[]
The Jewel of Sugar Hill
  • Published: 16 February 2027
  • ISBN: 9780593474303
  • Imprint: Dutton
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 384
  • RRP: $65.00

The Jewel of Sugar Hill

A Novel

Formats & editions
EBook
26 Jan 2027
Audiobook
26 Jan 2027
Hardback
16 Feb 2027
Pre-order from…
Amazon Booktopia Dymocks QBD Readings Your Bookstore Abbeys Boomerang Find local retailers Find local retailers Collins Gleebooks Harry Hartog Kinokuniya Robinsons The Nile Mighty Ape

From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an exhilarating new novel about two women whose obsession with a mansion tucked away in upper Manhattan could change their lives forever.

On the north end of Manhattan lies the oldest house on the island: the Morris-Jumel Mansion. Built in 1765, it was once part of a 135-acre property that ran from the Harlem River to the Hudson. Today, the mansion is relegated to one city block, where it sits like a regal queen in a garden of lilacs and maples.

In 1800s New York City, Eliza Brown is a woman with ambition, determined to rise above her humble background. When she meets political upstart Aaron Burr, she vows to win his love and break into the high society that shuns her. Eliza’s ultimate aim: secure her future with the purchase of the most beautiful house in Manhattan, in spite of a shadowy figure determined to expose the truth about her sordid past.

In 2010, disgraced architect Abby Dorrance has always aspired to make her family proud. But when her father—a well-known real estate developer—dies from a fall at a haunted, crumbling uptown mansion, Abby gets drawn into the murky circumstances behind his death. As dangerous forces loom, Abby must choose between saving her family’s legacy and fortune, or saving the mansion and losing everything she loves.

The Jewel of Sugar Hill brings to life a notorious woman from America’s infancy who ignored social convention and achieved dizzying success. The result is a sweeping, ambitious story about two scandalous women, two centuries apart, each with an unshakeable belief in her ability to carve space for herself on her own terms.
  • Published: 16 February 2027
  • ISBN: 9780593474303
  • Imprint: Dutton
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 384
  • RRP: $65.00
Categories:

About the author

Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of several historical fiction novels set in iconic New York City buildings, including The Stolen Queen, The Magnolia Palace, The Address, and The Lions of Fifth Avenue, which was a Good Morning America Book Club pick. Her articles have appeared in publications like The Wall Street Journal and O the Oprah magazine. She first came to New York as an actress, but fell in love with writing after getting a master's degree at Columbia Journalism School. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages and she's based in New York City.
portrait photo of Fiona Davis

Also by Fiona Davis

The Stolen Queen
The Gimlet Slip
The Spectacular
The Magnolia Palace
The Lions of Fifth Avenue: A GMA Book Club Pick
The Chelsea Girls
The Masterpiece
See all

Praise for The Jewel of Sugar Hill

Praise for The Jewel of Sugar Hill:
“Rich in history and atmosphere, the novel explores family, loyalty, and the difficult choices that arise when preserving the past comes at a personal cost.” —Booklist

"Two savvy women, centuries apart, bound together by one extraordinary house that still stands. Fiona Davis brings Eliza Jumel — daughter of a prostitute turned New York's wealthiest woman — blazingly to life, weaving family secrets, romance, and history into a compulsive, richly imagined read. Everything Davis does best — and then some! A fascinating slice of history with a contemporary story that makes it sing." —Rachel Hochhauser, New York Times bestselling author of Lady Tremaine
“Fiona Davis has a gift for bringing New York City’s past to life, and this latest novel makes the Morris-Jumel Mansion absolutely sparkle. Two women in two different time periods are drawn to the old mansion and will do anything to ensure its survival. The Jewel of Sugar Hill is an absolute gem, shining with heart and history and spirited heroines who show what true determination can accomplish. Readers are going to be eager to visit the Morris-Jumel Mansion after reading this – I know I am!” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book Society

“Davis deftly demonstrates her literary flair for highlighting the architectural treasures of New York as she pivots nimbly between detailing the fascinating life of a woman who crossed paths with Aaron Burr and a contemporary storyline involving several mysteries, a hint of romance, and a ghost or two. . . . Davis’s captivating tale brilliantly connects the past with the present. For fans of Beatriz Williams and Kate Quinn.”—Library Journal