The Life She Wanted

Name: The Life She Wanted
Brand: Brilliance Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Anita Abriel
ISBN: 9798400109805

Author: Anita Abriel

Narrator: Valerie Rose Lohman

Unabridged: 9 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Published: 07/01/2023

Categories: Fiction, Women, Romance

Synopsis

New York in the 1920s—a time when fortunes are made and a woman’s dreams are challenged against all odds in a sweeping historical novel by the international bestselling author of The Light After the War.1926, Hyde Park, New York. Born to modest means but befriended by the wealthy, aspiring dress designer Pandora Carmichael has been surrounded by privilege yet never at home in it. That hasn’t stopped her from dreaming—of a romance in a rarified world that could also give her the status and resources to start a business of her own. When she’s introduced to a charismatic Princeton student, Pandora’s future begins to fall into place.Marriage provides Pandora with a devoted husband, comfortable love, and the prominence and affluence to open a boutique. It’s a fantasy realized, until scandal and tragedy upend Pandora’s life and she flees Hyde Park with a heart-wrenching secret. As the Depression looms, Pandora must rethink everything she’s ever wanted.From sprawling Gilded Age mansions in New York to the seedy underbelly of Greenwich Village and the stunning coastal vistas of the French Riviera, Pandora’s escape is a journey of self-discovery, adventure, true love, and ambition. There are new dreams to be had, and Pandora is betting on herself to make them come true.

About Anita Abriel

Anita Abriel is the international bestselling author of The Light After the War, Lana’s War, and A Girl During the War. She received a BA in English literature with a minor in creative writing from Bard College. Born in Sydney, Australia, she lives in California with her family. Her hobbies include walking on the beach, seeing classic movies, reading, and traveling. For more information, visit www.anitaabriel.com.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Reading_ on September 18, 2023

Watch out for the main character, a strong female lead who’s surely going to blow your mind. And yes, be ready to get surprised when once you start reading the book you would not be able to stop. There I warned you! I love the female characters so much, the way they’re written, how independent and stro......more

Goodreads review by Karren on July 02, 2023

Pandora Carmichael's father is a tennis coach, they live in a cottage on the Van Luyen's grand estate Riverview in Hyde Park, New York. Pandora has always been treated like one of the family and she grew up playing alongside Archie and Virginia. Pandora dreams of being a dress designer, she attends a......more

Goodreads review by June on June 08, 2023

Loved the title and thought this would be a woman entitlement but instead got a book about a woman who seemed to have everything at no cost and just seemed to coast along the way. She married a man who she had doubts about and as it turns out with good reason but then lo and behold she gets a free p......more

Goodreads review by Meagan on May 15, 2024

Thought I'd try something new and I'm so glad I picked this one up. It was such a cute story and the way the author wrote made it an easy and quick read 😊......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on December 12, 2022

This novel is about a strong female protagonist, Pandora Carmichael. It takes place mainly in New York in the late 1920s thru early 1930s. This novel gave me all the feels!!! Frustration and anger at how working women were paid less than men in that time period, how women were viewed that their plac......more

Quotes

“This is a fast-paced historical read that examines the roles of men and women in the 1920s, what was accepted and what was not, and the idea that sometimes what you are looking for is right in front of you.” —Booklist“The Life She Wanted transports readers to glittering Jazz Age New York as Pandora Carmichael seeks to have it all…” —Historical Novels Review“A delightful read from cover to cover. The Life She Wanted is the story of Pandora Carmichael, a woman of modest means thrust into a world of privilege and opportunity. When she finally finds her happily ever after, a devastating secret shatters Pandora’s world, forcing her to rethink her dreams. Abriel weaves a stunning tale of love and friendship while taking the reader on a masterful journey of self-discovery, where at the very heart is a woman of courage, loyalty, and ambition.” —Rochelle B. Weinstein, author of When We Let Go