That rare thing, a novel with vast scope and ambition, brilliantly achieved, but also deeply personal, finely detailed and nuanced. I was utterly immersed in this spell-binding storyA gorgeously written, utterly absorbing epic and, despite being set in the sixteenth century, has some very pertinent messages for our time about the evils of religious persecution and the transcendent power of love and family. In case it’s not clear enough yet, I absolutely LOVED itMagnificent, epic[A] dramatic, immersive tale of secrets, conspiracies, fanaticism and lossMosse’s novel is an enjoyable, intricately plotted piece of escapismMosse shows a deft command of character and narrative in this second volume of a planned sequenceMosse includes all the ingredients you would expect from a historical epic – murder, treachery, lost children, stolen relics, buried secrets.Religious fanaticism, political intrigue and the heart-wrenching tale of a lost child add to a highly readable historical adventure, with women firmly centre stageEvery inch a classic Mosse novel,
The City of Tears is diligently researched, beautifully written and, crucially right now, both substantial and immersive – if you want to leave twenty-first-century pandemic Britain behind, this should be your preferred mode of transportDeft touches show a mastery of preparation, suspension and resolution within the historical thriller formThis powerful story of love, secrets and deceit is pacy, rich and stylish – and as compelling as they come. One to stay up late forA vibrant sequel to 2018’s
Burning Chambers . . . The fascinating historical detail fuels the drama and keeps the plot zipping alongMosse’s narrative lyricism, beautifully drawn female characters and deft journey from the past to the present day are a cut aboveMosse is a master storytellerA powerful storyteller with an abundant imaginationMosse’s fans will relish this tale of secrets, love and treacheryAnother of Mosse’s immersive dramas, which takes you to the heart of the pastGripping, complex and intensely atmosphericDeliciously detailed . . . a fast-paced and sweeping epicThe second instalment in The Joubert Family Chronicles. In the 16th century, from the Languedoc to Paris and Amsterdam, one family struggles to survive in the wake of the St Batholomew's Day massacre.
A Sunday Times Best Paperbacks of the Year Pick
‘Mosse is a master storyteller’ – Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe
An epic historical adventure, sweeping from Carcassonne to Paris and Amsterdam, The City of Tears by Kate Mosse is the spellbinding second volume of The Joubert Family Chronicles.
Paris, 1572. For ten violent years, the Wars of Religion have raged across France. But now, peace has been brokered and a royal wedding negotiated that could see the country reunited at last.
An invitation has arrived for Minou Joubert and her family to attend this historic wedding. What Minou doesn’t know is that her family’s oldest enemy will also be there, that the Jouberts will soon be scattered to the winds after tragedy strikes, and that a beloved child will disappear without a trace . . .
A thrilling story of one family’s fight to survive against the devastating tides of history, The City of Tears is the second novel in the series. It is followed by The Ghost Ship.
'Religious fanaticism, political intrigue and the heart-wrenching tale of a lost child . . . with women firmly centre stage' – The Mail on Sunday
Praise for The Joubert Family Chronicles:
'A tour de force' — The Observer, on The Burning Chambers
'An utterly absorbing epic' — Lucy Foley, bestselling author of The Paris Apartment, on The City of Tears
'Meticulously researched and stunningly written' — Santa Montefiore, bestselling author of Wait for Me, on The Ghost Ship
Kate Mosse CBE FRSL is an award-winning novelist, playwright, essayist and non-fiction writer. The author of eleven novels and short-story collections, her books have been translated into thirty-eight languages and published in more than forty countries. Fiction includes the multimillion-selling Languedoc Trilogy, The Joubert Family Chronicles (the number one bestselling
The Burning Chambers, The City of Tears,
The Ghost Ship and
The Map of Bones), and number one bestselling Gothic fiction. Her highly acclaimed non-fiction includes
An Extra Pair of Hands and
Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries: How Women (Also) Built the World. The Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, she is the founder of the global #WomanInHistory campaign. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Kate is a Visiting Professor of Contemporary Fiction and Creative Writing at the University of Chichester, President of the Festival of Chichester, an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Authors and a Trustee of the British Library.
