The Parting

“Downton Abbey meets Gangs of New York…a gem of a novel to be inhaled in one gulp” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author) about a devoted maid whose secretive world is about to be ripped apart at the seams—a lush and evocative debut set in 19th century New York that’s perfect for fans of Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith and Emma Donoghue’s Slammerkin. By day, Mary Ballard is dutiful lady’s maid to Charlotte Walden, a wealthy and accomplished belle of New York City high society. But Charlotte would never trust Mary again if she knew the truth about her devoted servant’s past. On her nights off, Mary sheds her persona as prim and proper lady’s maid to reveal her true self—Irish exile Maire O’Farren. She finds release from her frustration in New York’s gritty underworld—in the arms of a prostitute and as drinking companion to a decidedly motley crew consisting of members of a dangerous secret society. Meanwhile, Charlotte has a secret of her own—she’s having an affair with a stable groom, unaware that her lover is actually Mary’s own brother. When the truth of both women’s double lives begins to unravel, Mary is left to face the consequences. Forced to choose between loyalty to her brother and loyalty to Charlotte, between society’s respect and true freedom, Mary finally learns that her fate lies in her hands alone. A captivating historical fiction of 19th century upstairs/downstairs New York City, The Parting Glass examines sexuality, race, and social class in ways that feel startlingly familiar and timely. A perfectly paced, romantically charged “story of the sumptuous world of the privileged and the precarious, difficult environs of the immigrant working poor is highlighted by vibrant characters and a well-paced plot, which will pull readers into the tangled tale” (Publishers Weekly).

NY Times bestselling author's new series chronicling the separation of families during the New Order/Old Order split in the Amish community in Lancaster County, PA.

Trapped in the dangerous world of ElseWhere, Rebecca, Noah, and Theo are possessed by the evils unleashed by the Master of Shadows. Max and Grandpa Gabe may be their only hope of breaking free. But it's a race against time. The Master's plan to destroy both ElseWhere and our own world is in Motion...and The hunt to find a new passageway home may come at a terrible cost.

This book seeks to inject into the general discussion of the "Parting of the Ways" of Judaism and Christianity the social realities of the separation of a particular Christian community and a particular Jewish community. By drawing upon the literary and the historical data available concerning the church in Rome, Spence seeks to discover when and how Christians came to see themselves as an identifiably distinct community. His findings will surprise those who see the "Parting of the Ways" as a slow process. He argues that although the "parting" was early, it was not without its complications. Drawing upon the work of Rodney Stark, a sociologist of religion, Spence suggests that within the church in Rome there was a struggle between those who saw the church as a Jewish sect and those who saw the church as a Roman cult - a struggle already underway when the Apostle Paul wrote Romans. This struggle, however, was not an even one, because it was the cultists, those for whom the church's primary social location was the pagans of Rome, who held the positions of power over the numerically smaller sectarians who sought to maintain the church's primary identity as a Jewish sect acceptable within the synagogues of Rome.

Fiona O'Meara dreams of attending nursing school during the early 1970s. The path that leads to her goal has been torturous, beginning with the migration of her family from Ireland. Soon after arriving at the university, Fiona meets a black medical student, Josh Thomas, who moonlights as a teaching assistant. Although friendly, Josh is reticent to discuss personal matters, but finds himself quickly warming to Fiona's natural charm. He reveals his poverty-ridden upbringing and mother's self-sacrifice. Josh and Fiona find many similarities between Irish and Black history. Josh proposes an alternative to Fiona's working as an underpaid nursing assistant for people who trivialize life and death. He encourages her to become nanny to Daniel, the son of a busy emergency room physician, Michael Patrick O'Byrne, himself and Irish emigrant. Fiona endeavors to discover a way into Daniel's heart. He has remained despondent since the death of his mother. Life in the household is tense between Daniel's unsatisfied needs and his father's desire to marry again. Meanwhile, Josh irritates a widening circle of acquaintances. Fiona encourages him to speak to a friend, Dev Porter, a flamboyant detective in the Richmond police department. Josh promises to speak to the detective but never follows through. Between school and worry about Josh, Daniel, and an ever-widening circle of acquaintances, Fiona exhausts herself. A dear friend vanishes after a fateful phone call, and Fiona calls the police. Dev Porter responds, armed with information suggesting foul play. Dev keeps Fiona abreast of the investigation, hoping her friendship with the victim will spark some insight into the case. Soon after, a car hits Daniel. Fiona despairs. In their grief, Fiona and Michael turn to each other. Michael seeks solace in Fiona's embrace and her bed. Fiona loses her virginity to the man she has loved for most of a year. Fiona's friend's body remains undiscovered for over a year. A second skeleton is unearthed, and Dev Porter provides the key to the identity of he second victim. The detective and his partner interrogate the man thought to have been responsible for the deaths of both men. Already serving four consecutive life sentences, with no possibility of parole, the man agrees to provide the gruesome details of both murders. Ironically, although involved, the man most likely to have killed Fiona's friend is guiltless of the crime.