Roberta Gately’s lyrical and authentic debut novel—inspired by her own experiences as a nurse in third world war zones—is one woman’s moving story of offering help and finding hope in the last place she expected. Gripped by haunting magazine images of starving refugees, Elsa has dreamed of becoming a nurse since she was a teenager. Of leaving her humble working-class Boston neighborhood to help people whose lives are far more difficult than her own. No one in her family has ever escaped poverty, but Elsa has a secret weapon: a tube of lipstick she found in her older sister’s bureau. Wearing it never fails to raise her spirits and cement her determination. With lipstick on, she can do anything—even travel alone to war-torn Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11. But violent nights as an ER nurse in South Boston could not prepare Elsa for the devastation she witnesses at the small medical clinic she runs in Bamiyan. As she struggles to prove herself to the Afghan doctors and local villagers, she begins a forbidden romance with her only confidant, a charming Special Forces soldier. Then, a tube of lipstick she finds in the aftermath of a tragic bus bombing leads her to another life-changing friendship. In her neighbor Parween, Elsa finds a kindred spirit, fiery and generous. Together, the two women risk their lives to save friends and family from the worst excesses of the Taliban. But when the war waging around them threatens their own survival, Elsa discovers her only hope is to unveil the warrior within. Roberta Gately’s raw, intimate novel is an unforgettable tribute to the power of friendship and a poignant reminder of the tragic cost of war.

Lipstick in Afghanistan

Literature & Fiction

Gately, Roberta

United States

GALLERY BOOKS

A moving and timely novel about human trafficking—from the author of the acclaimed debut Lipstick in Afganistan. Newly heartbroken and searching for purpose in her life, Abby Monroe is determined to make her mark as a UN worker in one of the world’s most unstable cities: Peshawar, Pakistan. But after witnessing the brutal murder of a woman thrown from a building, she is haunted by the memory of an intricate and sparkling bracelet that adorned the victim’s wrist. At a local women’s shelter, Abby meets former sex slaves who have miraculously escaped their captors. As she gains the girls’ trust and documents their horrifying accounts of unspeakable pain and betrayal, she joins forces with a dashing New York Times reporter who believes he can incriminate the shadowy leader of the vicious human trafficking ring. Inspired by the women’s remarkable bravery—and the mysterious reappearance of the bracelet— the duo traces evidence that spreads from remote villages of South Asia to the most powerful corners of the West, risking their lives to offer a voice to the countless innocents in bondage.

The Bracelet

Contemporary

The acclaimed author of Lipstick in Afghanistan weaves together the unforgettable stories of the people she helped heal in some of the most troubled places on Earth in a gripping memoir that celebrates our shared humanity. Roberta Gately is a nurse and humanitarian aid worker who has served in war zones ranging from Africa to Afghanistan aiding refugees. Just the word refugee sparks conversation and fuel emotion. There are more than twenty-two million refugees worldwide and another sixty-five million who have been forcibly displaced. But who are these people? Images filter into our consciousness via dramatic photographs―but these photos only offer a glimpse into their stories. Footprints in the Dust aims to share the real stories of refugees around the world in hopes of revealing the truth about their experience. As a young ER nurse in Boston, Roberta was stopped cold by stark images of big-bellied babies with empty haunting stares in the news. She called the aid organization featured in the news story and within two months, she was on her way. Roberta would soon learn that world into which millions of children around the globe were born was fraught with unspeakable horrors. The only certainties for so many of these children were, and remain to this day―disease and devastating injury.
Footprints in the Dust reveals the humanity behind the headlines, beginning where the newscasters end their reports. The people we meet within this riveting book are neither all saints nor all sinners―and impossible to forget. 8 pages of color photographs

Footprints in the Dust: Nursing, Survival, Compassion, and Hope with Refugees Around the World

Biographies & Memoirs

Leaders & Notable People

Pegasus Books

The word "refugee" sparks conversation and fuels emotion. There are more than twenty-two million refugees worldwide and another sixty-five million who have been forcibly displaced. But who are these people? Images filter into our consciousness via dramatic photographs--but these photos only offer a glimpse into their stories. As a young ER nurse in Boston, Roberta Gately was stopped cold by stark images of big-bellied babies with empty haunting stares in the news. She called the aid organization featured in the news story, and, within two months, she had become a humanitarian aid worker. Soon she learned that the world into which millions of children around the globe are born is fraught with unspeakable horrors. The only certainties for so many of these children are disease and devastating injury. Footprints in the Dust aims to share the real stories of these refugees in hopes of revealing the truth about their experience.

Dreamscape Media

"911. What's your emergency?" "He came for her. She's been shot," says a desperate voice, as footsteps echo down an alley. "She's dying." "Oh no, oh no, he's coming back. Please, come quickly--" And then a click, and the drone of a dial tone. The beautiful young woman on the stretcher could be on her honeymoon. Chestnut hair tumbles around a pretty face, rose petals tangled in the loose strands. But the bandage around her forehead tells a different tale, as Emergency Room Nurse Jessie Novak desperately battles to keep her alive. Jessie's thoughts are racing-who shot this beautiful young woman and more importantly, why? Ann Hart's life hangs by a thread, and Jessie cannot bear to see this beautiful young woman die without justice being done. Being a nurse is like hunting for clues, and Jessie is sure she can find the person who hurt Ann. She also asks her friend Detective Sam Dallas for help digging into Ann's past. But then Jessie receives a gift that sends shivers up her spine: a huge bouquet of blood-red roses, just like the ones in Ann's hair... As the first snowflakes start to fall, another body turns up. Jessie is sure that she's in danger too-since the roses, someone has been watching her... Sam is reluctant to see the link but Jessie knows she must find the culprit before he strikes again. He is stalking her through the frozen streets and he doesn't want his fun to stop. Can Jessie turn the tables on the killer, or is she just a dead girl walking? A totally addictive mystery novel that will leave you gasping for breath and have your heart thumping! Fans of Lisa Regan, Gregg Olsen and Tess Gerritsen will be completely hooked.

