Emerald Eyes

Some Fortunes Are Built to Bury You

For fans of morally complex female protagonists in stories that blend dark coming of age with historical fiction comes Emerald Eyes. This family saga of survival and reclaimed power, set on the shore of a Central Ohio lake, will appeal to readers who enjoyed The Women, The Briar Club, and Lessons in Chemistry.

Eighteen-year-old Willow D’Agata has never had to want for anything—except friends and parents who cared. When Willow’s neglectful mother and father die the day after her graduation, the orphan inherits a mansion built for four generations and a trust fund she can’t touch until she meets the conditions set by her ancestors: earn a college degree, find a husband, and produce an heir.

The family lawyer doles out just enough money to survive on, but never enough to maintain the estate. When Willow proposes turning it into a bed & breakfast, it commands a fee so costly it drives her to take on a terrible job.

Beneath Willow’s story runs that of her great-grandfather Fort. As a boy, he was banished from his family. As a young man, he turned a Prohibition-era windfall into an empire built on grief and ambition, forging a partnership with the Bellomos. Willow inherits Fort’s fortune, his enemies, and a silence she’s bound to keep, even as she grows close to a handsome detective and wishes he could save her.

Spanning 1913 to 1987, Emerald Eyes is an atmospheric multigenerational story about family trauma, inheritance, the enduring weight of legacy, and how women must fight to reclaim power from the men who are supposed to protect them.