Queen Wallis

A Novel

by C. J. Carey

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Pub Date Jul 18 2023 | Archive Date Aug 01 2023

SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark

Mystery & Thrillers | Sci Fi & Fantasy

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Description

THE SEQUEL TO WIDOWLAND, A PHILIP K. DICK AWARD NOMINEE

The thrilling sequel to Widowland, a thrilling feminist dystopian novel set in an alternative history that terrifyingly imagines what a British alliance with Germany would look like if the Nazis had won WWII.

London, 1955. The Leader has been dead for two years. His assassination, on British soil, provoked violent retribution and intensified repression of British citizens, particularly women. Now, more than ever, the Protectorate is a place of surveillance and isolation—a land of spies.

Every evening Rose Ransom looks in the mirror and marvels that she's even alive. A mere woman, her role in the Leader's death has been miraculously overlooked. She still works at the Culture Ministry, where her work now focuses on poetry, which has been banned for its subversive meanings, emotions, and signals that cannot be controlled.

A government propaganda drive to promote positive images of women has just been announced ahead of a visit from Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first American president to set foot on English soil in two decades. Queen Wallis Simpson will be spearheading the campaign, and Rose has been tasked with visiting her to explain the plan. When Rose arrives at the palace, she finds Wallis in a state of paranoia, desperate to return to America and enjoy the liberty of her homeland following her husband's death. Wallis claims she has a secret document so explosive that it will blow the Protectorate apart. But will the last queen of England pull the trigger on the Alliance?

THE SEQUEL TO WIDOWLAND, A PHILIP K. DICK AWARD NOMINEE

The thrilling sequel to Widowland, a thrilling feminist dystopian novel set in an alternative history that terrifyingly imagines what a British...

Advance Praise

A GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

"C.J. Carey pens a stunning sequel to last year's smash hit Widowland, a disturbing alternate-history vision of 1950s Britain under the iron rule of a victorious Hitler. An uneasy peace now grips London in the wake of the Fuhrer's death, and poetry censor Rose Ransom hopes simply to keep her head down and her hands clean. But a chance to interview King Edward VIII's widowed queen in Buckingham Palace upends Rose's life, and possibly the lives of everyone tired of living under the Reich's boot. Queen Wallis is a tense, gripping read, sure to enthrall readers everywhere." —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

"Following the brilliant Widowland, this story of alternative history about a place and time I not only write about but experienced personally is so chilling, compelling, and real that I found myself questioning my own childhood." —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author

"In this sequel to her wonderfully innovative debut Widowland, Carey again spins a tale so harrowing and fantastical, yet so relevant to our world today…Queen Wallis is a propulsive, terrifying read that gripped me from start to finish." —Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls

"An inventive, riveting alternate history of England transformed by an alliance with fascist Germany...A fantastic read!" —Anika Scott, internationally bestselling author of The German Heiress

“An incredibly compelling and disturbing look at an alternate time in which Germany won WWII and invaded England…Reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, with dark twists…A fascinating and winning follow-up to Widowland.” —Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of Starring Adele Astaire

"Queen Wallis is a chilling answer to one of the most fraught questions in history: what if?... Taking the best elements of Fatherland, The Handmaid’s Tale, and 1984, Carey creates an alternate history that is equal parts riveting and horrifying. An engrossing and important read." —Aimie K. Runyan, bestselling author of The School for German Brides

"In this beautiful love letter to poetry and the power of words, C. J. Carey pairs rich world-building, a starkly relevant feminist message, and fascinatingly nuanced characters to create an unforgettable story of hope and resistance. Carey wraps it all in a taut thriller that will have readers flipping the pages to a propulsive and emotional ending. This is one that will stay with you long after you’re finished reading. A must-read for all literature lovers." —Brianna Labuskes, author of The Librarian of Burned Books

A GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

"C.J. Carey pens a stunning sequel to last year's smash hit Widowland, a disturbing alternate-history vision of 1950s Britain under the iron...