The Phoenix Bride

A Novel

By: Natasha Siegel

Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Matt Haynes

“Poetic, romantic, and steeped in seventeenth-century London, The Phoenix Bride is historical fiction at its best.”—Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

A passionate tale of plague, fire, and forbidden love from the acclaimed author of Solomon’s Crown

It is 1666, one year after plague has devastated England. Young widow Cecilia Thorowgood is a prisoner, trapped and isolated within her older sister’s cavernous London townhouse. At the mercy of a legion of doctors trying to cure her grief with their impatient scalpels, Cecilia shows no sign of improvement. Soon, her sister makes a decision born of desperation: She hires a new physician, someone known for more unusual methods. But he is a foreigner. A Jew. And despite his attempts to save Cecilia, he knows he cannot quell the storm of sorrow that rages inside her. There is no easy cure for melancholy.

David Mendes fled Portugal to seek a new life in London, where he could practice his faith openly and leave the past behind. Still reeling from the loss of his beloved friend and struggling with his religion and his past, David is free and safe in this foreign land but incapable of happiness. The security he has found in London threatens to disappear when he meets Cecilia, and he finds himself torn between his duty to medicine and the beating of his own heart. He is the only one who can see her pain; the glimmers of light she emits, even in her gloom, are enough to make him believe once more in love.

Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, David and Cecilia must endure prejudice, heartbreak, and calamity before they can be together. The Great Fire is coming—and with the city in flames around them, love has never felt so impossible.

©2024 Natasha Siegel (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Poetic, romantic, and steeped in seventeenth-century London, The Phoenix Bride is historical fiction at its best. Natasha Siegel's prose had me hypnotized, and I savored every page of this breathless, forbidden love story.”—Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

“Set in 17th-century London, this sumptuous romance tells the story of two star-crossed lovers drawn together under tumultuous circumstances. . . . Narrated in alternating points of view and featuring diversity along multiple axes, including religion and LGBTQIA+ identity, this lyrically written and utterly romantic novel from [Natasha] Siegel will appeal to readers of historical fiction and epic love stories.”—Library Journal, starred review

“A breathtakingly beautiful novel about forbidden love in 17th-century London. . . . This book will break you open with its beautiful writing, and readers will find themselves wringing their hands, wondering how on earth David and Cecilia could ever be together. . . . A gorgeous romance about healing from trauma, making peace with grief and finding love where it doesn’t seem possible. This glorious follow-up to her debut, Solomon’s Crown, firmly establishes Siegel as a writer to watch.”—BookPage, starred review

Understated and lovely

Beautiful prose, well realized characters, excellent narration. there is a quietness about the story that allows the characters to truly shine.

Atmospheric and immersive

A celebration of individualism, tenacity, empathy and love. Beautifully written and narrated. I loved it.