Masquerade

Read Masquerade Storyline:

1886, New York City: Charlotte Gleason, a rich heiress from England, escapes a family crisis by traveling to America in order to marry the even wealthier Conrad Tremaine. She soon decides that an arranged marriage is not for her and persuades her maid, Dora, to take her place. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl wanting adventure becomes a test of survival. As for Dora, she lives a fairy tale complete with gowns, jewels, and lavish mansions--yet is tormented by guilt and the presence of another love that will not die. Will their masquerade be discovered? Will one of them have second thoughts? Will love win out? There is no guarantee the switch will work. It's a risk. It's the chance of a lifetime. From BooklistWhen Lottie is told that she must marry an American whom she has never met in order to salvage what is left of her family’s reputation in Wiltshire, England, she sees all of her dreams of storybook love and romance crumble. Until she devises a plan. Heiress Lottie trades places with her longtime maid, Dora, and together they attempt to pull off the switch of a lifetime. How will Lottie survive the cruel streets of New York City on her own? Does Dora have what it takes to become an aristocrat? In Moser’s (How Do I Love Thee? 2009) latest inspirational tale, a princess faced with poverty and a pauper disguised as royalty undergo a test of faith and a journey to self-discovery as both women struggle to survive in two different facets of nineteenth-century America—the slums of industrialized New York and the lavish enclaves of the elite. A novel of friendship, faith, and finding out who one truly is, Masquerade slips off its mask to reveal great love and strength in unlikely places. --Elizabeth Ponder From the AuthorDear Reader:I have never had so much fun writing a book as I did writing Masquerade. The girls' switch, the unimaginable wealth of the Gilded Age, the amazing fashion, and the inspiring tenacity of the immigrants coming to America for a new beginning. . . . It was like combining The Prince and the Pauper, "Titanic", Age of Innocence, and "Far and Away", all in one. In fact, I openly admit that the dance scene on Mulberry Street was in honor of my favorite scene in "Titanic" when Rose goes below deck and has some real fun dancing to the immigrants' music.This story also touched me because of my own immigrant roots. I stand in awe of the first English immigrant on my father's side, who entered America in 1638 at what became Newport, RI; and the Swedish immigrants on my mother's side who homesteaded in Minnesota in the late 1800's. Talk about taking a chance; moving forward on faith. I would not have the life I live now without their courage.Masquerade begs the question of who we are, and who we are expected to be. It's all about roles. A society girl and her maid. The rich and the poor. The good and the bad. Sometimes God takes us out of our comfort zones in order to make us see there is more to us than we imagine. The station in life that we happen to be born into does not form the boundaries of our purpose, it's just a jumping off point. The finish line can be reached via a myriad of roads. Life is not the process of discovering who we are, but discovering who we are supposed to be.Another reason why this book was such a joy to write was because the characters completely took over and surprised me. A lot. That's what I love about writing novels. The unpredictability of it all. With one word, one glance, one knock on the door, everything can change.Sounds a bit like life, doesn't it?So here's to you, dear reader. Knock on some doors, risk new roles, and step out on faith to find your true purpose.Nancy Moser