A Fortune of Sand

“Ruta Sepetys is a literary citizen of the highest order, a true friend to readers, writers, and booksellers. Her books are moving, fascinating, and meticulously researched. She makes history live in order that we may learn from it.”—Ann Patchett, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

“Sepetys beautifully captures the madcap days of Prohibition in the Detroit suburbs, centered around the wealthy Lennox clan. Underneath the gilt, however, cracks abound, inspired by real-life events of the time and uncovered through Sepetys’s impeccable research. A heady exploration of women’s agency, as well as a killer romance and a beguiling mystery. Wildly entertaining.”—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen

“Enthralling . . . While history is often molded by those in power, there are always those who can wrest control and write a new story of their own. A Fortune of Sand should be required reading.”—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies

“I’ve been waiting for this day for years . . . at long last, Ruta Sepetys has given us an adult novel! Set in Prohibition-era Detroit, A Fortune of Sand is inspired by the documented lives of the nouveau riche automotive dynasties and the undocumented stories of the infamous Eloise Asylum. As a seasoned historical novelist, Sepetys knows gold when she finds it, and this book sparkles! For readers seeking the glamour of The Great Gatsby with the mystery of an Agatha Christie novel, A Fortune of Sand is for you.”—Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author of Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely?

“A richly detailed portrait of the glittering city and [Detroit’s] dark underbelly. . . . This will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson’s Shrines of Gaiety and Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach.”—Booklist, starred review

“Authentic, gripping, and rare for its focus on an under-discussed region and era, A Fortune of Sand is Ruta Sepetys at her best: probing, compassionate and dedicated to the preservation of history.”—BookReporter

“A strange and fascinating look at an eccentric, dysfunctional wealthy family in 1920s Detroit automotive circles. . . . Sepetys has meticulously researched her home city and its affluent suburbs and it shows, from descriptions of architecture down to the upper-class lingo. [She] offers a new perspective on American capitalism by examining an era and a region seldom covered in historical fiction.”—Kirkus Reviews