Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Serena Burdick’s A Promise To Arlette, which is out June 17th 2025.

Sidney and Ida Whipple are living the suburban 1950s American dream, complete with two children and a white picket fence, which didn’t seem possible when they first met at the height of WWII in France. Reveling in the present, they can almost convince themselves that their past is behind them. But when their neighbors show off a newly purchased Man Ray photograph, Ida comes face-to-face with the person she loved and lost in the war: Arlette.

Only Ida knows the truth about the photograph, and why it can’t possibly be authentic. In an attempt to right past wrongs, she travels to California vowing to confront Man Ray. Sidney wakes to find his wife is missing, the photograph in question stolen, and all the secrets they’ve tried to bury come rushing back. With his daughters in tow, he travels after Ida, hoping to forge a new path together. Instead, their sojourn leads to a shocking discovery that could pull their family apart in this sweeping, unforgettable story about love and friendship, trust and betrayal, and how promises made, broken, and ultimately renewed, can determine our fate.

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The post Read An Excerpt From ‘A Promise To Arlette’ by Serena Burdick appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Serena! Thanks for joining us again! How have the past two years been since we last spoke?

Good! Writing and researching away.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

I was six years old when I read, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken, which takes place in an old manor house in an English countryside. Sound familiar? Hooked on books, writing, and all things historical ever since.

Your latest novel, The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Literary scandal, mystery, betrayal, and lies.

What can readers expect?

A multi-generational, dual-timeline. England, 1898. Evelyn marries a famous writer and six years later mysteriously disappears. California, 2006, Abby has never known her father and sets out to find him. Emersed in her great, great, grandmother, Evelyn’s story, Abby starts asking questions. Did Evelyn’s husband murder her? Were the generations to follow cursed? It is an ode to the power of a story, and how we carry these stories through the generations.

Where did the inspiration for The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey come from?

The modern-day character of Abby was inspired by my sister, who never knew her father—we share a mother—and Evelyn’s story was influenced by my love of Wilkie Collins. He was a Victorian, sensation novelist, and one of the first English mystery writers. I wanted to see what would it look like if a writer took the “sensation” novel too far. Where do the lines between reality and literature blur? And just how much can we make our readers believe?

Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

I started this book 17 years ago. It was rejected, rewritten, and ultimately shelved. When my agent sold it all these years later, I found returning to it harder than I imagined. I was not the same writer I was when I began. To make this book something I could be proud of, meant completely dismantling it. There were aspects of the story I was painfully attached to that simply didn’t work, which meant cutting entire sections/characters/plotlines. It was like taking apart a puzzle, recutting all the pieces, and somehow making them fit back together. Accomplishing it was extremely rewarding, but it’s still one of the hardest writing tasks I’ve done to date!

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I loved the idea of a curse. I write very practical, historical fiction, but the idea of a generation of cursed women—especially if the curse came from a woman seeking revenge—felt very plausible and real to me.

Can you tell us about your research for this novel?

This novel originally started as a thesis paper for my final semester at Brooklyn College. I was steeped in nineteenth century Victorian novels, which meant my research came primarily from fiction. I did take a trip to Burford England and walked the streets my character Abby took. I crossed Pack Horse Bridge, sat in the church green, and climbed the hill to a manor house that would become Evelyn Aubrey’s Abbington Hall.

What’s next for you?

I am working on a novel that spans 1930-1950, with a portion of the book taking place in the south of France during WWII. It’s dips into the life of heiress Peggy Guggenhiem, but is ultimately about stolen art, a husband and wife torn apart by the war years, dark pasts, love affairs, and the search for redemption.

Lastly, what have been some of your favourite 2022 reads? Any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?

Favorites of 2022: The Paris Bookseller, Kerri Maher, The Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell and Time Is a Mother, Ocean Vuong.

2023 releases to look out for: Code Name Sapphire, Pam Jenoff and Nothing Special, Nicole Flattery

Will you be picking up The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Serena Burdick, Author of ‘The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Push by Ashley Audrain
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A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce
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An audacious novel of feminine rage about one of the most prolific female serial killers in American history–and the men who drove her to it.

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner, a propulsive thriller featuring an ordinary woman who will stop at nothing to find the missing people that the rest of the world has forgotten

Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the bestselling author of THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES, a new historical novel based on the dazzling story of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated Hispanic actresses and her daughter’s search for closure.

