Audiobooks by Melanie Benjamin

The Children's Blizzard: A Novel Audiobook

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator's Wife comes a story of courage on the prairie, inspired by the devastating storm that struck the Great Plains in 1888, threatening the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders, especially schoolchildren. "Melanie Benjamin never fails to create compelling, unforgettable characters and place them against the backdrop of startling history."-Lisa Wingate, author of The Book of Lost Friends The morning of January 12, 1888, was unusually mild, following a punishing cold spell. It was warm enough for the homesteaders of the Dakota Territory to venture out again, and for their children to return to school without their heavy coats-leaving them unprepared when disaster struck. At the hour when most prairie schools were letting out for the day, a terrifying, fast-moving blizzard blew in without warning. Schoolteachers as young as sixteen were suddenly faced with life and death decisions: Keep the children inside, to risk freezing to death when fuel ran out, or send them home, praying they wouldn't get lost in the storm? Based on actual oral histories of survivors, this gripping novel follows the stories of Raina and Gerda Olsen, two sisters, both schoolteachers-one becomes a hero of the storm and the other finds herself ostracized in the aftermath. It's also the story of Anette Pedersen, a servant girl whose miraculous survival serves as a turning point in her life and touches the heart of Gavin Woodson, a newspaperman seeking redemption. It was Woodson and others like him who wrote the embellished news stories that lured northern European immigrants across the sea to settle a pitiless land. Boosters needed them to settle territories into states, and they didn't care what lies they told these families to get them there-or whose land it originally was. At its heart, this is a story of courage, of children forced to grow up too soon, tied to the land because of their parents' choices. It is a story of love taking root in the hard prairie ground, and of families being torn asunder by a ferocious storm that is little remembered today-because so many of its victims were immigrants to this country.

Melanie Benjamin (Author), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

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Mistress of the Ritz: A Novel

A captivating novel based on the story of the extraordinary real-life American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance during World War II-while playing hostess to the invading Germans at the iconic Hôtel Ritz in Paris-from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator's Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue. "A compelling portrait of a marriage and a nation at war from within."-Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network Nothing bad can happen at the Ritz; inside its gilded walls every woman looks beautiful, every man appears witty. Favored guests like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Coco Chanel, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor walk through its famous doors to be welcomed and pampered by Blanche Auzello and her husband, Claude, the hotel's director. The Auzellos are the mistress and master of the Ritz, allowing the glamour and glitz to take their minds off their troubled marriage, and off the secrets that they keep from their guests-and each other. Until June 1940, when the German army sweeps into Paris, setting up headquarters at the Ritz. Suddenly, with the likes of Hermann Goëring moving into suites once occupied by royalty, Blanche and Claude must navigate a terrifying new reality. One that entails even more secrets and lies. One that may destroy the tempestuous marriage between this beautiful, reckless American and her very proper Frenchman. For in order to survive-and strike a blow against their Nazi "guests"-Blanche and Claude must spin a web of deceit that ensnares everything and everyone they cherish. But one secret is shared between Blanche and Claude alone-the secret that, in the end, threatens to imperil both of their lives, and to bring down the legendary Ritz itself. Based on true events, Mistress of the Ritz is a taut tale of suspense wrapped up in a love story for the ages, the inspiring story of a woman and a man who discover the best in each other amid the turbulence of war. Advance praise for Mistress of the Ritz "No one writes of the complexities of women's lives and loves like Melanie Benjamin. In Mistress of the Ritz, Benjamin brings wartime Paris brilliantly to life. . . . Intense, illuminating, and ultimately inspiring!"-Elizabeth Letts, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Dorothy

Melanie Benjamin (Author), Barbara Rosenblat (Narrator)

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The Girls in the Picture

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator's Wife, a fascinating novel of the friendship and creative partnership between two of Hollywood's earliest female legends-screenwriter Frances Marion and superstar Mary Pickford It is 1914, and twenty-five-year-old Frances Marion has left her (second) husband and her Northern California home for the lure of Los Angeles, where she is determined to live independently as an artist. But the word on everyone's lips these days is "flickers"-the silent moving pictures enthralling theatergoers. Turn any corner in this burgeoning town and you'll find made-up actors running around, as a movie camera captures it all. In this fledgling industry, Frances finds her true calling: writing stories for this wondrous new medium. She also makes the acquaintance of actress Mary Pickford, whose signature golden curls and lively spirit have earned her the title "America's Sweetheart." The two ambitious young women hit it off instantly, their kinship fomented by their mutual fever to create, to move audiences to a frenzy, to start a revolution. But their ambitions are challenged by both the men around them and the limitations imposed on their gender-and their astronomical success could come at a price. As Mary, the world's highest paid and most beloved actress, struggles to live her life under the spotlight, she also wonders if it is possible to find love, even with the dashing actor Douglas Fairbanks. Frances, too, longs to share her life with someone. As in any good Hollywood story, dramas will play out, personalities will clash, and even the deepest friendships might be shattered. With cameos from such notables as Charlie Chaplin, Louis B. Mayer, Rudolph Valentino, and Lillian Gish, The Girls in the Picture is, at its heart, a story of friendship and forgiveness. Melanie Benjamin perfectly captures the dawn of a glittering new era-its myths and icons, its possibilities and potential, and its seduction and heartbreak. Advance praise for The Girls in the Picture "[Melanie] Benjamin fully captures the giddy excitement of the blossoming movie business in the 1910s and 1920s and has chosen intriguingly flawed protagonists with compelling life stories that aren't widely known today. This engrossing and rewarding read provides the same mixture of well-researched plot and fascinating characters [that has] made Benjamin's previous novels so outstanding."-Library Journal (starred review)

