The Flight of Gemma Hardy

Fate has not been kind to Gemma Hardy. Orphaned by the age of ten, neglected by a bitter and cruel aunt, sent to a boarding school where she was both servant and student, young Gemma seemed destined for a life of hardship and loneliness. Yet her bright spirit burns strong. Fiercely intelligent, singularly determined, Gemma overcomes each challenge and setback, growing stronger and more certain of her path. Now an independent young woman with dreams of the future, she accepts a position as an au pair on the remote and beautiful Orkney Islands. But Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin...a journey of passion and betrayal, secrets and lies, redemption and discovery will lead her to a life she's never dreamed.

Margot Livesey's acclaimed novels include "Eva Moves the Furniture" and "Banishing Verona." Her fiction has appeared in "The New Yorker" and "The Atlantic Monthly." Born in Scotland, she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and teaches at Emerson College.