FIRST DAUGHTER
In the summer of 1895, President Grover Cleveland and his pregnant wife, Frances, retreat to their secluded Cape Cod home, eager to avoid Washington’s heat and hassles. The very day that Frances gives birth, their three-year-old daughter vanishes. A ransom note surfaces, demanding a mysterious and peculiar sum.
Is the kidnapper a political enemy or someone closer to home? Secret service agents chase multiple leads but reach dead ends. Desperate, Frances Cleveland searches for answers on her own. As the hunt continues, the kidnapper carefully plots each move and determines to settle a score.
The historical record documents threats against the Clevelands, but no actual kidnapping. Yet, what if the president and his wife, known for keeping secrets, concealed a terrifying chapter of their lives? In this gripping blend of fact and fiction, the line between public duty and private anguish blurs in a mother’s fight to save her child.
PRAISE
Arresting, brilliant, emotional! Marlie Wasserman’s First Daughter had me hooked from the very first page. Like her other works, fact and fiction are delightfully blurred by the fantastic level of historical detail, creating an exhilarating ride through the kidnapping of President Grover Cleveland’s first child and his obscure misdeeds. --Jane L. Rubin, author of the award-winning Gilded City series, Threadbare, In the Hands of Women and Over There
In this masterfully woven historical thriller, the past comes alive with rich detail and taut suspense. In the summer of 1895, President Grover Cleveland and his wife retreat to their Cape Cod estate, seeking respite from political turmoil—until their three-year-old daughter vanishes. A ransom note surfaces, but is the culprit a political enemy or someone in their household? Seamlessly blending fact and fiction, this novel delivers a riveting tale of betrayal, resilience, and a mother’s relentless quest for truth. --Maryka Biaggio, award-winning author of Gun Girl and the Tall Guy and the Model Spy
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolds for President and Frances Cleveland – their daughter is kidnapped. And no one knows why she was taken. The real motive behind the kidnapping may lie closer to home than anyone dares to imagine. First Daughter is a thrilling tale that clutches your heart and won’t let go. This haunting historical mystery steeped in vivid period detail explores the cost of secrets and the burden of public life, wrapped in a mother’s relentless instinct to protect her family—no matter the consequences. --JF Tanner, author of The King’s Collar
Grabbed from the very first page, Wasserman’s tale of the abduction of President Grover Cleveland’s young daughter Ruth (Baby Ruth) delivers Gilded Age details, tense characters and no bigger problem than a child in danger. With the deftly structured combination of Frances Cleveland’s determination to bring justice to her family and a parallel hard luck tale, readers will forget this is non-fiction. --Chris Keefer, author of “Find Your Way to My Grave” a Carrie Lisbon Mystery.
First Daughter is an intriguing and intricately-plotted historical mystery novel. I loved the depth of research and the evocative setting of President Grover Cleveland's summerhouse Gray Gables at Buzzards Bay. I look forward to reading more from Marlie Parker Wasserman. --Margo Laurie, author of the Anarchist's Wife.
"A suspenseful historical mystery with good twists, strong characters, and an interesting “what if” storyline involving a real president’s family. Great if you like historical fiction mixed with mystery and drama." -- Peggy, on Amazon
"I absolutely loved First Daughter. This was one of those books that pulled me in and kept me invested from beginning to end. I kept wanting “just one more chapter”… and we all know that never actually means one more chapter. The characters had me emotionally invested, the story kept me engaged, and by the end I was sitting there thinking about it long after I closed the book. Those are always the books that earn a special place on my shelf. If you’re looking for a book that can pull you into its world and keep you turning pages, add this one to your TBR!" --TinaMarie Reads blog
"Told from multiple viewpoints, especially those of the frantic Frances Cleveland and a distant domestic, Mary Brinski, the story is rich in the details of the time and thick with the rising tension that the unknown kidnapper would soon try again. Frances is the frightened mother, helpless to pursue her own ideas of who is behind the crime, as she slowly recuperates from her recent and difficult childbirth. . . . Mary Brinski, a domestic in the service of a wealthy Pontiac, Michigan, family, has entirely different struggles: a missing common-law husband and the lack of funds and opportunity to search for him. Their converging stories make for compelling, tense, and ultimately satisfying reading. Five stars!" --Guatamala Paula Blog
""FIRST DAUGHTER" by Marlie Parker Wasserman is an intriguing historical suspense novel that seamlessly intertwines facts with fiction. . . .Why this particular novel has such power is that it becomes a mystery that is emotional and suspenseful as well. The author has cleverly woven into her story the fears and tensions of the period, and what lies behind the veneer of an all-American First Family. The emotional center of this novel is Frances Cleveland, who seeks to unravel the truth at all costs. In the abduction mystery, there are plenty of turns, politics, and psychological drama that keep you reading until the last page. The atmospheric setting of Cape Cod and historical facts add to the story without hindering the speed of the plot. History buffs will enjoy the historical facts mixed into the story. FIRST DAUGHTER is an eerie and intelligent book about motherhood, politics, and what humans are capable of doing for their families." --Pages with Sudeshna blog