy and cruelty collide. It will fall to Julia to learn the truth about Lilly’s fate and her family’s shocking betrayal, and find a way to make Blackwood Manor into a place of healing at last. Moving between Julia and Lilly’s stories, Ellen Marie Wiseman portrays two extraordinary, very different women in a novel that, while tender and heartbreaking, offers moments of joy and indomitable hope. “Perfect for book clubs and readers who admired Sara Gruen’s Like Water for Elephants.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW “A vibrant maze of desires.” —ForeWord Reviews “Seamlessly blends mystery and history with compelling and well-researched details.” —The Historical Novels Review “Vividly drawn and complex…Fans of Karen White and Sara Gruen will be drawn in by the drama and mystery of Wiseman’s novel.” —BookPage

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Page Count

369

Publisher

Kensington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1617734500

ISBN 13

9781617734502

Coal River

A Powerful and Unforgettable Story of 20th Century Injustice

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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Coal River

A Powerful and Unforgettable Story of 20th Century Injustice

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Includes an excerpt from The orphan collector.

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370

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Kensington Publishing Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

1496730011

ISBN 13

9781496730015

The Plum Tree

An Emotional and Heartbreaking Novel of WW2 Germany and the Holocaust

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Plum Tree

An Emotional and Heartbreaking Novel of WW2 Germany and the Holocaust

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

A deeply moving and masterfully written story of human resilience and enduring love, The Plum Tree follows a young German woman through the chaos of World War II and its aftermath. "Bloom where you're planted," is the advice Christine B lz receives from her beloved Oma. But seventeen-year-old domestic Christine knows there is a whole world waiting beyond her small German village. It's a world she's begun to glimpse through music, books--and through Isaac Bauerman, the cultured son of the wealthy Jewish family she works for. Yet the future she and Isaac dream of sharing faces greater challenges than their difference in stations. In the fall of 1938, Germany is changing rapidly under Hitler's regime. Anti-Jewish posters are everywhere, dissenting talk is silenced, and a new law forbids Christine from returning to her job--and from having any relationship with Isaac. In the months and years that follow, Christine will confront the Gestapo's wrath and the horrors of Dachau, desperate to be with the man she loves, to survive--and finally, to speak out. "Wiseman eschews the genre's usual military conflicts of daily life during wartime, lending an intimate and compelling poignancy to this intriguing debut." --Publishers Weekly "Ellen Marie Wiseman weaves a story of intrigue, terror, and love from a perspective not often seen in Holocaust novels." --Jewish Book World

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419

Publisher

Kensington Publishing Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

149673002X

ISBN 13

9781496730022

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

A Heartbreaking Novel of Survival Based on True History

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

A Heartbreaking Novel of Survival Based on True History

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Instant New York Times Bestseller! For fans of The Girls with No Names, The Silent Patient, and Girl, Interrupted, the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan Collector blends fact, fiction, and the urban legend of Cropsey in 1970s New York, as mistaken identities lead to a young woman’s imprisonment at Willowbrook State School, the real state-run institution that Geraldo Rivera would later expose for its horrifying abuses. An Indie Next Pick | Peruse Book Club Pick | A Room of Your Own Book Club Pick | A Publishers Lunch Buzz Books Selection Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world. Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage’s stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that Alan has kept a shocking secret: Rosemary didn’t die. She was committed to Willowbrook State School and has lingered there until just a few days ago, when she went missing. Sage knows little about Willowbrook. It’s always been a place shrouded by rumor and mystery. A place local parents threaten to send misbehaving kids. With no idea what to expect, Sage secretly sets out for Willowbrook, determined to find Rosemary. What she learns, once she steps through its doors and is mistakenly believed to be her sister, will change her life in ways she never could imagined . . . “A heartbreaking yet insightful read, this novel will open one's eyes to the evil in this world.” –New York Journal of Books “Unvarnished, painful and startlingly clear.” – Bookreporter.com

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418

Publisher

Kensington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1496715896

ISBN 13

9781496715890

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Be one of the first to read this sneak preview sample edition! In this powerful novel of survival and resilience, New York Times bestselling author Ellen Marie Wiseman takes readers on a gripping, emotional journey as one brave young woman’s search for the truth about her sister leads her to an infamous institution called Willowbrook . . . Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world. Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage’s stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that Alan has kept a shocking secret: Rosemary didn’t die. She was committed to Willowbrook State School and has lingered there until just a few days ago, when she went missing. Sage knows little about Willowbrook. It’s always been a place shrouded by rumor and mystery. A place local parents threaten to send misbehaving kids. With no idea what to expect, Sage secretly sets out for Willowbrook, determined to find Rosemary. What she learns, once she steps through its doors and is mistakenly believed to be her sister, will change her life in ways she never could imagined . . .

