Adult

At home they are just sisters, but on stage they are The Salvations. Ruth, Esther and Chloe have been singing and dancing in harmony since they could speak. Thanks to the rigorous direction of their mother, Vivian, they’ve become a bona fide girl group whose shows are the talk of the Jazz-era Fillmore. Now Vivian has scored a once-in-a-lifetime offer from a talent manager, who promises to catapult The Salvations into the national spotlight. Vivian knows this is the big break she’s been praying for. But sometime between the hours of rehearsal on their rooftop and the weekly gigs at the Champagne Supper Club, the girls have become women --- women with dreams that their mother cannot imagine.

For generations, every Frankenstein has found their true love and equal, unlocking lifetimes of blissful wedded adventure. Clever, pretty (and odd) Angelika Frankenstein has run out of suitors and fears she may become the exception to this family rule. When assisting in her brother Victor’s ground-breaking experiment to bring a reassembled man back to life, she realizes that having an agreeable gentleman convalescing in the guest suite might be a chance to let a man get to know the real her. For the first time, Angelika embarks upon a project that is all her own. When her handsome scientific miracle sits up on the lab table, her hopes for an instant romantic connection are thrown into disarray. Her resurrected beau has total amnesia and is solely focused on uncovering his true identity.

London, 1988. Royal fever sweeps the nation as Britain falls in love with the “people’s princess.” Which means for Scotland Yard, the focus is on the elite Royalty Protection Command and its commanding officer. Entrusted with protecting the most famous family on earth, they quite simply have to be the best. Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick and his Scotland Yard squad are sent in to investigate the team. Maverick ex-undercover operative Ross Hogan is charged with a very sensitive --- and unique --- responsibility. But it soon becomes clear the problems in Royalty Protection are just the beginning. A renegade organization has the security of the country --- and the Crown --- in its sights. The only question is which target is next in line.

On a river deep in the Mexican jungle stands the colossal villa Xanadu, a wellness center that’s home to an ardent spiritual group devoted to self-help guru Paul Bentzen and his enigmatic wife, Kali. But when Paul mysteriously dies, his entire estate --- including Xanadu --- is left not to Kali, but to his estranged niece, Sveta. Shocked and confused, Sveta travels from New York City to Mexico to pay her respects. At first, Xanadu seems like a secluded paradise with its tumbling gardens, beautiful people and transcendent vibe. But soon the mystical façade wears thin, revealing a group of brainwashed members drunk on promises of an impossible utopia, guided by a disturbing belief system and a charismatic, dangerously capable leader.

From the day they first meet as teenagers, Fern and Jessica are best friends. Despite their differences, they are there for each other throughout everything, navigating the difficulties of growing up and fitting in. That is, until Jessica crosses a line that Fern can’t forgive. But now, more than 10 years later, Jessica has unexpectedly reappeared in Fern’s life. A lot has changed for them both --- but can their relationship be different now that they are older? Is it possible for either of them to rewrite the roles they've been cast in? Or will their shared history ultimately be doomed to repeat itself again?

In September 1949, Jacqueline Bouvier arrives in postwar Paris to begin her junior year abroad. She’s 20 years old, socially poised but financially precarious, and all too aware of her mother’s expectations that she make a brilliant match. Before relenting to family pressure, she has a year to explore and absorb the luminous beauty of the City of Light. But beneath the glitter and rush, France is a fragile place still haunted by the Occupation. In the aftermath of World War II, Paris has become a nest of spies, and suspicion, deception and betrayal lurk around every corner. Jacqueline is stunned to watch the rise of communism, never guessing she is witnessing the beginning of the political environment that will shape the rest of her life --- and that of her future husband.

The daughter of New York financier Leonard Jerome, Jennie Jerome Churchill was born into wealth --- and scandal. Upon her parents’ separation, her mother took Jennie and her sisters to Paris, where Mrs. Jerome was determined to marry her daughters into the most elite families. Fleeing to Queen Victoria’s England after Paris fell to revolt, Jennie soon caught the eye of aristocrat Randolph Spencer-Churchill, son of the Duke of Marlborough. It was love at first sight, their unconventional marriage driven by mutual ambition and the birth of two sons. She brashly carried on a lifelong intimate friendship with Edward, Prince of Wales, and had two later marriages to younger men. When her son Winston launched his brilliant political career, Jennie guided him to success, his most vocal and valuable supporter.

Michelle and Max are not planning on a happy holiday. Their marriage is in shambles, and the D word has entered their vocabulary. But now their youngest daughter, Julia, wants everyone to come to her new house in Idaho for Christmas. Their other daughters, Audrey and Shyla, are driving up from California and hoping to meet a sexy rancher for Audrey along the way. What they don’t plan on is getting stranded on a ranch when the car breaks down. The ones with the shortest drive are Grandma and Grandpa. They have a reliable car --- and snow tires and chains if they need them. They’ll be fine. Surprises lie in store for all three sets of intrepid travelers as they set out on three very different adventures, all leading to one memorable family Christmas.

This Christmas the Miller siblings have one goal --- to avoid their well-meaning family’s endless stream of prying questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don’t intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention. Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone and the prospect of losing her job. Unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller, the season promises to be anything but festive. She’ll just deliver her proposal to his family home and then leave. When Lucy appears on the Miller family’s snow-covered Highland doorstep, she's mistaken for Ross’ girlfriend. By the time the confusion is cleared up, they're snowed in. She can’t leave, even if she wants to! But does she want to?

Novelist, cultural observer and social satirist Lionel Shriver is among the sharpest talents of our age. A writer who embraces “under-expressed, unpopular or downright dangerous” points of view, she filets cherished shibboleths and the conformity of thought and attitude that has overtaken us. Bringing together 35 works curated from her many columns, features, essays and op-eds, along with some unpublished pieces, ABOMINATIONS reveals Shriver at her most iconoclastic and personal. Relentlessly skeptical, cutting and contrarian, this collection showcases Shriver’s piquant opinions on a wide range of topics --- including religion, politics, illness, mortality, family and friends, tennis, gender, immigration, consumerism, health care and taxes.