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly
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From the author of the international bestseller The Light Over London and The Whispers of War comes a poignant and unforgettable tale of five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special place.

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
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To survive the Holocaust, a young Jewish woman must pose as a Christian farmer’s wife in this unforgettable novel from USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson—a story of terror, hope, love, and sacrifice, inspired by true events, that vividly evokes the most perilous days of World War II.

A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance
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A spellbinding novel of dark family secrets and a young woman’s rise and revenge set against the backdrop of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton
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A startling and timely debut, Julie Carrick Dalton’s Waiting for the Night Song is a moving, brilliant novel about friendships forged in childhood magic and ruptured by the high price of secrets that leave you forever changed.

If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier
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When her favourite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession.

Lie, Lie Again by Stacy Wise
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Lies, Secrets, and Revenge: For three women with so much to hide, there’s no such thing as a little white lie…

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
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In the tradition of Wrench and Twelve Years a Slave, this harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.

Bloodline by Jess Lourey
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Perfect town. Perfect homes. Perfect families. It’s enough to drive some women mad…

What January 2021 fiction books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post January 2021 Fiction Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Serena about her new novel, writing, book recommendations, and so much more!

2020 was an incredibly bizarre year, and it’s rolling on into 2021. Have you set any resolutions for the year?

This was definitely a year for self-help books, which I’ve done a lot of. My take away, and my resolution this year, is to simply find a way to stay happy, even when things look dismal. To keep focused on what excites me, and what feels fun. Essentially writing and spending intentional time with my family.

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I was an avid reader as a child, and my love for story spilled over into creating fantasy worlds of my own through writing. I also went to a unique elementary school where creative writing and poetry was part of the curriculum, which made it a natural part of my academics that I carried through into college.

Your new novel, Find Me In Havana, is out January 12^th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

A Hollywood star’s heartbreaking, true story.

Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?

Find Me in Havana is a deeply moving, tragic story, of the Cuban Hollywood actress, Estelita Rodriguez whose life was cut short at the age of thirty-seven. Her daughter Nina, tells her side of the story alongside her mother as they escape a kidnapping in Mexico City, survive house arrest in Cuba during the Castro revolution, and navigate the fickle world of Hollywood and the film industry.

What was the inspiration behind this novel?

Twenty years ago, I met Estelita’s daughter, Nina Lopez, and she told me her mother’s sensational story. At the time, I was pursing an acting career, which led me to write the story as a screenplay. I never ended up doing anything with it, but the story was always in the back of my mind as one I wanted to turn into a novel one day.

Find Me In Havana is set in 1930s Cuba. What was the research process like?

I did recorded interviews with Estelita’s daughter, Nina, gathering what details I could from her memory of Cuba in 1959 when she was there with her mother. I read history books of Castro’s Cuban Revolution as well as the Cuban Revolution of 1933, but the most important thing I did was travel to Cuba where I spent time in Havana, as well as the small town of Guanajay—where Estelita grew up—writing and soaked up as much of the culture as I could.

What challenges did you face while writing and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge with this book was translating real life events into a cohesive story with a realistic timeline and a plot that would keep readers engaged. To write the book successfully, I had to free myself from thinking it was a true story and give myself the freedom to create fictional timelines where necessary, as well as take the liberty to imagine these real people as characters I could mould and shape as my own.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Disregard industry trends and write whatever brings you the most joy. Your work will be powerful as long as it comes from a place of passion and excitement. And do the work. Finish it even if you’re filled with doubt. Completing something will give you a sense of accomplishment even if you end up scrapping it and starting over. It’s all part of the process.

What’s next for you?

I am finishing up a novel that will be out summer 2022! A title is still in the works, but it’s a story about the wife of a famous Victorian novelist who disappears from their British estate. She leaves a trail of secrets that leads all the way to 2005 where her great granddaughter begins unearthing the truth as she searches for the father she never knew. It is told with dual timelines, a Victorian-era literary scandal alongside a contemporary woman’s desperate search for family.

Lastly, what are you currently reading and what 2021 book recommendations do you have for our readers?

I am currently reading Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson, which is a must read for everyone, especially in the current political climate we find ourselves.

My recommended reads:

• Valentine, by Elizabeth Wetmore
• The Other Black Girl, Zakiya Dalila Harris (out June 2021)
• Normal People, Sally Rooney

Will you be picking up Find Me In Havana? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Serena Burdick, Author of ‘Find Me In Havana’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.