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Kensington Books

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ISBN 10

1496741854

ISBN 13

9781496741851

What She Left Behind

A Haunting and Heartbreaking Story of 1920s Historical Fiction

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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What She Left Behind

A Haunting and Heartbreaking Story of 1920s Historical Fiction

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Includes discussion questions and an excerpt from The orphan collector.

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Page Count

369

Publisher

Kensington Publishing Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

1496730038

ISBN 13

9781496730039

The Orphan Collector

A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Orphan Collector

A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Instant New York Times Bestseller From the internationally bestselling author of What She Left Behind comes a gripping and powerful tale of upheaval—a heartbreaking saga of resilience and hope perfect for fans of Beatriz Williams and Kristin Hannah—set in Philadelphia during the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak—the deadly pandemic that went on to infect one-third of the world’s population… “Readers will not be able to help making comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how little has changed since 1918. Wiseman has written a touching tale of loss, survival, and perseverance with some light fantastical elements. Highly recommended.” —Booklist “An immersive historical tale with chilling twists and turns. Beautifully told and richly imagined.” —Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter In the fall of 1918, thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded slums and the anti-immigrant sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army. But as her city celebrates the end of war, an even more urgent threat arrives: the Spanish flu. Funeral crepe and quarantine signs appear on doors as victims drop dead in the streets and desperate survivors wear white masks to ward off illness. When food runs out in the cramped tenement she calls home, Pia must venture alone into the quarantined city in search of supplies, leaving her baby brothers behind. Bernice Groves has become lost in grief and bitterness since her baby died from the Spanish flu. Watching Pia leave her brothers alone, Bernice makes a shocking, life-altering decision. It becomes her sinister mission to tear families apart when they’re at their most vulnerable, planning to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.” Waking in a makeshift hospital days after collapsing in the street, Pia is frantic to return home. Instead, she is taken to St. Vincent’s Orphan Asylum – the first step in a long and arduous journey. As Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost in the months and years that follow, Pia must confront her own shame and fear, risking everything to see justice – and love – triumph at last. Powerful, harrowing, and ultimately exultant, The Orphan Collector is a story of love, resilience, and the lengths we will go to protect those who need us most. “Wiseman’s writing is superb, and her descriptions of life during the Spanish Flu epidemic are chilling. Well-researched and impossible to put down, this is an emotional tug-of-war played out brilliantly on the pages and in readers’ hearts.” —The Historical Novels Review, EDITOR’S CHOICE “Wiseman’s depiction of the horrifying spread of the Spanish flu is eerily reminiscent of the present day and resonates with realistic depictions of suffering, particularly among the poorer immigrant population.” —Publishers Weekly (Boxed Review) “Reading the novel in the time of COVID-19 adds an even greater resonance, and horror, to the description of the fatal spread of that 1918 flu.” —Kirkus Review “An emotional roller coaster…I felt Pia’s strength, courage, guilt, and grief come through the pages clear as day.” —The Seattle Book Review

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Page Count

401

Publisher

Kensington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

149671587X

ISBN 13

9781496715876

The Orphan Collector

A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Orphan Collector

A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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Page Count

401

Publisher

Kensington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

149671587X

ISBN 13

9781496715876

Coal River

A Powerful and Unforgettable Story of 20th Century Injustice

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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Coal River

A Powerful and Unforgettable Story of 20th Century Injustice

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Includes an excerpt from The orphan collector.

