Raise the Wind — Sarah Shaw

Stories your history books won't tell you. 1772: A financial crisis of unprecedented size and scope rocks the world and the resultant tidal waves ravage coasts from India to America. The first 'too big to fail' corporation is on the brink of collapse and survives only thanks to a massive infusion of government funds. Hundreds of companies go bankrupt and some of the biggest banks fail. Famine in Bengal, forced land concessions by native tribes in America and a revolution that will rock the world are left in its wake. Across the globe people struggle for freedom and justice against the stranglehold of entrenched wealth and power: new knowledge and inventions are changing the world at a breathtaking pace, upsetting the old order even as new notions of equality and human rights seize the public conscience. In this world turned upside down young bride Emily McFarland finds herself far from home and safety, living on disputed land in Colonial Georgia while Zoeth Sinclair struggles to keep his fledgling merchant trading company afloat. This is a world of secrets- secrets that could end in catastrophe for themselves or those they care for. While Zoeth struggles against his desire for his own sex, Emily must uncover the truth about her husband's past while protecting what she herself is hiding. As the times grow ever more perilous one careless revelation or misplaced trust could sweep away everything they have built.