The Orphanmaster
by Jean Zimmerman
Viking Adult
June 19, 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Review copy from publisher
Amazon Synopsis:
From a debut novelist, a gripping historical thriller and rousing love story set in seventeenth-century Manhattan.
It’s 1663 in the tiny, hardscrabble Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, now present-day southern Manhattan. Orphan children are going missing, and among those looking into the mysterious state of affairs are a quick-witted twenty-two-year-old trader, Blandine von Couvering, herself an orphan, and a dashing British spy named Edward Drummond.
Suspects abound, including the governor’s wealthy nephew, a green-eyed aristocrat with decadent tastes; an Algonquin trapper who may be possessed by a demon that turns people into cannibals; and the colony’s own corrupt and conflicted orphanmaster. Both the search for the killer and Edward and Blandine’s newfound romance are endangered, however, when Blandine is accused of being a witch and Edward is sentenced to hang for espionage. Meanwhile, war looms as the English king plans to wrest control of the colony.
Jean Zimmerman brings New Amsterdam and its surrounding wilderness alive for modern-day readers with exacting period detail. Lively, fast paced, and full of colorful characters, The Orphanmaster is a dramatic page-turner that will appeal to fans of Hilary Mantel and Geraldine Brooks.
First sentence:
On the same day, two murders.
Book Trailer:
Check out the trailer, narrated by the author, for some fun historical facts that inspired the book.
This sounds good and intriguing. I think what I love most about a setting that I am unfamiliar with is when the author can make me feel like I am right there taking in all the action and sights!
I am looking forward to reading this! Great opening line.
This book sounds very interesting. I love good historical fiction. I’ll have to look for it!