In 1661 Madrid, Ana is still grieving the loss of her husband when her niece, sixteen-year-old Juliana, suddenly vanishes. Ana frantically searches the girl’s room and comes across a diary. Journeying to southern Spain in the hope of finding her, Ana immerses herself in her niece’s private thoughts. After a futile search in Seville, she comes to Juliana’s final entries, and, discovering the horrifying reason for the girl’s flight, abandons her search.
In 1992 Missouri, in her deceased mother’s home, Rachel finds a packet of letters, and a diary written by a woman named Juliana. Rachel’s reserved mother has never mentioned these items, but Rachel recognizes the names Ana and Juliana: her mother uttered them on her deathbed. She soon becomes immersed in Juliana’s diary, which recounts the young woman’s journey to Mexico City and her life in a convent. As she learns the truth about Juliana’s tragic family history, Rachel seeks to understand her connection to the writings—hoping that in finding those answers, she will somehow heal the wounds caused by her mother’s lifelong reticence.
Genre: Literary Fiction
In 1992 Missouri, in her deceased mother’s home, Rachel finds a packet of letters, and a diary written by a woman named Juliana. Rachel’s reserved mother has never mentioned these items, but Rachel recognizes the names Ana and Juliana: her mother uttered them on her deathbed. She soon becomes immersed in Juliana’s diary, which recounts the young woman’s journey to Mexico City and her life in a convent. As she learns the truth about Juliana’s tragic family history, Rachel seeks to understand her connection to the writings—hoping that in finding those answers, she will somehow heal the wounds caused by her mother’s lifelong reticence.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"In The Lines Between Us, D’Harlingue has created a captivating debut novel filled with unique characters, exquisite details, and intriguing family secrets. A diary and letters furtively passed down three hundred years from grandmother to granddaughter transport readers back in time and move them forward as the mysteries are elegantly revealed. This book is about women’s honor, overcoming heartache, and bravery." - Jill G Hall
"In her meticulously researched epistolary novel The Lines Between Us, Rebecca D’Harlingue weaves a tale of familial love, brutality, and sacrifice during the seventeenth-century Spanish Inquisition. D’Harlingue’s elegantly crafted, intriguing story spans the Old and New Worlds, exploring the oppression and power of generations of women bound together by a dark family secret-and their modern-day descendant’s quest to uncover the truth about her ancestry." - Kristen Harnisch
"Well-written and engaging, the tale rings true and affirms women’s strength, desire to be heard, and fierce love of family." - Linda Stewart Henley
"The Lines Between Us is a heartfelt and intelligent novel about love, family, and the ties that bind us to generations past." - Michael David Lukas
"In her meticulously researched epistolary novel The Lines Between Us, Rebecca D’Harlingue weaves a tale of familial love, brutality, and sacrifice during the seventeenth-century Spanish Inquisition. D’Harlingue’s elegantly crafted, intriguing story spans the Old and New Worlds, exploring the oppression and power of generations of women bound together by a dark family secret-and their modern-day descendant’s quest to uncover the truth about her ancestry." - Kristen Harnisch
"Well-written and engaging, the tale rings true and affirms women’s strength, desire to be heard, and fierce love of family." - Linda Stewart Henley
"The Lines Between Us is a heartfelt and intelligent novel about love, family, and the ties that bind us to generations past." - Michael David Lukas
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