Ellen Marie Wiseman

En djupt rörande och mästerligt skriven berättelse om människans motståndskraft och trofasta kärlek."¿Blomma där du är planterad"¿, är det råd sjuttonåriga Christine Bölz får från sin älskade mormor. Men Christine vet att det finns en hel värld som väntar på henne utanför den tyska småstad där hon växer upp -- en värld hon börjat skymta genom musik, böcker, och genom Isaac Bauerman, sonen i den rika judiska familj där hon arbetar.Snart ska det emellertid visa sig att det finns betydligt större hinder för deras kärlek än skillnaden i samhällsställning. Hösten 1938 genomgår Tyskland omfattande förändringar under Hitlers regim: affärernas skyltfönster fylls av anti-judisk propaganda, de som vågar yppa en avvikande åsikt tystas ner och en ny lag förbjuder Christine från att återvända till sitt jobb -- och från att ha någon kontakt med Isaac. Under de månader och år som följer får Christine uppleva det nazistiska förtrycket i dess fulla vidd; hon ställs ansikte mot ansikte med SS-männens brutalitet och Dachaus fasor, och hennes liv formas med tiden till en alltmer desperat kamp -- för att överleva och för att få vara med den hon älskar.Plommonträdet är en skakande berättelse om mod och beslutsamhet, om krigets omänsklighet, och om det hopp som någonstans fortsätter att lysa när ondskans mörker lägger sig över världen.

Ein ergreifendes Leseerlebnis zwischen einer englischen Psychiatrie in den 1920er Jahren und einer jungen Frau in der Gegenwart: der internationale Bestseller von Ellen Marie WisemanWie weit gehen wir, um unsere Liebsten zu beschützen?Zehn Jahre ist es her, dass eine schicksalhafte Nacht für Izzy Stone alles verÿnderte: Ihre Mutter erschoss ihren Vater wÿhrend er schlief. Seitdem lebt die nun 17-Jÿhrige bei Pflegefamilien. Als sie für ein Museum Gegenstÿnde ehemaliger Insassen der alten und berüchtigten psychiatrischen Anstalt Willard State Asylum katalogisiert, stöÿt sie auf einen Stapel ungeöffneter Briefe und das alte Tagebuch einer gewissen Clara Cartwright. Je mehr sie über Claras Leben in Erfahrung bringt, desto mehr klÿren sich auch die Rÿtsel ihres eigenen Lebens ?»Authentizitÿt, Tiefe und ein einzigartiges Verstÿndnis der menschlichen Psyche machen dieses Buch zu einem packenden Lesegenuss.« NY Journal of BooksDieses Buch ist¿bereits¿2015 unter dem Titel¿»Die dunklen Mauern von Willard State« im Piper Verlag erschienen.

Noch nie im Leben durfte die zehnjÿhrige Lilly ihre Kammer auf Blackwood Manor verlassen. Die Menschen würden bei ihrem Anblick zu Tode erschrecken, so ihre Mutter. Umso erstaunter ist das Mÿdchen, als sie eines Tages mit in den Zirkus darf. Doch statt eine Vorstellung zu bestaunen, wird Lilly an die Freakshow verkauft und fortan als »Eisprinzessin« ausgestellt. Ihr Schicksal bessert sich erst, als sie entdeckt, wie gut sie mit den Elefanten umgehen kann. Aber erst zwanzig Jahre spÿter wird ihr hartes Los gesühnt ...

Eine ergreifende Geschichte über den Sieg von Liebe und Mut über Unrecht und GierPennsylvania, 1912: Die junge Emma ist nach dem Tod ihrer Eltern gezwungen, zu ihrer verhassten Verwandtschaft in Coal River zurückzukehren. Sie ist entsetzt, als sie sieht, unter welchen Bedingungen die Arbeiter der Kohlekompanie arbeiten müssen. Vor allem das Leid der kleinen Jungen, die schwere Arbeiten verrichten müssen und oft verletzt oder getötet werden, geht ihr zu Herzen. Sie beginnt, heimlich Lebensmittel zu stehlen und zu verteilen. Dabei trifft sie immer wieder auf Clayton, einen der Minenarbeiter. Sie kommen sich nÿher und beschlieÿen, gemeinsam etwas gegen die Zustÿnde in der Mine zu unternehmen ?

