I’m excited to share this new book trailer for my second book in the de Koningh family saga, The Gilded Cage. I am also feeling pretty proud of my technical savvy (if I do say so myself). With this trailer, I’ve figured out the art of recording my own voice audio — a must when I cannot meet in person with my publishing team. I do hope you enjoy reading The Gilded Cage as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can watch the trailer via Youtube at this link https://youtu.be/o34LRvehdyI or by pressing play on the embedded video below.
“What a glorious accomplishment to have researched and written such a stunning book. I find the parallel of the Reconstruction and the final redirection/repurposing of Emily’s life’s journey wonderful…” — Nancy French Achenbach, President, Sag Harbor Historical Society
“Stark follows the fortunes of a talented violinist and her family into the tumults of Reconstruction in this sequel to Certain Liberties (2019)… As in the previous novel, Stark weaves her characters’ trajectories into the larger events of the time… Stark’s detailed recreation of the time period—culturally, linguistically, and philosophically—should please those who like nothing better than escaping into previous eras… Stark’s prose is elegant and ornate, evoking the Victorian novels that were popular during the time period… An unhurried and painterly novel of a musician finding her voice.” — Kirkus Reviews
The Gilded Cage, sequel to Certain Liberties, is immersed in historical currents of the mid 1800s. An intense family saga with the same memorable characters, while introducing a few new ones, The Gilded Cage explores tensions of the post-Civil War Reconstruction North and South. The unrest of a young couple’s early-age marriage adds to the crushing pressures Emily and Corey must survive to excel as a parents, partners, and performers. Their struggle to live a “normal” life must endure betrayal, The Great Chicago Fire, and the Women’s Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Survival, escape, and resilience unite in this portrait of a family and country emerging from War and the social turmoil that followed. This book also contains in-depth questions for group book discussions.
Special thanks to the following talented musicians for sharing their recording of Haydn’s Seven Last Words for String Quartet for use in this trailer:
Sean Lee, violin
Miki Sophia Cloud, violin
Cong Wu, viola
Jia Kim, cello
recorded by: Seth Ward