Introduction

Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom—reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives.

“My favorite kind of page-turner—unputdownable!”—Martha Hall Kelly, author of The Golden Doves

New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads—her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. Now, searching for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory’s forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams— one of the world’s most beloved singer-songwriters—a fairy tale cut short by a devastating betrayal.

Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself—marriage to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah’s longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men . . . and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.

Timeless and bittersweet, Husbands & Lovers takes readers on an unforgettable journey of heartbreak and redemption, from the revolutionary fires of midcentury Egypt to the moneyed beaches of contemporary New England. Acclaimed author Beatriz Williams has written a poignant and beautifully voiced novel of deeply human characters entangled by morally complex issues—of privilege, class, and the female experience—inside worlds brought shimmeringly to life.

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Discussion Questions

1. Mallory and Hannah both face dire circumstances and hard choices that require them to decide whether or not to follow their heart. What do you think Beatriz Williams is saying about the female experience with these two characters?

2. HUSBANDS & LOVERS is written from two points of view in different times and settings. Which POV resonated the most with you? How did the structure of the novel open up your understanding of the larger story?

3. In chapter six, Monk says, “You realize that once you choose one path, you can’t go back. You think about all the paths you could have taken and didn’t.” Do you agree with his statement? Are there paths that you wish you’d taken in your life?

4. Motherhood is a central theme in each storyline. Discuss how both Mallory and Hannah shape their lives and their decisions based on their children. What other themes did you like in the book?

5. Were you aware of the revolutionary fires in Cairo in 1952 before reading this novel? Did you learn anything new?

6. Class and privilege play pivotal roles in the narrative. Discuss how the characters in both storylines are impacted by their place in society.

7. Mallory gets a second chance with her first love. Do you think love can be rekindled? Are some things fated to be?

8. What did you make of the ending? Did you guess how the storylines would intersect before you finished the novel?

9. Winthrop Island is featured in several of Beatriz Williams' other novels. Did you notice any character cameos from her previous books?

10. Do you have any family heirlooms? Why do you think we often ascribe so much emotional value to objects?

11. Who would you cast in the film adaptation of HUSBANDS & LOVERS?

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