Philadelphia, hösten 1918. Trettonåriga immigranten Pia Lange längtar efter en tillvaro bortom stadens överbefolkade slumområde. Hennes mamma har nyligen gått bort och hennes pappa har tagit värvning. Men när kriget går mot sitt slut kommer ett nytt, betydligt mer överhängande hot: spanska sjukan. Pia gör sitt bästa för att ta hand om sina två tvillingbröder, men när maten sinar tvingas hon lämna dem ensamma för att ge sig ut i jakt på något att äta.

Ända sedan hennes älskade son dog i spanska sjukan har Bernice Groves varit utom sig av ilska och sorg. Om läkarna bara inte varit så upptagna med att vårda alla immigranter hade de kanske kunnat rädda honom. När hon ser grannflickan Pia lämna sina småbröder utan uppsikt fattar hon ett grymt och oåterkalleligt beslut. Från den dagen ser Bernice det som sin livsuppgift att ge stadens föräldralösa barn och immigrantbarn möjlighet att bli vad hon anser är "äkta amerikaner".

Efter att ha kollapsat mitt på gatan vaknar Pia upp på ett sjukhus några dagar senare. Panikslagen försöker hon ta sig hem till sina bröder, men förs i stället till ett barnhem. Det blir det första steget på en lång och mödosam resa, där Pia tvingas inse att hon är redo att göra allt för att ställa saker och ting tillrätta igen, oavsett vilket pris hon måste betala.

Barntjuven är en berättelse om kärlek, förlust och om de uppoffringar vi är villiga att göra för att skydda dem vi älskar.

Instant New York Times BestsellerFrom the internationally bestselling author ofWhat She Left Behind comes a gripping and powerful tale of upheavala heartbreaking saga of resilience and hope perfect for fans of Beatriz Williams and Kristin Hannahset in Philadelphia during the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreakthe 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.' KirkusReview ';An emotional roller coasterI felt Pia's strength, courage, guilt, and grief come through the pages clear as day.' The Seattle Book Review

This eye-opening novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan Collector delivers ';a spot-on portrayal of a dark time in American history' (Historical Novel Society, Editor's Choice). Ellen Marie Wiseman draws readers into the Pennsylvania mining operations of the early 20th centurywhere children had no choice but to work in deadly conditions... or face starvation. As a child, Emma Malloy left isolated Coal River, Pennsylvania, vowing never to return. Now, orphaned and penniless at nineteen, she accepts a train ticket from her aunt and uncle and travels back to the rough-hewn community. Treated like a servant by her relatives, Emma works for free in the company store. There, miners and their impoverished families must pay inflated prices for food, clothing, and tools, while those who owe money are turned away to starve. Most heartrending of all are the breaker boys Emma sees around the villageyoung children who toil all day sorting coal amid treacherous machinery. Their soot-stained faces remind Emma of the little brother she lost long ago, and she begins leaving stolen food on families' doorsteps, and marking the miners' bills as paid. Though Emma's actions draw ire from the mine owner and police captain, they lead to an alliance with a charismatic miner who offers to help her expose the truth. And as the lines blur between what is legal and what is just, Emma must risk everything to follow her conscience. ';Wiseman offers heartbreaking and historically accurate depictions of the dangerous mines, the hopeless workers, and their improbable fight for justice.' Publishers Weekly

