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