Husbands & Lovers

Husbands & Lovers (2024) is the 20th novel by Beatriz Williams, an American writer of historical fiction. It was a Book of the Month Club main selection, a TODAY Show pick for “Best Beach Read,” and a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection. The novel follows Mallory Dunne, a woman who became pregnant at a young age and chose to raise her son alone rather than tell his now-famous father of the boy’s existence. It also tells the story of Hannah Ainsworth, a Hungarian Jewish woman living in Egypt during the politically tumultuous 1950s. She becomes pregnant during an extramarital affair and is forced to give the child up for adoption. The women are connected by family ties as well as by a mysterious cobra bracelet Hannah’s lover gave to her, which she passed down to her daughter. The novel explores The Power of Maternal Love, Female Perseverance and Strength, and The Deceptiveness of Appearances.

This guide refers to the first Random House Large Print edition, 2024.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide discuss antisemitism, racism, abuse, rape, and child loss.