There Is a Tide

Mame Durrance arrives in England with only a boarding-house address, a few hopeful introductions, and a fierce determination to prove she can make herself into someone extraordinary. A sharp-tongued stenographer from Cowbarn, Iowa, she has already spent an inheritance chasing "life" in New York, only to be mocked, underestimated, and nearly caught in trouble while working for a dubious fortune-teller. Now she imagines London as her next chance at reinvention, complete with Paris clothes, an English accent, and the kind of worldly polish that will silence everyone who doubted her. Instead, she finds fog, grime, rigid manners, and constant reminders that money and access rule the city. At Fotheringay House, the formidable Mrs. Toogood treats her as a likely nonpayer, while a chance encounter with Detective Addelsee—an American investigator who knows her from New York—brings back the shadow of her past and her deep distrust of authority. But London also offers possibility: the stylish Lady Violet, who supports herself through journalism, draws Mame into a more glamorous world, and the Orient Dance Club opens the door to flirtation, ambition, and rivalry. There, Mame finds herself sizing up the charming Bill, the wealthy Miss Childwick, and the social game she may be too proud to quit. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.