Melanie Benjamin (Author), Kimberly Farr (Narrator)

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The Swans of Fifth Avenue: A Novel

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The author of The Aviators Wife returns with a triumphant new novel about New Yorks "Swans" of the 1950s - and the scandalous, headline-making, and enthralling friendship between literary legend Truman Capote and peerless socialite Babe Paley. Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley. Her flawless face regularly graces the pages of Vogue, and she is celebrated and adored for her ineffable style and exquisite taste, especially among her friends - the alluring socialite Swans Slim Keith, C. Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness, and Pamela Churchill. By all appearances, Babe has it all: money, beauty, glamour, jewels, influential friends, a prestigious husband, and gorgeous homes. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman - a woman desperately longing for true love and connection. Enter Truman Capote. This diminutive golden-haired genius with a larger-than-life personality explodes onto the scene, setting Babe and her circle of Swans aflutter. Through Babe, Truman gains an unlikely entrée into the enviable lives of Manhattans elite, along with unparalleled access to the scandal and gossip of Babes powerful circle. Sure of the loyalty of the man she calls "True Heart," Babe never imagines the destruction Truman will leave in his wake. But once a storyteller, always a storyteller - even when the stories arent his to tell. Trumans fame is at its peak when such notable celebrities as Frank and Mia Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, and Rose Kennedy converge on his glittering Black and White Ball. But all too soon, hell ignite a literary scandal whose repercussions echo through the years. The Swans of Fifth Avenue will seduce and startle readers as it opens the door onto one of Americas most sumptuous eras. Praise for The Swans of Fifth Avenue "This moving fictionalization brings the whole cast of characters back to vivid life. Gossipy and fun, its also a nuanced look at the beauty and cruelty of a rarefied, bygone world." - People "The era and the sordid details come back to life in this jewel of a novel." - O: The Oprah Magazine "A catty, juicy read thats like a three-martini lunch." - USA Today "[Captures] the mesmerizing sparkle and scandal of New York high society in the 1950s." - Chicago Tribune "Take Gossip Girl and move it to the 50s." - theSkimm "A compelling look at an American icon, a talented yet vulnerable man, and the complex woman he loved in his own distinctive way." - The Philadelphia Inquirer "The strange and fascinating relationship between Truman Capote and his 'swans is wonderfully reimagined in this engrossing novel. Its a credit to Benjamin that we end up caring so much for these women of power, grace, and beauty - and for Capote, too." - Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants "Delicious . . . Benjamin has turned Truman Capotes greatest scandal into your next must-read book-club selection." - Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet "Like being ushered into a party where youre offered champagne and fed the sumptuous secrets of New Yorks elite - without having to pay the price afterward." - Vanessa Diffenbaugh, New York Times bestselling author of The Language of Flowers From the Hardcover edition.

Melanie Benjamin (Author), Cassandra Campbell, Paul Boehmer (Narrator)

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Reckless Hearts (Short Story): A Story of Slim Hawks and Ernest Hemingway

Melanie Benjamin introduces readers to the lavish, heady world of her novel The Swans of Fifth Avenue with this exclusive ebook short story! In this enchanting prequel, New York society and Hollywood royalty collide during the doomed and decadent life of Ernest Hemingway. Spain, 1959. Slim Hawks Hayward likes to think she doesn't get jealous. But when her dear friend Lauren "Betty" Bacall learns that Papa Hemingway has come to watch the bullfights and insists that Slim make introductions, she can't help feeling protective. Slim has known Papa for years. He always makes her feel like the most beautiful woman in the room-even when his wife is standing right beside him. Truth be told, Slim could have learned to love him all those years ago, in the streets of Havana or the mountains of the American West. Now, Slim is sure that Papa will fall for Betty. What she doesn't anticipate is the feeling that Papa himself has changed-and their relationship will never be the same. Features a captivating preview of Melanie Benjamin's highly anticipated novel The Swans of Fifth Avenue! Advance praise for Melanie Benjamin's The Swans of Fifth Avenue "The strange and fascinating relationship between Truman Capote and his 'swans' is wonderfully reimagined in this engrossing novel. It's a credit to Benjamin that we end up caring so much for these women of power, grace, and beauty-and for Capote, too."-Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants "A delicious tale . . . Melanie Benjamin has turned Truman Capote's greatest scandal into your next must-read book-club selection."-Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet "Reading The Swans of Fifth Avenue is like being ushered into a party where you're offered champagne and fed the sumptuous secrets of New York's elite-without having to pay the price afterward. The swans are outmatched only by the elegance of Melanie Benjamin's prose-captivatingly earnest and sophisticated."-Vanessa Diffenbaugh, New York Times bestselling author of The Language of Flowers "Benjamin convincingly portrays a large cast of colorful historical figures while crafting a compelling, gossipy narrative with rich emotional depth."-Library Journal From the eBook edition.

