The Phoenix Crown

"This book’s gorgeous prose weaves together four diverse women – an aspiring opera singer, a visionary painter, a brilliant botanist and a talented Chinatown seamstress – in 1906 San Francisco days before an earthquake nearly destroys it. Friendly acquaintances before the quake, these women unite to find justice against a greedy, murdering hustler amid the city’s ruins, and across continents. Each character is layered with historical facts; some are even based on real people. This historical drama is so fascinating – it will transport you to a remarkable moment in U.S. history."