InstantNew York TimesBestseller! For fans ofThe Girls with No Names, The Silent Patient,andGirl, Interrupted,theNew York Timesbestselling author ofThe Orphan Collectorblends 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 differenteven though they were identical twins.They loved the same thingsandshared a deep understanding,butRosemaryawake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tearsseemed 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 ones eyes to the evil in this world.' New York Journal of Books';Unvarnished, painful and startlingly clear.' Bookreporter.com

A touching story of heroism and loss, a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of love to transcend the most unthinkable circumstances. Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris From the internationally bestselling author ofThe Orphan Collector comes a haunting and lyrical tale of love and humanity in a time of unthinkable horror. The debut novel from a powerful voice in historical fiction, this resonant and courageous saga of a young German woman during World War II and the Holocaust is a must-read for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Alice Network. ';Bloom where youre planted, is the advice Christine Blz receives from her beloved Oma. But seventeen-year-old domestic Christine knows there is a whole world waiting beyond her small German village. Its a world shes begun to glimpse through music, booksand 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 Hitlers regime. Anti-Jewish posters are everywhere, dissenting talk is silenced, and a new law forbids Christine from returning to her joband from having any relationship with Isaac. In the months and years that follow, Christine will confront the Gestapos wrath and the horrors of Dachau, desperate to be with the man she loves, to surviveand finally, to speak out. Set against the backdrop of the German homefront, this is an unforgettable novel of courage and resolve, of the inhumanity of war, and the heartbreak and hope left in its wake. A haunting and beautiful debut novel. Anna Jean Mayhew, author of The Dry Grass of August Ellen Marie Wiseman boldly explores the complexities of the Holocaust. This novel is at times painful, but it is also a satisfying love story set against the backdrop of one of the most difficult times in human history. T. Greenwood, author of Keeping Lucy

A GREAT GROUP READS Selection of the Women's National Book Association and National Reading Group MonthA GOODREADS Best of the Month Selection';A powerful, poignant novel.' In Touch, Grade AFrom the internationally bestselling author ofThe Orphan Collector comes a beautifully written and moving tale of family secrets and the importance of a mother's loveand how it can shape a lifeeven in the most shocking ways. A painful saga of strength and reinvention perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Lisa Wingateset 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 timeand 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 complexFans of Karen White andSara Gruenwill be drawn in by the drama and mystery of Wiseman's novel.' BookPage

Half a million copies sold! The breakout novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan Collector, What She Left Behind weaves together riveting stories of past and present, exploring the strength of women in two different times as they face adversity in two very different ways. Go inside the horrifying walls of a 1920s New York asylum as a wrongly imprisoned woman fights for what is most important to herand meet the young woman confronting the pain and mystery of her own family's mental illness two generations later. Ten years ago, Izzy Stone's mother fatally shot her father while he slept. Devastated by her mother's apparent insanity, Izzy, now seventeen, refuses to visit her in prison. But her new foster parents, employees at the local museum, have enlisted Izzy's help in cataloging items at a long-shuttered state asylum. There, amid piles of abandoned belongings, Izzy discovers a stack of unopened letters, a decades-old journal, and a window into her own past. Young flapper and suffragette Clara Cartwright is caught between her overbearing parents and her desire to be a modern woman. Furious when she rejects an arranged marriage, instead finding love with an Italian Immigrant, Clara's father sends her to a genteel home for nervous invalids. But when his fortune is lost in the stock market crash of 1929, he can no longer afford her careand Clara is committed to the public asylum. Even as Izzy deals with the challenges of yet another new beginning, Clara's story keeps drawing her into the past. If Clara was never really mentally ill, could something else explain her own mother's violent act? Piecing together Clara's fate compels Izzy to re-examine her own choiceswith shocking and unexpected results. ';Screams with authenticity, depth, and understanding.' The New York Journal of Books ';A real page turnerwill appeal to all readers of fiction.' The Historical Novels Review ';AmazingA great read!' The San Francisco Book Review ';Will both haunt and inspire you a moving, and at times chilling story that totally endears you to her characters.' SpaWeek ';A great coming-of-age story.' School Library Journal