Synopses & Reviews
The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler is an unforgettable novel about a mysterious mail-order bride in the wake of WWII, whose sudden decision ripples through time to deeply impact the daughter she never knewIn the wake of World War II, a young, enigmatic woman named Lily arrives in Montreal on her own, expecting to be married to a man shes never met. But, upon seeing her at the train station, Sol Kramer turns her down. Out of pity, his brother Nathan decides to marry her instead, and pity turns into a deep—and doomed—love. It is immediately clear that Lily is not who she claims to be. Her attempt to live out her life as Lily Azerov shatters when she disappears, leaving a new husband and a baby daughter with only a diary, a large uncut diamond - and a need to find the truth
Who is Lily and what happened to the young woman whose identity she stole? Why has she left and where did she go? It's up to the daughter Lily abandoned to find the answers to these questions, as she searches for the mother she may never find or truly know.
Review
Praise for The Imposter Bride
“Richler infuses her work with iconic images from the era she covers, painting a rich image of the Canadian Jewish community, their customs and family relationships, in a past century… A beautiful tale.” - Kirkus Reviews
“A powerful story of identity, loyalty and loss, of the lies that haunt us and the truth that makes us whole again. Evoking the postwar era to underscore timeless theme, Richler's elegant prose resonates.” - Pam Jenoff, international bestselling author of The Ambassadors Daughter
“Richler is back, and with an elegant, ambitious, accomplished new work.” - Globe and Mail (Canada)
“The Imposter Bride [is] exquisitely written, filled with interesting and unpredictable characters, and has an intricate plot that doesn't let go. It's good old-fashioned story-telling at its best.” - Alyson Richman, author of The Lost Wife
“At once heartrending and hopeful… Nancy Richler dissects the mysteries of family bonds and betrayals with stunning emotional precision and magical insights into the human hearts ability to heal.” - Ellen Feldman, author of Lucy and Next to Love
“A hopeful testament to the power of family and memory, and the importance and meaning of ones name.” - Winnipeg Free Press (Canada)
“With delicacy and warmth, Richler weaves together the threads of a family: its closeness and secrets, opaqueness and hidden beauty, like the uncut gem whose mystery haunts these realistic characters.” - Daphne Kalotay, international bestselling author of Russian Winter
"An intriguing tale of historical fiction that will transport you from Montreal to war-torn Europe, and back again for a satisfying resolution of one family's haunting secrets." -Shilpi Somaya Gowda, author of Secret Daughter
“Nancy Richler conceives a complex, multi-layered quest for identity that will compel readers to share Ruths journey to find, understand, and love the mother who abandoned her.” -Nancy Jensen, author of The Sisters
"Nancy Richler gives us a mother and daughter marked by the Holocaust who, through their heartbreakingly human struggle to live and connect, give us a new understanding of that cataclysmic horror." - Mary Pat Kelly, author of Galway Bay
Synopsis
The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler is an unforgettable novel about a mysterious mail-order bride in the wake of WWII, whose sudden decision ripples through time to deeply impact the daughter she never knewIn the wake of World War II, a young, enigmatic woman named Lily arrives in Montreal on her own, expecting to be married to a man shes never met. But, upon seeing her at the train station, Sol Kramer turns her down. Out of pity, his brother Nathan decides to marry her instead, and pity turns into a deep—and doomed—love. It is immediately clear that Lily is not who she claims to be. Her attempt to live out her life as Lily Azerov shatters when she disappears, leaving a new husband and a baby daughter with only a diary, a large uncut diamond - and a need to find the truth
Who is Lily and what happened to the young woman whose identity she stole? Why has she left and where did she go? It's up to the daughter Lily abandoned to find the answers to these questions, as she searches for the mother she may never find or truly know.
About the Author
NANCY RICHLER's short fiction has been published in various American and Canadian literary journals, including The Fiddlehead, Room of Ones Own, and The New Quarterly. Her previous novel, Your Mouth is Lovely, published in eleven countries, won the 2003 Canadian Jewish Book Award for fiction and Italys 2004 Adei Wizo Award. Nancy is the cousin of the famed Canadian writer and literary critic Mordechai Richler. She lives in Montreal.
Reading Group Guide
1. What does the novel suggest about whether families are born or made?
2. Why do you think Lily chose to communicate with her daughter through rocks as opposed to words?
3. There are many secrets in The Imposter Bride, beginning with Lily's true identity. What secrets do other characters keep, and how do you think the secrets ultimately help or hurt their loved ones?
4. Lily attempts to sever her childhood and the difficult years in her homeland completely from her adult life. Is that ever really possible? Is it healthier to leave everything behind?
5. Why do you think Lily went to the home of the relative of the girl whose identity she had stolen?
6. The Imposter Bride shifts time periods and narratives several times, sometimes providing different perspectives of the same event. Are there any characters you wished had revealed more of their own perspective? In what ways does this structure reflect the experience of an individual within a family?
7. Why did some people have to take the identity papers of others at the end of WW2? Why did Lily feel she had to? Do you feel she had to?
8. What purposes were served for her by assuming the identity of another person?
9. Do you feel Lily bore any responsibility in the death of the girl whose identity she stole? Do the demands of morality/moral agency shift or change when a person is in danger or has been victimized?
10. Lily's behavior toward her daughter could be perceived as cold, distant, and uncaring. How do you see her attempts to communicate, and her treatment of Ruth later in life?
11. How do the main characters perceive loyalty? Does the abandonment of a parent affect Ruth's adult relationships?
12. Many of the characters in The Imposter Bride walk the line between selfishness and compassion. What does The Imposter Bride tell you about forgiveness? Do you agree with Ruth's forgiveness of the women in her life?
13. The conclusion of Ruth's relationship with her mother may be unexpected for some readers. Do you think it's realistic? After years of romanticizing her mother, does Ruth find what she was hoping for?
14. How were you affected when Ruth read the letter from her deceased grandmother? The letter from her own mother?