The Ingenue: A Novel

Written by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Narrated by Stephanie Willis

"Willis empowers Saskia with a righteous rage that listeners will embrace." - AudioFile Magazine (Earphones Award Winner)

"Willis’ vocal characteristics convey the repercussions of sexual abuse in a compassionate style that envelops the listener. Within the heart-wrenching storyline, the atmospheric and suspenseful tones are built and emphasized with sweeping acoustics. Willis brings a deeply emotional connection to Saskia with her intense, melodious narration."- Booklist

My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen's Gambit in this new novel of suspense about the bonds of family, the limits of talent, the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.

When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother's will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past––and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life––for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?

Set against a post #MeToo landscape, Rachel Kapelke-Dale's The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia's childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Dec 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781250870681

Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Rachel Kapelke-Dale is the author of The Ingenue and The Ballerinas, and co-author of Graduates in Wonderland. Kapelke-Dale received a B.A. from Brown University, where she rode on the varsity equestrian team, an M.A. from the Université de Paris-Diderot, and a Ph.D. from University College London. She currently lives in Paris.

Reviews for The Ingenue

[Devon Peterson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book is terrible. The main character is completely unlikable. She's a spoiled, entitled, self-centered, rich brat who sees everyone around her in terms of how they can serve her or make her feel. She decides to become a teenaged victim only after she doesn't get her own way. It takes her forever to "enact her vengeance" against her accused abuser, and when she does, it's a huge disappointment. Despite her poor planning and sloppy execution, she gets away with murder. The snippets of fairy tales in between chapters start out cute, but get increasingly more idiotic.

Also, the dog's name is stupid.