Description

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"A tense, gripping read, sure to enthrall readers everywhere." —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

The thrilling sequel to Widowland, a feminist dystopian novel set in an alternative history that terrifyingly imagines what a British alliance with Germany would look like if the Nazis had won WWII.

London, 1955. The Leader has been dead for two years. His assassination, on British soil, provoked violent retribution and intensified repression of British citizens, particularly women. Now, more than ever, the Protectorate is a place of surveillance and isolation—a land of spies.

Every evening Rose Ransom looks in the mirror and marvels that she's even alive. A mere woman, her role in the Leader's death has been miraculously overlooked. She still works at the Culture Ministry, where her work now focuses on poetry, which has been banned for its subversive meanings, emotions, and signals that cannot be controlled.

A government propaganda drive to promote positive images of women has just been announced ahead of a visit from Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first American president to set foot on English soil in two decades. Queen Wallis Simpson will be spearheading the campaign, and Rose has been tasked with visiting her to explain the plan. When Rose arrives at the palace, she finds Wallis in a state of paranoia, desperate to return to America and enjoy the liberty of her homeland following her husband's death. Wallis claims she has a secret document so explosive that it will blow the Protectorate apart. But will the last queen of England pull the trigger on the Alliance?

More Praise for Queen Wallis:

"Chilling, compelling, and real." —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author

"A propulsive, terrifying read that gripped me from start to finish." —Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author 

"An inventive, riveting alternate history of England transformed by an alliance with fascist Germany." —Anika Scott, internationally bestselling author

"A fascinating and winning follow-up to Widowland." —Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author

"A beautiful love letter to poetry and the power of words." —Brianna Labuskes, author of The Librarian of Burned Books

About the Author

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C. J. CAREY is a novelist, journalist and broadcaster. She has worked at the Sunday Times, the Daily Telegraph and the BBC, among others. She also writes novels under the name Jane Thynne and lives in London. Widowland is the first novel she has written as C. J. Carey.

Praise For…

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"C.J. Carey pens a stunning sequel to last year's smash hit Widowland, a disturbing alternate-history vision of 1950s Britain under the iron rule of a victorious Hitler. An uneasy peace now grips London in the wake of the Fuhrer's death, and poetry censor Rose Ransom hopes simply to keep her head down and her hands clean. But a chance to interview King Edward VIII's widowed queen in Buckingham Palace upends Rose's life, and possibly the lives of everyone tired of living under the Reich's boot. Queen Wallis is a tense, gripping read, sure to enthrall readers everywhere." — Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

"Following the brilliant Widowland, this story of alternative history about a place and time I not only write about but experienced personally is so chilling, compelling, and real that I found myself questioning my own childhood." — Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of two historical mystery series as well as The Venice Sketchbook and Where the Sky Begins

"In this sequel to her wonderfully innovative debut Widowland, Carey again spins a tale so harrowing and fantastical, yet so relevant to our world today. Hitler's triumph over England has finally resulted in his assassination, but the battle for the minds and souls of the British people—and the numbing restrictions over women in particular—have only escalated. Heroine Rose Ransom is still tasked with purging literature to exclusively support propaganda, yet in poetry finds the seeds of both resistance and hope. Carey has a journalistic eye for telling detail and builds an entire world with both remarkable efficiency and to chilling effect. Queen Wallis is a propulsive, terrifying read that gripped me from start to finish." — Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls


"An inventive, riveting alternate history of England transformed by an alliance with fascist Germany. Rose is up against a diabolical system designed to keep women under control. But in Queen Wallis, courageous women resist from behind the scenes or out in the open—with the power of truth, friendship, poetry and love. A fantastic read!" — Anika Scott, internationally bestselling author of The German Heiress

"An incredibly compelling and disturbing look at an alternate time in which Germany won WWII and invaded England. Carey has penned a truly eye-opening novel about an authoritarian society in which women are divided into caste systems. Reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, with dark twists, this novel follows the harrowing plight of Rose, whose memory has been 'bleached.' But even the vile Nazi memory games can’t completely eradicate her love of books and poetry, nor erase the power of the written word, and the desire to be free from a tyrannical world. A fascinating and winning follow-up to Widowland." — Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of Starring Adele Astaire

"Queen Wallis is a chilling answer to one of the most fraught questions in history: what if? What if the U.S. had remained neutral? What if Germany had been victorious in the war and Hitler’s plan for domination of all Europe had been successful? What if Wallis and Edward, known to have been sympathetic to the Nazi ideals, reclaimed the throne of England? C. J. Carey paints this picture with chilling vibrancy that will shake the reader to their core. Taking the best elements of Fatherland, The Handmaid’s Tale, and 1984, Carey creates an alternate history that is equal parts riveting and horrifying. An engrossing and important read." — Aimie K. Runyan, bestselling author of The School for German Brides

"In this beautiful love letter to poetry and the power of words, C. J. Carey pairs rich world-building, a starkly relevant feminist message, and fascinatingly nuanced characters to create an unforgettable story of hope and resistance. Carey wraps it all in a taut thriller that will have readers flipping the pages to a propulsive and emotional ending. This is one that will stay with you long after you’re finished reading. A must-read for all literature lovers." — Brianna Labuskes, author of The Librarian of Burned Books


"A fascinating portrait of a fake collaborator waiting for a chance to rise. Recommended for readers of alternate history, especially those who loved the previous book in the series." — Library Journal