The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey

Burdick’s (Find Me in Havana) intricately plotted fourth novel contains two compelling storylines, each with appealing protagonists. In 1898, talented but relatively unknown writer Evelyn Aubrey enjoys newly married life in the English countryside with William, a celebrated novelist, until William cures his writer’s block by stealing Evelyn’s work and publishing it as his own. Seventeen years after losing her mother and only parent in the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, Abby Phillips, looking through her maternal grandmother’s dresser to borrow jewelry, discovers Evelyn’s book of poetry. As she opens the book, out falls a photo of her mother with a man she’s never seen before. The inscription on the back of the photo indicates that he is her father and Evelyn is her great-great grandmother—sending Abby packing for England where she hopes to learn more about her family. Narrator Karen Cass has a vibrant, expressive voice, and she smoothly navigates the skillfully constructed dual timelines, allowing listeners to create strong connections to the spirited heroines and well-drawn secondary characters.