Melanie Benjamin (Author), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

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Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion

A war bride awaits the arrival of her GI husband at the platform... A Holocaust survivor works at the Oyster Bar, where a customer reminds him of his late mother... A Hollywood hopeful anticipates her first screen test and a chance at stardom in the Kissing Room... On any particular day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through New York City's Grand Central Terminal, through the whispering gallery, beneath the ceiling of stars, and past the information booth and its beckoning four-faced clock, to whatever destination is calling them. It is a place where people come to say hello and good-bye. And each person has a story to tell. Now, ten bestselling authors inspired by this iconic landmark have created their own stories, set on the same day, just after the end of World War II, in a time of hope, uncertainty, change, and renewal.

Jenna Blum, Melanie Benjamin, Sarah Jio (Author), Carla Mercer-Meyer (Narrator)

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The Aviator's Wife: A Novel

In the spirit of Loving Frank and The Paris Wife, acclaimed novelist Melanie Benjamin pulls back the curtain on the marriage of one of America's most extraordinary couples: Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. "The history [is] exhilarating. . . . The Aviator's Wife soars."-USA Today NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER For much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her, including her millionaire father and vibrant older sister, who often steals the spotlight. Then Anne, a college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family. There she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles's assurance and fame, Anne is certain the aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. Hounded by adoring crowds and hunted by an insatiable press, Charles shields himself and his new bride from prying eyes, leaving Anne to feel her life falling back into the shadows. In the years that follow, despite her own major achievements-she becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States-Anne is viewed merely as the aviator's wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life's infinite possibilities for change and happiness. Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century-from the late twenties to the mid-sixties-and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator's Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriage-revealing both its dizzying highs and its devastating lows. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure. Praise for The Aviator's Wife "Remarkable . . . The Aviator's Wife succeeds [in] putting the reader inside Anne Lindbergh's life with her famous husband."-The Denver Post "Anne Morrow Lindbergh narrates the story of the Lindberghs' troubled marriage in all its triumph and tragedy."-USA Today "[This novel] will fascinate history buffs and surprise those who know of her only as 'the aviator's wife.' "-People "It's hard to quit reading this intimate historical fiction."-The Dallas Morning News "Fictional biography at its finest."-Booklist (starred review) "Utterly unforgettable."-Publishers Weekly (starred review) "An intimate examination of the life and emotional mettle of Anne Morrow."-The Washington Post "A story of both triumph and pain that will take your breath away."-Kate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker From the Hardcover edition.

Melanie Benjamin (Author), Lorna Raver (Narrator)

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The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb

In her national bestseller Alice I Have Been, Melanie Benjamin imagined the life of the woman who inspired Alice in Wonderland. Now, in this jubilant new novel, Benjamin shines a dazzling spotlight on another fascinating female figure whose story has never fully been told: a woman who became a nineteenth century icon and inspiration-and whose most daunting limitation became her greatest strength. "Never would I allow my size to define me. Instead, I would define it." She was only two-foot eight-inches tall, but her legend reaches out to us more than a century later. As a child, Mercy Lavinia "Vinnie" Bump was encouraged to live a life hidden away from the public. Instead, she reached out to the immortal impresario P. T. Barnum, married the tiny superstar General Tom Thumb in the wedding of the century, and transformed into the world's most unexpected celebrity. Here, in Vinnie's singular and spirited voice, is her amazing adventure-from a showboat "freak" revue where she endured jeering mobs to her fateful meeting with the two men who would change her life: P. T. Barnum and Charles Stratton, AKA Tom Thumb. Their wedding would captivate the nation, preempt coverage of the Civil War, and usher them into the White House and the company of presidents and queens. But Vinnie's fame would also endanger the person she prized most: her similarly-sized sister, Minnie, a gentle soul unable to escape the glare of Vinnie's spotlight. A barnstorming novel of the Gilded Age, and of a woman's public triumphs and personal tragedies, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is the irresistible epic of a heroine who conquered the country with a heart as big as her dreams-and whose story will surely win over yours. From the Hardcover edition.

Melanie Benjamin (Author), Kim Mai Guest (Narrator)

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Alice I Have Been

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?Alice Liddell Hargreaves's life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she's experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only Alice. Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice's childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war. For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.From the Hardcover edition.

Melanie Benjamin (Author), Samantha Eggar (Narrator)

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