Join Buxton Books and the Charleston Library Society (located 164 King Street) on Tuesday, May 2 as we celebrate the publication of Patti Callahan Henry’s new title – THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA (Simon & Schuster, on sale May 2) – WITH the ladies of Friends & Fiction! Patti’s pals and co-hosts on the popular web show and podcast Friends & Fiction — the New York Times–bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Kristy Woodson Harvey—will all be signing and personalizing their own books during the event, as well. Feel free to stay for the duration of the morning to mingle or just stop in to have your books signed!
Choose between a General Admission ticket and A Book is Your Ticket option. The General Admission ticket covers entrance into the event and a free cup of coffee! A Book is Your Ticket covers entrance into the event, free coffee, and includes a hardcover copy of The Secret Book of Flora Lea (valued at $28.99 before tax). We will also have backlist titles from all four authors available for purchase if you need to stock up on signed copies for your own library or as gifts!
It’s always a good time when this group of authors – and friends – get together, especially when it’s for such a celebratory occasion! We hope to see you there for books, coffee, and literary fun!
To purchase tickets, click here.
NOTE: Tickets to this event are non-refundable. If you choose the “A Book is Your Ticket” option, your signed and personalized hardcover copy of The Secret Book of Flora Lea will be shipped to you (or be available for pick up at Buxton Books) the day following the event.
About The Secret Book of Flora Lea
“Not very long ago and not very far away, there once was and still is an invisible place right here with us. And if you are born knowing, you will find your way through the woodlands to the shimmering doors that lead to the land made just and exactly for you.” —HAZEL MERSEY LINDEN, 1939.
Fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated from their London home to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone— a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.
But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.
Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly dilapidated Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?
As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of storytelling.
About Patti Callahan Henry
Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times, Globe and Mail, and USA Today bestselling author of sixteen novels, including her newest, The Secret Book of Flora Lea. She’s also a podcast host of original content for her novels, Surviving Savannah and Becoming Mrs. Lewis.
She is the recipient of The Christy Award “Book of the Year”; The Harper Lee Distinguished Writer of the Year and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year for Becoming Mrs. Lewis. She is the co-host and co-creator of the popular weekly online Friends and Fiction live web show and podcast. Patti also was a contributor to the monthly life lesson essay column for Parade Magazine. She’s published in numerous anthologies, articles, and short story collections, including an Audible Original about Florence Nightingale, titled Wild Swan narrated by the Tony Award winner, Cynthia Erivo.
Additional Events
On Monday, May 1st, The Charleston Place & Buxton Books Literary Series will kick off the celebration with an exclusive pre-publication broadcast of Friends & Fiction LIVE at the Riviera Theater.
During the evening, the “Fab Four” will also speak about their other books (and all sorts of other topics!), answer live questions from the audience, sign and personalize books, mingle, and take photographs with attendees. As anyone who has tuned into their live web show and podcast can attest, spending time with this group of women feels like being at a party with friends. A good time and lots of laughs are guaranteed.
Additionally, a VIP ticket add-on option is available for those who want to attend a cocktail reception before the event (plus other perks outlined in the ticket description!). The VIP cocktail hour will run from 5:30 – 6:30 pm on the gorgeous terrace at the Riviera Theater. Space is limited, so act quickly.
Tickets for the May 1 events are available here.
Call Buxton Books at 843-723-1670 for additional information or questions about booking.
