David gillham biography
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The story of Rachel, a Holocaust survivor, who seeks to start a new life in New York City with her American-born husband, Aaron, but cannot outrun the secrets of her past and what she did to survive, is haunting and enigmatic. A terrifically tense first novel.”
—The Times of London
“…this engrossing novel deftly describes the claustrophobic feeling of what it must have been like to live through World War II in Berlin, under a dense cloud of suspicion and uncertainty.
A city of instant coffee, roaring subways, and ultra-modern TVs. A city that daily re-invents itself to meet a perpetually unfolding future.
But in a certain walk-up in Chelsea, the past is as close as the present. See his website at davidrgillham.com for the book club kit! An unspeakable past unspools in spits and sputters.
If you’re a fan of well-written historical novels in the vein of Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, this one is for you.”
—Claire Lundberg, The Slate Book Review
“Gillham’s Berlin is a terrified city, where nobody dare speak the truth and the smallest decision can cost you your life. The result is a riveting story that is unputdownable.”
— LEAH WEISS, Bestselling author of If The Creek Don’t Rise and All the Little Hopes
“A riveting portrait of a woman on the run from the ghosts of her own past.
Gilham writes about both the war and its aftermath with a sure hand, placing readers in the shoes of his memorable characters and compelling them to ask what they would have done. I can’t wait to recommend this book.”
—Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL
“City of Women has it all—intrigue, war, romance, family, friendships, and betrayal.
Author Bio: The author of CITY of WOMEN and ANNELIES, Gillham studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California before transitioning into fiction. Powerful and piercingly real. After moving to New York City, Gillham spent more than a decade in the book business, and he now lives with his family in Western Massachusetts.
Media and Publicity Inquiries:
Molly Waxman
Sourcebooks Landmark
email Molly Waxman
Representation:
Rebecca Gradinger
United Talent Agency
888 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10106
email Rebecca Gradinger
Book Club Inquiries:
Send an email to David
David R.
Gillham
Praise for ANNELIES
“…a novel that reminds the world to remember Anne Frank is most welcome.”
—Patty Rhule,USA TODAY
“Not only a poignant reminder of all that was lost during the war, but a vivid, searching exploration of what it meant to exist in the aftermath.”
—Jessica Shattuck, New York Times bestselling author of The Women in the Castle
“In this haunting what-if, David Gillham asks us to reflect on the quandary of how one learns—in the unimaginable wake of the Holocaust—to live again, shedding a powerful, human light on the tragedy of lost potential.”
—Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones
“In Annelies, David Gillham not only explores what might have happened if Anne Frank had survived, but also draws an intimate portrait of life as a Jewish survivor in post-war Amsterdam.
. A stunning evocation of the human spirit and its ability to inspire across borders, languages, and decades.”
—Kathleen Grissom, New York Times-bestselling author of The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything
REVIEWS for City of Women:
“…Philip Kerr and Alan Furst have outdone their literary counterparts.
. Gillham paints a vivid picture of their life in post-war New York while imaginatively linking it to their ordeal in wartime Berlin.”
— CHARLES BELFOURE, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Architect and The Fabergé Secret
“Colorful dialogue, meticulously researched period detail, and an intricate plot about war and penance combine in a richly layered tale of a New York housewife with a secret past buried in World War II Berlin.
David Gillham has depicted a little-known aspect of the war with humanity and grace.”
—Pam Jenoff, international bestselling author of The Things We Cherished
“If you enjoy beautiful story telling, gripping suspense, and a distractingly romantic plot, this is the book for you! And when Uncle Fritz discovers, in a dreary midtown pawn shop, the most shocking portrait that her mother had ever painted, Rachel’s memories begin to terrorize her, forcing her to face the choices she made to stay alive―choices that might be her undoing.
From the cafes of war-torn Germany to the frantic drumbeat of 1950’s Manhattan, Shadows of Berlin dramatically explores survival, redemption and the way we learn to love and forgive across impossible divides.
PRAISE for Shadows of Berlin
“I have been a fan of David Gilham’s work since City of Women, and his latest, Shadows of Berlin, is his best yet.
City of Women by David R Gillham is such a book.”
—Nancy Simpson-Brice Book Vault, Oskaloosa, IA
“…A sensual, suspenseful read filled with extraordinary characters and exceptional moments of resilience, humanity, and grace.”
—Anderson McKean, Page & Palette, Fairhope, AL
“Gillham is a most gifted writer with a keen insight into the minds of both men and women…This book is a keeper.”
—Catharine Howard, Barnes and Noble, Charlotte, NC
“This powerful novel …A heart and soul story that totally mesmerized me.”
—Carol Hicks, Bookshelf, Truckee, CA
“…Romantic and intensely suspenseful, City of Women is a compelling story of the choices we face in our darkest hours….the story and the very real Sigrid will haunt me for some time.
Fleeing with her Uncle Fritz, Rachel hoped to find freedom from her pain in New York — and in the arms of her new American husband, Aaron.
This child of Berlin and daughter of an artist cannot seem to outrun her guilt, even in her new role as a “normal American housewife,” not until she can shed the ghosts of her past. Immersive and evocative, this tangled tale of regret and rebirth will haunt you.”
— KRISTIN HARMEL,New York Times bestselling author
“Straddling the ragged line between guilt and tender mercy, Shadows of Berlin is Gillham at his best, writing compelling, evocative history.