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Page Count

370

Publisher

Kensington Publishing Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

1496730011

ISBN 13

9781496730015

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

A Heartbreaking Novel of Survival Based on True History

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

A Heartbreaking Novel of Survival Based on True History

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Instant New York Times Bestseller! Girl, Interrupted meets American Horror Story in 1970s Staten Island, as the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan Collector blends fact, fiction, and the urban legend of Cropsey for a haunting story about a young woman mistakenly imprisoned at Willowbrook State School – the real state-run institution that Geraldo Rivera would later expose for its horrifying abuses. An Indie Next Pick | Peruse Book Club Pick | A Room of Your Own Book Club Pick | A Publishers Lunch Buzz Books Selection Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world. Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage’s stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that Alan has kept a shocking secret: Rosemary didn’t die. She was committed to Willowbrook State School and has lingered there until just a few days ago, when she went missing. Sage knows little about Willowbrook. It’s always been a place shrouded by rumor and mystery. A place local parents threaten to send misbehaving kids. With no idea what to expect, Sage secretly sets out for Willowbrook, determined to find Rosemary. What she learns, once she steps through its doors and is mistakenly believed to be her sister, will change her life in ways she never could imagined . . . “A heartbreaking yet insightful read, this novel will open one's eyes to the evil in this world.” —New York Journal of Books “Unvarnished, painful and startlingly clear.” —Bookreporter.com

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Page Count

386

Publisher

Kensington

Published Date

ISBN 10

1496715888

ISBN 13

9781496715883

The Plum Tree

An Emotional and Heartbreaking Novel of WW2 Germany and the Holocaust

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Plum Tree

An Emotional and Heartbreaking Novel of WW2 Germany and the Holocaust

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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Page Count

419

Publisher

Kensington Publishing Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

149673002X

ISBN 13

9781496730022

What She Left Behind

A Haunting and Heartbreaking Story of 1920s Historical Fiction

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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What She Left Behind

A Haunting and Heartbreaking Story of 1920s Historical Fiction

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Includes discussion questions and an excerpt from The orphan collector.

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

369

Publisher

Kensington Publishing Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

1496730038

ISBN 13

9781496730039

The Life She Was Given

A Moving and Emotional Saga of Family and Resilient Women

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Life She Was Given

A Moving and Emotional Saga of Family and Resilient Women

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

369

Publisher

Kensington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1617734500

ISBN 13

9781617734502

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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Kensington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1496741854

ISBN 13

9781496741851

The Orphan Collector: Chapter Sampler

Chapter Sampler

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

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The Orphan Collector: Chapter Sampler

Chapter Sampler

By: Ellen Marie Wiseman

Be one of the first to read this sneak peek of Ellen Marie Wiseman’s haunting new novel of a young woman struggling to survive amid the ravages of WWI and the Spanish Influenza pandemic while those with sinister motives lurk closer than she thinks… Ellen Marie Wiseman, acclaimed author of What She Left Behind and The Life She Was Given, weaves the stories of two very different women into a page-turning novel as suspenseful as it is poignant, set amid one of history’s deadliest pandemics. In the fall of 1918, thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded streets and slums, and from the anti-German sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army, hoping to prove his loyalty. But an even more urgent threat has arrived. Spanish influenza is spreading through the city. Soon, dead and dying are everywhere. With no food at home, Pia must venture out in search of supplies, leaving her infant twin brothers alone . . . Since her baby died days ago, Bernice Groves has been lost in grief and bitterness. If doctors hadn’t been so busy tending to hordes of immigrants, perhaps they could have saved her son. When Bernice sees Pia leaving her tenement across the way, she is buoyed by a shocking, life-altering decision that leads her on a sinister mission: to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.” As Pia navigates the city’s somber neighborhoods, she cannot know that her brothers won’t be home when she returns. And it will be a long and arduous journey to learn what happened—even as Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost. Only with persistence, and the courage to face her own shame and fear, will Pia put the pieces together and find the strength to risk everything to see justice at last.

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Page Count

304

Publisher

Kensington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1496734661

ISBN 13

9781496734662

Book's by Ellen Marie Wiseman

The Life She Was Given

The Life She Was Given

Coal River

Coal River

The Plum Tree

The Plum Tree

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: Sneak Peek

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: Sneak Peek

What She Left Behind

What She Left Behind

The Orphan Collector

The Orphan Collector

The Orphan Collector

The Orphan Collector

Coal River

Coal River

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Plum Tree

The Plum Tree

What She Left Behind

What She Left Behind

The Life She Was Given

The Life She Was Given

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: Sneak Peek

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: Sneak Peek

The Orphan Collector: Chapter Sampler

The Orphan Collector: Chapter Sampler

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