{"title":"Lauren Chater","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to our Lauren Chater collection, a treasure trove for lovers of historical fiction. Lauren Chater is a celebrated author known for her immersive storytelling and meticulous research, bringing history to life through vivid narratives and compelling characters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong her acclaimed works is \u003cem\u003eGulliver's Wife\u003c\/em\u003e, which reimagines the world of Jonathan Swift's classic from the perspective of Mary Burton Gulliver, delving into her trials and adventures. \u003cem\u003eThe Beauties\u003c\/em\u003e offers an intriguing glimpse into the art of decorating beehives, entwined with the personal journey of its protagonist amidst the historical backdrop. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChater's debut novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Lace Weaver\u003c\/em\u003e, presents a poignant tale set against the turbulent landscape of World War II, exploring themes of friendship, survival, and the power of art to uplift the human spirit. \u003cem\u003eThe Winter Dress\u003c\/em\u003e, another enchanting story, is inspired by the true discovery of a 17th-century dress, leading readers on a journey through time and fashion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach book in Lauren Chater's collection is a portal to the past, deftly weaving rich historical detail with engaging plots, making them a must-read for anyone seeking to travel through time from the comfort of their favourite reading nook.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"gullivers-wife-by-lauren-chater-9781925596403","title":"Gulliver's Wife","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eBirth. Death. Wonder … One woman’s journey to the edge of love and loyalty from the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lace Weaver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLondon, 1702.\u003c\/i\u003e When her husband is lost at sea, Mary Burton Gulliver, midwife and herbalist, is forced to rebuild her life without him. But three years later when Lemuel Gulliver is brought home, fevered and communicating only in riddles, her ordered world is turned upside down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a climate of desperate poverty and violence, Mary is caught in a crossfire of suspicion and fear driven by her husband’s outlandish claims, and it is up to her to navigate a passage to safety for herself and her daughter, and the vulnerable women in her care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen a fellow sailor, a dangerous man with nothing to lose, appears to hold sway over her husband, Mary’s world descends deeper into chaos, and she must set out on her own journey to discover the truth of Gulliver’s travels... and the landscape of her own heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eGulliver’s Wife\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'An absolutely gripping read, with a powerful and ultimately hopeful story to tell' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooktopia\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘\u003ci\u003eGulliver’s Wife\u003c\/i\u003e is utterly spellbinding. Lauren Chater is a master of story-weaving and exquisite detail. I adored this book.’ \u003cb\u003eMelissa Ashley, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Birdman’s Wife\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Lauren Chater’s Mary Gulliver is an extraordinary character – a performer of everyday miracles, a woman of quiet strength and compassion in a world where nothing can be relied on, least of all her flamboyant fantasist of a husband. Set in a fictional past, this superbly written story of love, loss, motherhood, and letting go is highly relevant to the issues we face today. Do not miss it.’ \u003cb\u003eMeg Keneally, author of \u003ci\u003eFled\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Bold, evocative and brave – \u003ci\u003eGulliver’s Wife\u003c\/i\u003e is a revelation in story-telling. I am in awe of Lauren Chater’s talent. \u003ci\u003eGulliver’s Wife\u003c\/i\u003e had my heart from the opening line and didn’t let go until long after I finished the final page. An exquisitely told tale of love, loss and the magic of life.’ \u003cb\u003eTess Woods, author of \u003ci\u003eLove and Other Battles\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘An imaginative tour-de-force!’ \u003cb\u003eBestselling author Kate Forsyth\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘The most impressive aspect of this novel is the finely tuned and nuanced treatment of the relationship between a mother and her rebellious teenage daughter.’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘A heartfelt tale of female solidarity.’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46545310187756,"sku":"9781925596403","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/16289363482873.jpg?v=1749801113"},{"product_id":"the-lace-weaver-by-lauren-chater-9781925596359","title":"The Lace Weaver","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe bestselling, breathtaking debut about love and war, and the battle to save a precious legacy.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEach lace shawl begins and ends the same way – with a circle. Everything is connected with a thread as fine as gossamer, each life affected by what has come before it and what will come after.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e1941, Estonia. As Stalin’s brutal Red Army crushes everything in its path, Katarina and her family survive only because their precious farm produce is needed to feed the occupying forces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFiercely partisan, Katarina battles to protect her grandmother’s precious legacy – the weaving of gossamer lace shawls stitched with intricate patterns that tell the stories passed down through generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Katarina struggles to survive the daily oppression, another young woman is suffocating in her prison of privilege in Moscow. Yearning for freedom and to discover her beloved mother’s Baltic heritage, Lydia escapes to Estonia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFacing the threat of invasion by Hitler’s encroaching Third Reich, Katarina and Lydia and two idealistic young soldiers, insurgents in the battle for their homeland, find themselves in a fight for life, liberty and love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eThe Lace Weaver\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘A beautifully written and utterly compelling story of love and war and resistance that shines a light onto a dark and tragic period of history while also illuminating the enduring power of love and friendship. Unforgettable and emotionally wrenching, and as exquisite as the lace the women of the story weave.’