*This book contains slurs for Black, Roma, LGBTQ people, and people with physical disabilities. There is an author's note that addresses the historical bigotry, the research and experts consulted, and the author's own lived and professional experience. See other content notes below.*

A dual timeline historical about a group of hard-working, high-spirited, seaside entertainers in 1970s Brighton (England), the small mysteries of their lives and loves that weren't solved until nearly 50 years later, and the clairvoyant Madame Burova at the center of it all.

As Imelda Burova prepares to retire from 50 years of reading tarot and telling fortunes at her seaside booth, she is filled with both hope and dread — but mostly satisfaction and relief. She has been worthy of the trust of her calling — performing it with integrity, wisdom, and skill — and now she has a final promise to fulfill, a final secret to release, and she can set aside the weight of the past.

Poised for her life's second act, 40-something Billie is shocked to learn that her future is about to be entirely changed by a revelation about her own past... which intersected with Madame Burova's before she was even born...

This is the first I've read by Ruth Hogan and I was delighted by the beautiful and immersive writing, interesting characters, tangled mysteries, and the way she walks a fine line between hope and melancholy. She imbues her story with intrigue and a bittersweet weightiness that makes it a great book club pick. It was a little slow to come together for me — there's a huge cast of characters and I made the mistake of starting with the audiobook and not getting a grasp on all the names right off the bat — but once it did I sped through it in a single evening. (And the audiobook is excellent, so don't let my temporary lack of concentration and listening skills deter you from it.) I also would've appreciated more development for the Imelda-Cillian relationship. A couple more conversations would've set me up just fine. But overall, this is a sweet and interesting story with some weighty themes and an unflinching, realistic portrayal of growing up in the 70s.



Topics & themes: love, loss, family, friendship, youth, pivotal moments, second acts, secrets, bigotry, oppression, 1970s, adoption (human and pet), legacy, retirement
Content notes: bigotry, racism, slurs (for people who are Black, Roma, LGBTQ, and disabled), internalized racism, schoolyard bullying and assault, MeToo, sexual assault, sudden death from heart attack, sudden death from asthma attack, loss of parents, child abandonment, mistreatment and attempted harm to animals

My thanks to #NetGalley, William Morrow, and Libro.fm for a digital ARC and LRC!