Dead Girl Walking: Absolutely addictive mystery and suspense (Jessie Novak)

Bookouture

The young woman's mouth is slightly parted, as if waiting to speak. Her body is frozen in ice and her blue eyes stare at the sky, perhaps wanting to look at the stars one last time... When the body of a woman is found in the frozen Neponset River, just where it meets the sea, Jessie Novak and her partner Detective Sam Dallas rush to the scene. When Jessie sees a flash of a familiar silk scarf, she's shocked to realize the girl in the ice is Sheila Logan, who she worked closely with for years at Boston City Hospital. Jessie desperately wants to find out how this young and talented nurse ended up an innocent victim. But who would want to kill her? As she digs into Sheila's past, Jessie realizes she was having an affair with a colleague and may even have been pregnant. Was her lover unwilling to be a father to her child? The pain of Sheila's death threatens to tear open Jessie's old wounds-Jessie's own mother walked out on her when she was just a baby and never looked back. She can't change her own past, but she's determined to get justice for Sheila. When Sheila's neighbor is found dead, also wearing a distinctive scarf, Jessie sees a lethal pattern forming. Next, someone breaks into Jessie's car and she knows she's being warned off the case. But with the killer in her sights, will she take the deadliest risk of her life? Can Jessie catch him, before he catches up to her? This utterly addictive novel will keep you up all night! Fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Abbott and Tess Gerritsen will be totally hooked until the last heart-thumping page. What readers are saying about Roberta Gately: "I absolutely devoured this book!... I need more. An addictive read which kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat... I absolutely cannot recommend this book highly enough." Little Miss Book Lover 87 &#11088;&#11088;&#11088;&#11088;&#11088;

The Frozen Girl: A heart-racing, unputdownable crime thriller (Jessie Novak)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

The girl in the photo was laughing, her head thrown back, her lips painted a bright red. Jessie could feel the simple joy reflected in that moment. And as she looked closer, she saw the same gold cross and chain that had adorned the first victim’s neck. 
When a young woman falls to her death from a parking garage, the Boston police department rule it as a suicide. But when Jessie Novak examines the scene, she isn’t so sure… The girl’s delicate hands are bruised and her fingernails torn: evidence of a struggle. Did someone push her from the roof? 
Then a second young woman is found dead, this time at the foot of her dorm building, her hands injured in the same way as the first victim’s with a gold cross and chain clutched in her fist. Jessie is convinced there is a connection and that a twisted killer is on the loose. 
Forensics connect the necklace to several murders of college girls in other states—and a suspect who the police had in their sights but were forced to let go—and Jessie knows her hunch is correct. 
Just as Jessie thinks she is closing in on the culprit, her worst fears are realized: a third girl is found dead. The gap between murders is closing: the killer is getting more confident. He will never stop until he is caught. 
But little does Jessie know that, while she works to pick up the trail of her suspect, he is already on hers. She is the only one who can stop this monster before he kills again—but to save the next innocent life, is she prepared to risk her own? 
A thrilling and totally gripping crime thriller that will grab you from the start and not let go until the final, heart-stopping page. Utterly addictive reading for fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Melinda Leigh. Readers love Roberta Gately: 
“My heart was racing, the tension building and the excitement exploding… I read this book in a day, reluctantly putting it down when real life got in the way.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
“A new author I have been wowed by!… This novel really does pack a punch… so intriguing that I didn’t want to stop reading and I had to reluctantly force myself to put it down. After I’d finished work I picked it straight back up and finished it the same day.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
“I ended up finishing it the same day I started it, just couldn’t put it down at all.” Spooky’s Maze of Books ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
“Loved this!… Sped through this book as I couldn’t wait to see how it would turn out!” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
“Compulsively readable with a white-knuckle ending. Roberta Gately has fast become one of my must-read authors.” Bookworm Down Under ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
“I have absolutely devoured this book!… I haven't wanted to put this down. The only problem is I need more… A definite five star read.” Little Miss Book Lover 87 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
“Loved it!… One of my favorite reads of the year.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Her Mother's Cry: A completely gripping mystery thriller (Jessie Novak)

The Ambassador's Wife: A BRAND NEW totally gripping and suspenseful novel

Thrillers & Suspense

Bloodhound Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Gately, Roberta. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Gately, Roberta

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Gately, Roberta. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Lipstick in Afghanistan

The Bracelet

Footprints in the Dust: Nursing, Survival, Compassion, and Hope with Refugees Around the World

Footprints in the Dust: Nursing, Survival, Compassion, and Hope with Refugees Around the World

Dead Girl Walking: Absolutely addictive mystery and suspense (Jessie Novak)

The Frozen Girl: A heart-racing, unputdownable crime thriller (Jessie Novak)

Her Mother's Cry: A completely gripping mystery thriller (Jessie Novak)

The Ambassador's Wife: A BRAND NEW totally gripping and suspenseful novel