The Mesmerist A Novel
The Mesmerist A Novel by Caroline Woods, published by Doubleday in 2024, is a historical fiction piece that spans 336 pages. Set in 1894 Minneapolis during a national financial crisis, the narrative follows three distinct women who must unite to confront a killer and protect their home at the Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers. As mysterious deaths plague the community, the arrival of a silent new guest named Faith stirs up rumors of dark magic, leading to a web of intrigue and danger.
Readers will find a tightly plotted story that intertwines themes of action, adventure, and suspense. Abby, a Quaker and treasurer of the Bethany Home, dismisses the supernatural claims surrounding Faith but understands the potential fallout from scandal. Meanwhile, May, eager to secure her future, embarks on an investigation into Faith’s past, uncovering unexpected truths about her community and the people she thought she knew. As the stakes rise with each new revelation, the characters navigate a landscape filled with tension and moral dilemmas, ultimately questioning their own desires and the lies they tell.
Official synopsis Publisher
AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR . A tightly plotted page-turner ripped from the headlines of history, as three very different women must work together to stop a killer and save the truest home they’ve ever known.
Before hypnotism, there was Mesmerism. And in 1894 Minneapolis, in the wake of a national financial crisis, spiritualism of every stripe is all the rage, and women are dying under mysterious circumstances. But until a new guest lands at the Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers, refusing to speak or explain her arrival, the sordid stories of unexplained deaths seem unconnected. Faith’s reticence is quickly interpreted as malevolence, setting the house abuzz with whispers of dark magic.
Abby, a staunch Quaker, lifelong supporter of progressive causes, and the Bethany Home’s treasurer, thinks the rumors of mystical powers swirling around Faith are nonsense, but she recognizes the danger of a good story. Unwilling to allow the Home’s important mission to be clouded by scandal, Abby tasks Faith’s roommate, May, with tracing Faith’s path to the Bethany Home.
May is desperate to end her year at Bethany Home engaged and on track to her happily-ever-after-even if her prince charming is Hal, a man she’s not sure she can trust. She uncovers a Minneapolis she never expected as she begins digging into Faith’s shadowy background, and her investigation brings her closer to polite society and Hal than she could have dreamed. The more May learns, the more she’s forced to question the motives of everyone around her, including Abby and Faith, and as more women turn up dead, May must reevaluate the future she wants, and which lies she’s willing to tell, for whom.
Rich with tension, suspicion, and sharply observed characters, Caroline Woods reimagines a classic American genre through the eyes of three bold, unforgettable women.
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