Summer of Canadian Reading 2019

National Bestseller

The most painful secrets create the deepest lies.

A young, enigmatic woman—Lily Azerov—arrives in postwar Montreal expecting to meet her betrothed, Sol Kramer. When Sol sees Lily at the train station, however, he turns her down. His brother, Nathan, sees Lily and instantly decides to marry her instead.

But Lily is not the person she claims to be, and her attempt to live a quiet existence as Nathan Kramer’s wife shatters when she disappears, leaving her baby daughter with only a diary, an uncut diamond and a need to discover the truth.

Who is Lily, and what happed to the young woman whose identity she stole? Why has she left and where did she go? Is it up to the daughter Lily abandoned to find the answers to these questions as she searches for the mother she may never find or truly know?

Nancy Richler's profile page

“Elegant, ambitious, accomplished. . . . A native Montrealer, [Richler] elucidates a compassionate, complex vision of her beloved community.” — The Globe and Mail

“Beautiful. . . . A meticulously rendered character study. . . . A hopeful testament to the power of family and memory, and the importance and meaning of one’s name.” — Winnipeg Free Press

“With this latest work, Richlerdelivers an intensely satisfying read, and cements her growing reputation as a fine contemporary Canadian novelist.” — Montreal Gazette

“Richler’s strengths are at their height. She employs a vivid lyricism that interweaves psychological and geographical landscapes.” — National Post

“With delicacy and warmth, Richler weaves together the threads of a family: its closeness and secrets, opaqueness and hidden beauty, like the uncut gem whose mystery haunts these realistic characters. The rich storyline moves between the quotidian and the unspeakable, showing survivors starting over in an evocative post-war Montreal.” — Daphne Kalotay, author of Russian Winter

“Nancy Richler paints a deft and loving portrait of Jewish Montreal in the post-war years and then turns to wartime Europe for the dark mystery that provides her intriguing plot. The results are engrossing, both highly readable and moving.” — Kate Taylor, author of Mme Proust and the Kosher Kitchen

“The Imposter Bride is a jewel of a book. . . . These are characters that will stay with you long after you read the last word...and show us that even out of the greatest tragedy, it is possible to shape hope and love.” — Naomi Benaron, author of Running the Rift