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The Innkeeper's Wife: A Novel of Bertha Palmer and Gilded Age Chicago

The Innkeeper's Wife: A Novel of Bertha Palmer and Gilded Age Chicago - Paperback

by Siobhan Hartsell
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Availability:In StockContributor:Siobhan HartsellTheme:Chronological Period/19th Century, Sex & Gender/FemininePublish date:8/21/2026Pages:414
Languages:EnglishPublisher:Windy City Gilded PressISBN-13:9798234001573UPC:9798234001573Book Category:FictionBook Subcategory:Women, HistoricalBook Topic:19th CenturySize:8.50 x 5.50 x 0.92 inchesWeight:0.477Product ID:SCK1PP760Q

In the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire, Bertha Honoré Palmer finds her world upended. The city is in ashes, fortunes are uncertain, and the future she once imagined has vanished.

Her husband considers leaving Chicago, but Bertha insists it is their duty to stay and rebuild, whatever the cost.

The Palmer House rises as a symbol of renewal, and within its glittering rooms, Bertha learns how influence is built and wielded, shaped through presence, persuasion, and restraint.

By the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, she steps onto an international stage as president of the Board of Lady Managers, where competing interests collide, alliances fracture, and every advance carries consequence.

From ashes to the White City, The Innkeeper's Wife is the story of a woman navigating duty, marriage, and power while making history.

Languages:EnglishPublisher:Windy City Gilded PressISBN-13:9798234001573UPC:9798234001573Book Category:FictionBook Subcategory:Women, HistoricalBook Topic:19th CenturySize:8.50 x 5.50 x 0.92 inchesWeight:0.477Product ID:SCK1PP760Q
Hartsell, Siobhan: - Siobhan Hartsell writes historical fiction set in Gilded Age Chicago, exploring the ambition, power, and personalities that fueled the city's remarkable rise.Drawn to the untold stories of influential women, she combines meticulous research, firsthand accounts, and a keen attention to everyday life to bring the past vividly to life. Her novels focus on women whose vision, resilience, and determination shaped pivotal moments in American history.Her debut novel tells the story of Bertha Honoré Palmer, one of the most influential figures of Chicago's Gilded Age. Through her leadership in business, philanthropy, and the arts, Palmer helped shape Chicago's cultural landscape and left a lasting legacy in Sarasota, Florida.A volunteer docent with the Chicago Architecture Center, Siobhan leads tours that explore Chicago's architectural heritage and civic vision. These experiences deepen her understanding of the city's history and enrich her fiction with a strong sense of place and historical authenticity.Siobhan lives in Chicago with her husband, Bill. Together they have four adult children and seven grandchildren.
Publisher: Windy City Gilded Press

Contributor(s)

Siobhan Hartsell

Author

Siobhan Hartsell

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