cover image Immortal Beloved

Immortal Beloved

Cate Tiernan, Little, Brown, $16.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-316-03592-7

Born in 1551, Nastasya is immortal, wealthy, and at the end of her rope. After centuries of hedonism, one casually cruel moment in present-day London shatters her composure and leaves her grasping at the slimmest of chances to save her sense of humanity. That chance takes the form of River’s Edge, a farm and retreat in the heart of Massachusetts, where a varied group of immortals seek to regain the immediacy and emotion of life fully lived. It’s not an easy fit for Nastasya, and as she learns about her companions, the ghosts of her long and dark past rise vividly to haunt her. Tiernan (the Sweep series) gives Nastasya a strong, distinctive voice and wonderfully realized perspective on the joys and horrors of history (“I was in Paris on July 14, 1789. You never forget the sight of a human head on a pike”). First in a projected trilogy, the story necessarily leaves many questions open, but achieves a satisfying arc. As Nastasya admits, “I wanted to see how it came out.” Readers will, too. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)