The Invention of Sophie Carter

With all sorts of delightful Parent Trap-style identical twin hijinks, The Invention of Sophie Carter is the perfect light-and-sweet palate cleanser.

1851. Bounced from one home to another their whole lives, orphaned identical twins Sophie and Mariah Carter have always relied on each other for love and support, even though the sisters couldn't be more different.

Brash Sophie wants to be an inventor, and demure Mariah wants to be an artist. Both long to visit London for the summer¿Sophie to see the Queen's Great Exhibition and Mariah to study the world's finest collection of paintings. But when their cantankerous aunt answers their letter pleading for a place to stay, she insists she only has time and room to spare for one of them.

So, Mariah and Sophie hatch a clever scheme: They will travel to London together and take turns playing the part of "Sophie".

A Junior Library Guild Selection

A 2020 Whitney Award Nominee

At first the plan runs like clockwork. But as the girls avoid getting caught by increasingly narrow margins and two handsome gentlemen¿both of whom think they're falling in love with the real Sophie Carter¿enter the equation, the sisters find they don't have the situation quite as under control as they thought.

"This novel is a delightful combination of coming-of-age and Cinderella, a tale told with humor and warmth. The characters of the twins are delineated with care, showing similarities but also the growing differences as each finds a way to understand her individual gifts and how they can be developed even if they should marry the man they love. The author has done considerable research, not only into the period but also into the details of engineering and the working of clocks. She presents a thoroughly believable pair of protagonists, true to their time but also relatable to the present-day reader."

-Historical Novel Society

"I loved reading about the bond between these sisters. The romances were super cute." ¿Tricia Levenseller, author of Daughter of the Pirate King and The Shadows Between Us

"In a time like now when many of us want some kind of escape, this book kept me up way past my bedtime and let me disappear into Victorian England with two delightful heroines! Do you like your books with romance, protagonists with art and STEM interests, identical twin sister hijinks, and swoonworthy love interests? The Invention of Sophie Carter has all that and more!! Just as she did in The Last Word, Samantha Hastings gives a cheery portrayal of Victorian life without shying away from the hardships women faced. Hastings' enjoyment of 19th century literature is obvious, and if you're also a fan, you'll see it in everything from the Dickensian childhood of her main characters Sophie and Mariah, to the wit and romance of Austen peppered throughout. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year!-Jennieke Cohen, author of A Dangerous Alliance.