Thursday, May 28, 2026

Spotlight and Giveaway: A Fortune of Sand

We're pleased to feature Ruta Sepetys's latest historical fiction novel, A Fortune of Sand. It's being described as The Great Gatsby meets The Royal Tenenbaums. And it addresses the role of women 100 years ago. This is Ruta's first foray into adult fiction, after writing several popular young adult historical fiction novels. Thanks to Ballantine, we have TWO copies to give away!

Detroit, 1927. A city of smoke and ambition, where glittering wealth conceals a graveyard of secrets.

Marjorie Lennox is the youngest daughter of a powerful automotive dynasty, a family known for money, not manners. Artistic, impulsive, and always slightly out of step, Marjorie has long been dismissed by her controlling father and self-absorbed siblings. But when she secretly applies to an exclusive arts program funded by an elusive benefactor, she sees a chance to redefine herself on her own terms.

The building is grand. The participants are gifted. But something…is off.

The program is uncomfortably restrictive. Doors lock at odd hours. Strange sounds echo through the halls amid whispers that women are disappearing. And the handsome benefactor’s presence—mostly absent, yet somehow everywhere—begins to unnerve her. As Marjorie’s sense of self begins to slip, so does her grip on the truth. What happens to women who don’t fit neatly into a gilded frame?

Set against the crumbling grandeur of 1920s Detroit and inspired by actual, long-buried historical events, A Fortune of Sand is a haunting mosaic of glamour and grift—a novel about those who vanish, and those who demand to be seen.

"Enthralling...while history is often molded by those in power, there are always those who can wrest control and write a new story of their own. A Fortune of Sand should be required reading." 
—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies

"A heady exploration of women’s agency, as well as a killer romance and a beguiling mystery. Wildly entertaining." 
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen

"For readers seeking the glamour of The Great Gatsby with the mystery of an Agatha Christie novel, A Fortune of Sand is for you.” 
—Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author of Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely?

Photo by Laura Smith
Ruta Sepetys
is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Winner of the Carnegie Medal and honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Ruta is passionate about giving voice to underrepresented history and those who experienced it. She has been invited to present at NATO, European Parliament, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and embassies worldwide.  Ruta alternates her time between the hills of Tennessee and the flats of Florida.

Visit Ruta online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram


How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.


Giveaway ends June 2nd at midnight EST.

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1 comment:

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