Sidney S. Stark epub The Gilded Cage

THE GILDED CAGE, sequel to CERTAIN LIBERTIES, is immersed in historical currents of the mid 1800s. An intense family saga with the same memorable characters, while introducing a few new ones, THE GILDED CAGE explores tensions of the post-Civil War Reconstruction North and South. The unrest of a young couple’s early-age marriage adds to the crushing pressures Emily and Corey must survive to excel as a parents, partners, and performers. Their struggle to live a “normal” life must endure betrayal, The Great Chicago Fire, and the Women’s Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Survival, escape, and resilience unite in this portrait of a family and country emerging from War and the social turmoil that followed. This book also contains in-depth questions for group book discussions. “Stark follows the fortunes of a talented violinist and her family into the tumults of Reconstruction in this sequel to CERTAIN LIBERTIES (2019) . . . As in the previous novel, Stark weaves her characters’ trajectories into the larger events of the time . . . Stark’s detailed recreation of the time period—culturally, linguistically, and philosophically—should please those who like nothing better than escaping into previous eras . . . Stark’s prose is elegant and ornate, evoking the Victorian novels that were popular during the time period . . . An unhurried and painterly novel of a musician finding her voice.” — Kirkus Reviews