by Hazel Gaynor
Our research trip to France came to an end over a bottle of chilled Provençal rosé, Meet Me in Monaco was published to great acclaim the following summer, and the words of our new book began to find their way slowly onto the page soon after. When we started writing Three Words for Goodbye, we first delved into lots of research about Nellie Bly’s trip, and then about the golden age of travel. We became excited by the prospect of sending our characters on an unforgettable journey to Europe aboard some of the most famous and luxurious modes of transportation. The iconic Queen Mary, an ocean liner renowned for her opulence and which also played an integral role during World War II, was the perfect place for us to start. Then came the Orient Express, a train made famous by its unparalleled elegance and tales of Nazi spies, and of course, Agatha Christie’s murder mystery novel. We were excited to place our characters within these lush and intriguing settings, but it was the Hindenburg, the world’s grandest airship, the Titanic of the skies, that fixed our story in time. The Hindenburg tragedy of May 1937 would be where our story ended, and that, in turn, meant that our sisters would be travelling through a Europe on the brink of war, and already under the threat of Nazi invasion.
In our first cowritten book, Last Christmas in Paris, we took the points of view of a man and a woman, childhood friends separated by war. In our second novel, Meet Me in Monaco, we had another pair of male and female narrators, James and Sophie, two strangers thrown together by fate and by the wedding of the century. For this, our third cowritten book, we wanted to tell a story of generations of women, of family connections, and of sisters—but not just a pair of ordinary sisters. We wanted a story of two sisters who can’t stand the sight of each other when we first meet them, a story that follows them on a journey that begins as a last request from their dying grandmother, but which becomes about their relationship with each other, with the men in their lives, and so much more along the way.
Clara and Madeleine Sommers jumped onto the page sometime in late 2019 and pulled us along after them as they hopped from ocean liner, to steam train, to airship. Within their petty squabbles and irritations, and among all that they see and experience on their journey, we hope to entertain, to enchant, and to shine a light on the golden age of interwar travel, a time when how you traveled mattered as much as where you traveled to. As we rush onto budget airlines, and break into a sweat while trying to cram our cabin baggage into the overhead compartment, we might all feel a little wistful for how things used to be. And since we haven’t yet invented a time travel machine, we hope that our words have taken you back in time instead.
Nellie’s legacy lives on through novels, films, and other mediums, each inspired by her accomplishments and bravery. In the final chapter of our book, we have a lovely quote by Nellie Bly, which we found in her book titled Around the World in Seventy-Two Days and Other Writings. In early 2020, it was announced that a statue of Nellie Bly will be erected in her birthplace of Pittsburgh, beside George Washington and Pittsburgh football star Franco Harris, in the Pittsburgh International Airport. She will also be honored in a stunning monument called The Girl Puzzle, named for her first published article. It will consist of large mirrored spheres, an elegant walkway, and four seven-foot faces cast in bronze. This is a nod to the women of the asylum she wanted to help through her investigative reporting and exposé, along with a statue of Nellie’s own face, and will be installed on Roosevelt Island (formerly Blackwell’s Island) in New York. Should you find yourself in New York City, we hope you’ll take the little tram from Midtown across the river to pay respects to one of the most vivacious, fascinating, and tenacious women in American history.
Reading Group Guide
The golden age of travel happened as a result of the invention of steam power, the expansion of railroads, and advancements in German engineering. Suddenly the world became accessible, at least to those who could afford such luxuries and those who were brave enough to venture out. How has our view of travel changed today?
What impact has the COVID-19 pandemic had on your own travel plans? Have you looked for ways to travel fictitiously, through books, TV, movies, et cetera?
What parallels can you draw between the two sets of sisters: Violet and Margaret, and Clara and Maddie? How did their paths diverge?
Clara is a gifted artist, but has trouble truly seeing her desires and feels restricted by societal expectations. How did you respond to her dilemma about her wedding to Charles and her feelings for Edward?
Maddie seems to believe she can’t pursue a career if she falls in love; that a man in her life will only derail her. Has a relationship ever come between you and your career or passion?
All families come with a few skeletons in the closet and secrets from the past. What was your reaction to discovering Matthias was Clara and Maddie’s grandfather? Do you think Margaret was justified in her reaction to Violet’s pregnancy?
What secrets have been shared within your own family, and what reaction did that cause?
Have you ever traveled on an ocean liner? If so, where did you travel to? Did it contain the incredible array of activities, dining experiences, and elegance as the Queen Mary depicted in this story?
What infamous stories have you read or heard about the Orient Express? As it’s still in operation today, would you ever book a trip aboard it, given the opportunity?
