The Debutante : A Novel

A Brilliant, Unforgettable Novel By The New York Times Bestselling Author Of The Perfume Collector. Can The Secrets Of One Woman's Past Change Another Woman's Future? Cate Albion Is A Gifted Young Artist At A Crossroads In Her Life. Looking To Escape New York For The Summer, She Takes A Job In Her Aunt's London Auction House And Is Soon Sent On Assignment To The English Countryside To Value The Contents Of Endsleigh House, The Once Gracious But Now Crumbling Estate Of A Former Jazz Age Socialite. There, Hidden In The Back Of A Dusty Bookshelf, Cate Discovers An Old Shoebox, And Inside, A Peculiar Assortment Of Objects, Including An Exquisite Pair Of 1930s Dancing Shoes; A Faded Photograph Of A Handsome Young Sailor, And A Rare Tiffany Pearl And Emerald Bracelet. Intrigued, Cate Sets Out To Learn More About The Box And Its Contents, And Becomes Immersed In The Mystery Of Its Owner, Diana “baby” Blythe, The Younger Of The Infamous, Glamorous Blythe Sisters. Bright, Beautiful, And Reckless, Baby Was The Most Famous Debutante Of Her Generation . . . Until She Suddenly Disappeared Entirely From View. As A Shocking Tale Of Love And Betrayal Begins To Unravel, Cate Finds Herself Being Drawn Deeper Into Baby's Tragic Life Story—one That Will Force Cate To Confront Some Dark Truths About Her Own Choices.

Can the secrets of one woman's past change another woman's future?

A gifted artist, Cate has come to London from New York to escape her recent past. Working for her aunt's auction house, she is sent down to Devon to value the contents of Endsleigh House, the once gracious but now crumbling estate of a former socialite. There, hidden in the back of a dusty bookshelf, Cate discovers an old shoebox. Inside is a strange assortment of objects: an exquisite pair of dancing shoes circa 1930; a diamond brooch; a photograph of a young sailor; a dance card; and a pearl and emerald Tiffanys bracelet.

Intrigued by her find, Cate sets out to solve the mystery of the box, becoming immersed in the story of its owner, Baby Blythe. Bright, beautiful, and reckless, Baby was the most famous debutante of her generation . . . and the most dangerous. As the clues begin to reveal a shocking tale of destructive, addictive love, Cate finds herself being drawn deeper into Baby's tragic life story—a story that will force Cate to face some dark truths about her own.

Publishers Weekly

A melancholic, multigenerational romance makes the most of a very tangled web. Cate, an artist who abandoned her talent, heart, and self-respect in New York, washes up in London an emotional wreck in desperate need of work. A temporary gig as an antiques appraiser draws her into the mystery of the beautiful Blythe sisters, recently deceased aristocrat Irene and long-missing Diana, both of whom shocked and fascinated London in the 1930s. And while solving the lives and loves of these dazzling debutantes--their beguiling life and times are recounted in a decade's worth of letters from Diana to her adored sister--Cate and handsome widower Jack pick through their own tortured pasts and discarded loves. Secrets are revealed, wounds are salved, and fears are confronted as Tessaro (The Flirt) nudges this colorful story of scandal, heartbreak, and second chances toward an appropriately sweet conclusion. (Oct.)

Can the secrets of one woman's past change another woman's future' A gifted artist, Cate has come to London from New York to escape her recent past. Working for her aunt's auction house, she is sent down to Devon to value the contents of Endsleigh House, the once gracious but now crumbling estate of a former socialite. There, hidden in the back of a dusty bookshelf, Cate discovers an old shoebox. Inside is a strange assortment of objects: an exquisite pair of dancing shoes circa 1930; a diamond brooch; a photograph of a young sailor; a dance card; and a pearl and emerald Tiffanys bracelet. Intrigued by her find, Cate sets out to solve the mystery of the box, becoming immersed in the story of its owner, Baby Blythe. Bright, beautiful, and reckless, Baby was the most famous debutante of her generation ... and the most dangerous. As the clues begin to reveal a shocking tale of destructive, addictive love, Cate finds herself being drawn deeper into Baby's tragic life story'a story that will force Cate to face some dark truths about her own. Includes an excerpt from The Perfume Collector Cate, an artist who abandoned her talent, heart, and self-respect in New York, takes a temporary gig as an antiques appraiser in London, and is soon drawn into the mystery of the beautiful Blythe sisters, recently deceased aristocrat Irene and long-missing Diana, both of whom shocked and fascinated London in the 1930s. Working for her aunt's auction house, artist Cate is sent to Devon to appraise the contents of Endsleigh, the grand Georgian home of a former socialite. Cate quickly becomes immersed in solving the mystery of Baby Blythe, the most famous debutante of her generation