The Dying of the Light

Goolrick (A Reliable Wife) tells the intriguing and heartbreaking story of American debutante Diana Cooke, whose difficult adult life culminated in her disappearance after her family’s estate, Saratoga, burned to the ground. Diana, a beautiful, tomboyish girl, had caring parents who doted on her, and also reinforced the notion that if Diana didn’t marry someone wealthy, they could lose Saratoga. Diana, just coming into her twenties, meets Captain Copperton, an older gentleman of new money, and the two quickly marry. Known as a charmer, the captain turns out to be a cruel husband. Together, Diana and Copperton have a son, Ashton, who proves to be Diana’s only solace. But after Copperton dies in a horse race, Ashton is sent away, and Diana is left alone with Saratoga, barely able to make ends meet as his fortune is in limbo. Eventually, a grown Ashton returns and begins to set Saratoga on the right course once again, until his devotion to his mother is challenged when she begins a love affair with his closest friend, Gibby. In the end, everyone must overcome their own prejudices to forge a way forward. Filled with glamour and devastating family scheming, this American tragedy swathed in honor, money, and betrayal will please fans of dramatic, sweeping historicals. (July)