The Prince and The Pauper is a historical adventure set in 16th-century London. It tells the story of two identical boys born on the same day: Prince Edward Tudor, the heir to the English throne, and Tom Canty, a poor beggar from the London slums. After a chance meeting, the boys, fascinated by each other's lives, exchange clothes and identities. The novel follows their simultaneous but vast…
Our Mutual Friend is Charles Dickens's final, dark social critique of Victorian London's materialism. The central plot is triggered by a large inheritance, a fortune made from dust heaps (garbage), which is intended for John Harmon. Believed dead, John secretly returns to London, assumes the identity of John Rokesmith, and observes the society, particularly Bella Wilfer, the woman he must marry…
Restore Me continues the story of Juliette Ferrars, a young woman with a lethal touch, who has successfully overthrown the totalitarian regime known as The Reestablishment and now reigns as the new Supreme Commander of North America. With her complicated love interest, Warner, by her side, Juliette is thrust into the overwhelming and terrifying world of political leadership. Juliette is woef…
Charming As A Verb is a witty, contemporary Young Adult novel following Henri "Halti" Haltiwanger, a charismatic and ambitious high school senior in New prestigious York City academy. Henri, a dutiful, first-generation son of Haitian immigrants, is working every "hustle"—including a deceptively elaborate dog-walking service—to prove he deserves a spot at Columbia University. His immense cha…
The Starter Wife is a gripping psychological thriller told largely from the perspective of Claire Westcott, the new wife of college professor, Byron. Claire constantly fears she cannot measure up to Byron's first wife, Colleen, a famous painter who disappeared eight years ago and was presumed dead by suicide, though her body was never found. Claire's anxiety escalates when she begins receivi…
Persuasion tells the story of Anne Elliot, a quiet, intelligent, and perceptive woman of 27 who is living with profound regret. Eight years earlier, Anne was engaged to Captain Frederick Wentworth, a naval officer, but was persuaded by her arrogant family friend, Lady Russell, to break off the match because Wentworth lacked wealth and social connection. The novel begins as Anne's vain and fi…
Sense and Sensibility follows the trials of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (representing Sense, or reason) and Marianne (representing Sensibility, or emotion), after their father's death leaves them suddenly impoverished and vulnerable in the rigid society of early 19th-century England. They are forced to move to a modest cottage, where their romantic lives diverge dramatically. Elinor, govern…
Set against the backdrop of World War II and the personal tragedy of wartime London, the story follows David, a twelve-year-old boy deeply traumatized by the death of his mother. He grows resentful and isolated after his father quickly remarries. David seeks refuge in his books, only to begin hearing their whispers. He is violently transported to a dangerous, magical, and distorted land that…
Torn continues the story of Wendy Everly, a high-schooler who discovered she is a Troll changeling—a member of the magical Trylle race switched at birth with a human baby. Now living with her biological Trylle family, Wendy is struggling to master her powerful magical abilities while facing an increasingly dangerous threat from the rival tribe, the Vittra. As the threat of war looms, Wendy…
Trading Up is a sharp social satire that follows the adventures of Janey Wilcox, a beautiful lingerie model (first introduced in Bushnell's previous work, Four Blondes). Janey is intensely ambitious and determined to climb to the top of Manhattan's elite social and financial ladder, regardless of the cost. The novel chronicles Janey's relentless pursuit of wealth, power, and status. She util…