The House Girl

A New York Times bestselling, widely-praised historical and literary novel intertwining past and present.

The House Girl alternates between the stories of Josephine Bell, an enslaved young woman who escapes a Virginia plantation in 1852, and Lina Sparrow, a driven first-year associate in a major New York law firm in 2004. Lina is tasked with finding the perfect plaintiff for a historic class-action lawsuit seeking reparations for descendants of American slaves. As Lina follows Josephine’s faint trail through old letters and plantation records, she confronts her own family history and secrets long buried, including the truth about her mother’s death and her father’s silence. Through the mirrored journeys of its protagonists, the novel explores identity, art, legacy, memory, and the quest for justice and reconciliation.

“A poignant, compelling story that elegantly shifts between centuries… a memorable and richly atmospheric read.” — Booklist 

“Conklin’s deft storytelling and emotional depth make this novel both a historical treasure and a thought-provoking contemporary examination of justice.” — Publishers Weekly