\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cb\u003eKate Forsyth\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘A sweeping historical story set in Estonia and Russia during the tumultuous year of 1941 … This is a meticulously researched novel, and Chater seamlessly incorporates the symbolic motif of the Estonian lace-weaving tradition and the Tartu knitting circle to link the past and present … Recommended for fans of Kirsty Manning and Kate Morton, this is a gut-wrenching tale about a devastating time in history. Full of hope, heartache and the power of keeping traditions alive.’\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooks+Publishing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘From the very first line, I was captivated by this tale of two very different, but equally heroic, women. There is beauty to be found everywhere: in the writing, in the women's friendship, in the tragedy, and in the motif of the lace shawls, which weaves the story together.’\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cb\u003eNatasha Lester, author of \u003cem\u003eHer Mother’s Secret\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eA Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘A rich, textured and evocatively told story of love, loss and the ties that bind. The setting is exotic and intriguing and presents a unique side of the war ... I found it difficult to put this haunting novel down and it will stay with me for a long time to come, I’m certain. Lauren Chater is a bold new force in Australian historical fiction. Bravo on a glorious debut!’\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cb\u003eTess Woods, author of \u003cem\u003eBeautiful Messy Love\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eLove at First Flight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘Beautiful and brilliant … An impressive, powerful and skillfully told anti-war novel from an extremely gifted writer.’\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBackstory\u003c\/i\u003e journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46554604798188,"sku":"9781925596359","price":21.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/16288923482873.jpg?v=1750088169"},{"product_id":"the-winter-dress-by-lauren-chater-9781761420719","title":"The Winter Dress","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLonglisted for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘From a few shimmering strands of truth, Lauren Chater has spun an intriguing story of love, loss and fulfilment.’ Pip Williams, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe Dictionary of Lost Words\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwo women separated by centuries but connected by one beautiful silk dress. A captivating novel based on a real-life shipwreck discovered off Texel Island by the bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eGulliver's Wife\u003c\/em\u003e, Lauren Chater.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe brightness of silk in that dull room was like the heavens parting after a storm ... She saw herself remade, no longer a poor laundress but a woman with means.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJo Baaker, a textiles historian and Dutch expat, is drawn back to the island where she was born to investigate the provenance of a 17th-century silk dress. Retrieved by local divers from a sunken shipwreck, the dress offers tantalising clues about the way people lived and died during Holland's famous Golden Age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJo's research leads her to Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress turned ladies’ companion who served the enigmatic artist Catharina van Shurman. The two women were said to share a powerful bond, so why did Anna abandon Catharina at the height of her misfortune?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJo is convinced the truth lies hidden between the folds of this extraordinary dress. But as she delves deeper into Anna’s history, troubling details about her own past begin to emerge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOn the small Dutch island of Texel where fortunes are lost and secrets lie buried for centuries, Jo will finally discover the truth about herself and the woman who wore the Winter Dress.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eThe Winter Dress\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Chater has delivered a beautifully told story that takes an intriguing historical mystery and weaves it into a richly imagined tale that is every bit as breathtaking and beguiling as the remarkable dress it is based on.' \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBetter Reading\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Vivid, expansive and richly imagined\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Winter Dress\u003c\/em\u003e weaves together a fascinating historical mystery and an uncompromising portrait of the possibility and price of female autonomy with \u003cstrong\u003eremarkable\u003c\/strong\u003e and deeply affecting results.’ \u003cstrong\u003eJames Bradley, author of \u003cem\u003eWrack\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Wrap yourself in Chater's prose. \u003cem\u003eThe Winter Dress\u003c\/em\u003e is a captivating tale of discovery and obsession by one of Australia's very best historical fiction authors. \u003cstrong\u003eAbsolutely essential reading\u003c\/strong\u003e.' \u003cstrong\u003eMelissa Ashley, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Birdman’s Wife\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46556178022636,"sku":"9781761420719","price":25.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3508343482815.jpg?v=1750141733"},{"product_id":"the-beauties-by-lauren-chater-9781760850241","title":"The Beauties","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn incomparable beauty. A promise to a king. A portrait that can never be completed.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003ci\u003eThe Beauties\u003c\/i\u003e has been longlisted for the \u003cb\u003e2024 ARA Historical Novel Prize\u003c\/b\u003e.\n\n\u003cp\u003e\nWhen Emilia Lennox loses everything after her husband’s lands and title are confiscated, her beauty is her best bargaining chip with the only man who can restore their fortunes: King Charles II himself.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\nBut the king’s favour comes at a price. He will pardon Emilia’s husband only if she agrees to be his mistress. Torn, Emilia comes up with a condition of her own: she will consent, but not until her portrait hangs among the famed Windsor Beauties, a series commissioned by the Duchess of York to showcase the fairest women in the royal retinue.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\nFor Henry Greenhill, ambitious assistant to the court painter, the opportunity to paint Emilia’s portrait is a chance to step out of his master’s shadow. 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