{"product_id":"9780345527868","title":"The Shadow Land: A Novel","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the #1 bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Historian \u003c\/i\u003ecomes an engrossing novel\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ethat spans the past and the present—and unearths the dark secrets of Bulgaria, a beautiful and haunted country.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003eA young American woman, Alexandra Boyd, has traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria, hoping that life abroad will salve the wounds left by the loss of her beloved brother. Soon after arriving in this elegant East European city, however, she helps an elderly couple into a taxi—and realizes too late that she has accidentally kept one of their bags. Inside she finds an ornately carved wooden box engraved with a name: \u003ci\u003eStoyan Lazarov.\u003c\/i\u003e Raising the hinged lid, she discovers that she is holding an urn filled with human ashes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Alexandra sets out to locate the family and return this precious item, she will first have to uncover the secrets of a talented musician who was shattered by political oppression—and she will find out all too quickly that this knowledge is fraught with its own danger.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElizabeth Kostova’s new novel is a tale of immense scope that delves into the horrors of a century and traverses the culture and landscape of this mysterious country. Suspenseful and beautifully written, it explores the power of stories, the pull of the past, and the hope and meaning that can sometimes be found in the aftermath of loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdvance praise for \u003ci\u003eThe Shadow Land\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Shadow Land\u003c\/i\u003e is thrilling, and not just as a gripping tale. It’s also thrilling to watch such a talented writer cast her spell. The central character actually begins this deft novel in an urn, only to emerge as one of the most memorable characters I’ve encountered in a long time.”\u003cb\u003e—Richard Russo\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for Elizabeth Kostova’s \u003ci\u003eThe Historian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Quite extraordinary . . . Kostova is a natural storyteller. . . . She has refashioned the vampire myth into a compelling contemporary novel, a late-night page-turner.”\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—San Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Hypnotic . . . a thrill ride through history.”\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—The Denver Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Part thriller, part history, part romance . . . Kostova has a keen sense of storytelling and she has a marvelous story to tell.”\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Baltimore Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Kostova’s vampire is no campy Lugosi knockoff. . . . Blending history and myth, Kostova has fashioned a version so fresh that when a stake is finally driven through a heart, it inspires the tragic shock of something happening for the very first time.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNewsweek\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePraise for\u003ci\u003e The Swan Thieves\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Exquisite.”\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—The Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Engrossing.”\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—O: The Oprah Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Stunning . . . A beautifully written tale of art, love and an obsession triggered by both.”\u003cb\u003e—Associated Press\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Random House Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47012797546736,"sku":"9780345527868","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780345527868_p0.jpg?v=1763688200","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780345527868","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}