LoveReading Says
Set in Reno, Nevada, in 1951, back when the casino city was known for its liberal divorce laws at a time when divorce was all-but impossible, Rowan Beaird’s The Divorcees casts a captivating, menacing spell. Delicately characterful, and sharp as a shard of ice in a martini cocktail, it balances loss and longing, in limbo stasis, and the awakenings of desire and a new sense of self through an intoxicating story that takes unexpected turns.
Lois has come to exclusive Golden Yarrow to find freedom from a lonely, loveless marriage. Staying here for six weeks as a resident of the state of Nevada means she can be legally granted divorce. While this is something Lois needs and longs for, her post-divorce future is uncertain: “She hated being a wife, was terrified of becoming a mother, but couldn’t stomach the idea of once again being only a daughter. Each role an ill-fitting dress.” Such was women’s lot — utterly dependent on men, with the “freedom” of divorce leaving divorcees tainted and moneyless i.e. providing no kind of freedom at all.
As Lois and the other women spend their days riding horses or lying by the pool, and their evenings in bars or casinos, a charismatic new arrival, Greer, shakes things up, especially for Lois. Greer arrives bruised, but beautiful and bold, telling the women they can “do whatever you want”.
As Greer and Lois come to “speak with the casual intensity of sisters”, and Lois’ post-divorce options feel increasingly unbearable (what do you do when your rich daddy pretty much sides with your rich ex-husband-to-be and it looks like you’ll be forced to re-marry?), Lois is convinced to take more drastic measures.
There’s boldness and betrayal. Fresh awakenings and recovery. Grit and glamour. The Divorcees is nothing but tense and tantalisingly stirring.
Joanne Owen
Find This Book In
The Divorcees Synopsis
'LOVED it. Tightly-plotted elegance, 50s glamour and suspense. Put it on your lists' Jessie Burton
'Excellent . . . riveting to the last page' The Times
'Filled with evocative period detail and populated with an intriguing tapestry of beautifully drawn characters' Observer
'As stylish as it's cover, with razor sharp prose and an atmosphere simmering with tension, I have savoured every word' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things
'Refreshing . . . Heartbreaking' New York Times
'A stunning debut. Tense, dark, and richly layered' Katy Hays
'Dark and compelling. Fans of Lessons In Chemistry will adore it' Red
Lois Saunders thought that marrying the right man would finally cure her loneliness. But as picture-perfect as her husband is, she is suffocating in their loveless marriage. In 1951, though, unhappiness is hardly grounds for divorce - except in Reno, Nevada.
At the Golden Yarrow, the most respectable of Reno's 'divorce ranches' Lois finds herself living with half a dozen other would-be divorcees, all in Reno for the six weeks' residency that is the state's only divorce requirement. They spend their days riding horses and their nights flirting with cowboys, and it's as wild and fun as Lake Forest, Illinois, was prim and stifling. But it isn't until Greer Lange arrives that Lois's world truly cracks open . . .
Gorgeous, beguiling, and completely indifferent to societal convention, Greer is unlike anyone Lois has ever met - and she sees something in Lois that no one else ever has. Under her influence, Lois begins to push against the limits that have always restrained her. But how much can she really trust her mysterious new friend? And how far will she go to forge her independence, on her own terms?
Set in the glamorous, dizzying world of 1950s Reno, THE DIVORCÉES is a deliciously slow-burn, atmospheric page-turner and a dazzling exploration of female friendship, desire and freedom.
'I straight up loved it. It's so stylish, so elegant, each sentence a delectable little treat . . . and the nods towards darkness and things unravelling are so thrilling and chicly done'
Elizabeth Macneal, bestselling author of The Doll Factory
'Excellent, deeply compelling'
Lauren Groff, bestselling author of Matrix and Fates and Furies
'A delicious literary page-turner from a fierce new voice'
Rebecca Makkai, bestselling author of The Great Believers
'I adored The Divorcées - such an atmospheric and layered story of female independence, solidarity and deception'
Julie Mae Cohen
'A sultry fever dream of a novel . . . This book shimmers and startles on every page'
Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light
'The women of The Divorcées captivated me . . . an unforgettable, lushly assured novel'
Clare Beams, author of The Illness Lesson
'Stunning. Compelling, rich and with a dark undercurrent, I couldn't put it down. An outstanding debut'
Marianne Cronin
'Exquisite . . . Threaded with a tension that grips you. A sultry page turner. I highly recommend'
Julie Owen Moylan
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781786583697 |
| Publication date: |
19th June 2025 |
| Author: |
Rowan Beaird |
| Publisher: |
Manilla an imprint of Bonnier Books UK |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
336 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
|
| Other Genres: |
|
| Recommendations: |
|
.jpg)
