
The Imposter Bride
by Nancy RichlerA young, enigmatic woman — Lily Azerov — arrives in postwar Montreal expecting to meet her betrothed, Sol Kramer. When Sol sees Lily at the train station, however, he turns her down. His brother, Nathan, sees Lily and instantly decides to marry her. But Lily is not who she claims to be, and her attempt to live a quiet life as Nathan Kramer’s wife shatters when she disappears, leaving her baby daughter with only a diary, an uncut diamond and a need to discover the truth.
Who is Lily and what happened to the young woman whose identity she stole? Why did she leave and where did she go? It is 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.
Contributors
Nancy Richler, author
Nancy Richler's short fiction has been published in various American and Canadian literary journals, including Room of One’s Own, The New Quarterly, Prairie Fire, Another Chicago Magazine and The Journey Prize Anthology. Her first novel, Throwaway Angels, was published in 1996 and was shortlisted for the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Crime Novel. Her second novel, Your Mouth Is Lovely, won the 2003 Canadian Jewish Book Award for fiction and Italy’s 2004 Adei-Wizo Prize. It has been translated into seven languages. Richler passed away in January 2018.
Reviews
- Richler illuminates through her introspective and incisive writing the post-war Canadian Jewish community and how the ties with those loved and lost in Europe are never broken, and how the past never relinquishes its hold on us... Readers will enjoy feasting upon this compelling work. - Library Journal
- 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
- Richler’s third novel explores emotional devastation that lasts generations, delivering a powerful punch... Chapter by chapter the wrenching secrets of the Kramer family peel away, until finally what Lily has hidden is revealed. Once the truth comes, it is heartbreaking. - Publishers Weekly
- Richler’s strengths are at their height. She employs a vivid lyricism that interweaves psychological and geographical landscapes. - National Post
- Finally, Richler is back, and with an elegant, ambitious, accomplished new work... Where "Your Mouth Is Lovely" echoed the tones of Tolstoy, Babel and Brontë, the new novel finds Richler confidently inhabiting her own voice. - The Globe and Mail
Awards
- Finalist, 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize
Rights Holder

Rights Holder: Cooke International
email: rights@cookeinternational.com
website: http://www.cookeinternational.com/
rights sold: English (Canada, HarperCollins; US, St. Martin’s Press); Dutch (Orlando); Hebrew (Simanim); Italian(Piemme); Norwegian (Pax)
rights available: World
Additional Information
number of pages: 376
publication date: 03/20/2012
Original language of pub: English
Materials Available: complete manuscript