description: Winner of the 2007 Audie Award for Literary Fiction and Finalist for Multi-Voiced PerformanceInstant #1 New York Times bestseller “Readers will feel the magnetic pull of this paean to words, books and the magical power of story.”—People “Eerie and fascinating.”—USA TODAY Sometimes, when you open the door to the past, what you confront is your destiny.Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness—featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.
language: English
title: The Thirteenth Tale
titlecomplete: The Thirteenth Tale
characters: Emmeline March, Adeline March, Aurelius Love, Vida Winter, Margaret Lea
genres: Gothic, Historical, Fiction, Fantasy, Adult, Book Club, Books About Books, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller
ratings_count: 308508
places: Angelfield
awards: awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Dilys Award, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: ALA Alex Award, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: The Quill Award
category: Debut Author of the year
publisher: Simon  Schuster Audio