What, if anything, did you know about the Hindenburg crash? Given its frightening fire and destruction, did you realize people survived? Has a fear of accidental disaster prevented you from travel in the past?
Praise for Three Words for Goodbye
“Utterly delightful and the perfect escape. I loved being swept away to 1930s Paris, Venice, and Vienna alongside sisters Maddie and Clara, who, despite their differences, have come together to fulfill their dying grandmother’s final wish. Unshackled by family and the expectations of society, they learn a lot about themselves and each other as they uncover long-kept family secrets and discover their own talents and desires. A heartwarming and wonderful story about the power of forgiveness and the unbreakable bond of sisters.”
—Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Secret
“What a treat! Three Words for Goodbye is an absorbing, escapist, uplifting read, with engaging characters in Clara and Maddie, and a clever plot that takes us on a tour of 1930s Europe. Reading this novel is like reclining in a comfortable beach chair with warm sun on your skin and a glass of champagne at your elbow: you won’t want it to end.”
—Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author
“Vibrant and laced with fascinating historical references—including the around-the-world journey of journalist Nellie Bly, the approaching shadow of the Nazi occupation, and the ill-fated last flight of the Hindenburg—this tale of the complicated love between sisters and the mending of fractured relationships will move you, entertain you, and maybe even inspire you to seek out a truer path of your own.”
—Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars
“With three glorious locations, two different but equally engaging sisters, family secrets to uncover, and hearts to be won and lost, plus one big, shocking finale, Three Words for Goodbye is the very best of immersive, escapist historical fiction. I loved it from the first page.”
—Liz Trenow, author of The Forgotten Seamstress
“Illuminating the importance of family and the power of forgiveness, Three Words for Goodbye beautifully renders the romance of France, Italy, and Austria with picturesque streets and culinary delights. As two sisters test the bond of their relationship on a sumptuous journey through Paris, Venice, and Vienna, both long-simmering resentments and secrets come to light while European tensions mount, challenging their perceptions of the past and their visions for the future. I couldn’t stop turning the novel’s pages until I’d reached the high-octane conclusion.”
—Meredith Jaeger, USA Today bestselling author of The Dressmaker�
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Praise for Meet Me in Monaco
“With glamour, perfume, and romance, Gaynor and Webb’s second collaborative novel (after Last Christmas in Paris) is a scrumptious concoction served up with delectable descriptions and heaps of emotion. . . . Sweet, then bitter, then sweet again, the love story is woven through with Grace’s fairy-tale romance with Rainier and its devastating ending, snatching redemption from tragedy in the best Hollywood style.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Gaynor and Webb make history come alive with a beautifully crafted and expertly paced story of one of history’s most celebrated stars. Their artful blend of history and imagination is a deeply satisfying tale of love and friendship, and a reminder of the power of second chances to determine our fate.”
—Booklist
“A sparkling tale that will delight Francophiles and fans of historical fiction alike. These characters are engaging and expertly drawn, and their story is as evocative as the lingering traces of a fine eau de parfum.”
—Library Journal
“Everyone from shop owners to paparazzi and movie stars arrive in glamorous Monaco against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s ‘Wedding of the Century’ to Prince Rainier. A delightful beach read.”
—New York Post
“Grace Kelly fans, this one is for you! . . . An absolute and utter delight.”
—POPSUGAR
Praise for Last Christmas in Paris
“Humor, love, tragedy, and hope make for a moving, uplifting read. A winner!”
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network
“Bestselling author Gaynor (A Memory of Violets) teams with historical novelist Webb (Rodin’s Lover) to pen a moving and heartfelt story of love and bravery.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“Gaynor and Webb’s first collaboration is beautifully told. . . . The authors fully capture the characters’ voices as each person is dramatically shaped by the war to end all wars.”
—Booklist
Also by Hazel Gaynor
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter
Last Christmas in Paris (with Heather Webb)
The Cottingley Secret
The Girl from The Savoy
Fall of Poppies (with Heather Webb and others)
A Memory of Violets
The Girl Who Came Home
Also by Heather Webb
Ribbons of Scarlet
Last Christmas in Paris (with Hazel Gaynor)
Fall of Poppies (with Hazel Gaynor and others)
The Phantom’s Apprentice
Rodin’s Lover
Becoming Josephine
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
THREE WORDS FOR GOODBYE. Copyright © 2021 by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa
Cover photograph © akg-images/ullstein bild/Max Ehlert
Digital Edition JULY 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-296525-7
Version 05252021
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-296524-0 (paperback)
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-308233-5 (library edition)
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