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The Impossible Girl Kindle Edition

by Lydia Kang (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 5,029 ratings
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Two hearts. Twice as vulnerable.

Manhattan, 1850. Born out of wedlock to a wealthy socialite and a nameless immigrant, Cora Lee can mingle with the rich just as easily as she can slip unnoticed into the slums and graveyards of the city. As the only female resurrectionist in New York, she’s carved out a niche procuring bodies afflicted with the strangest of anomalies. Anatomists will pay exorbitant sums for such specimens—dissecting and displaying them for the eager public.

Cora’s specialty is not only profitable, it’s a means to keep a finger on the pulse of those searching for her. She’s the girl born with two hearts—a legend among grave robbers and anatomists—sought after as an endangered prize.

Now, as a series of murders unfolds closer and closer to Cora, she can no longer trust those she holds dear, including the young medical student she’s fallen for. Because someone has no intention of waiting for Cora to die a natural death.

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  1. Print length
    365 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Lake Union Publishing
  5. Publication date
    September 18, 2018
  6. File size
    3403 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The characters and the vivid descriptions bring midcentury graveyards to life…Kang places the reader in the midst of Cora’s life.” —Gumshoe Review

“The setting is expertly laid out, detailed, and realistic, and the characters are relatable and likable…Lydia Kang’s writing is great and Cora Lee is not a character to soon be forgotten.” —All About Romance

“Kang really knows how to develop her world and it’s so very easy to get lost in it…There were so many unexpected twists.” —Broken Teepee

"This book had a little bit of everything, romance, mystery, fantasy, and history…Highly recommend.” —The LitBitch

“This book has such a strong main character—Cora Lee—and she is full of intrigue and mystery…This is an intense and gripping book.” —Always With a Book

“If you like the world of grave robbing with a strong female protagonist who fights for her life on the daily, this is a great read for you.” —Where the Reader Grows

“The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang is an impossibly good read…The writing is beautiful and lyrical, the atmosphere is haunting, and the mystery is engaging. Fans of novels with strong heroines, period pieces, and/or murder mysteries will all find something to love in this book.” —Hypable

“The Impossible Girl was exceptional…This book was an easy five stars. Every detail was perfect.” —Fictionist Magazine

“A cat-and-mouse story of intrigue, set in 1850 and featuring a strong-willed female protagonist striving to stay one step ahead of an unknown foe who would murder her for profit, The Impossible Girl is captivating through and through. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of historical murder mysteries!” —Midwest Book Review

“Kang creates a vividly detailed world with so much atmosphere and intricate pieces…There’s a bit of romance, loads of history, and a splash of fantasy that transforms this book into an impossibly great read.” —Fangirlish

About the Author

Lydia Kang is a physician and the author of A Beautiful Poison. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from Columbia University and New York University School of Medicine. She currently lives in the Midwest with her family, where she continues to practice internal medicine. Visit her at www.lydiakang.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07BDHGKJX
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing (September 18, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 18, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3403 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 365 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1503903389
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 5,029 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Lydia Kang

Lydia Kang

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Lydia Kang is an author and internal medicine physician. She is a graduate of Columbia University and New York University School of Medicine, and completed her training at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. She lives with her family in the midwest. Follow her on Facebook (AuthorLydiaKang) and Instagram @LydiaKang.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
5,029 global ratings
Generally entertaining dark read
4 Stars
Generally entertaining dark read
“The Impossible Girl” is about young Cora Lee, a girl born out of wedlock to a former socialite and a penniless immigrant. She spends her days straddling two worlds in Manhattan, 1850, one as Cora Lee and the other pretending to be her brother, Jacob Lee. As the only female resurrectionist in New York, she’s known for finding bodies afflicted with strange anomalies and maladies, while keeping the biggest anomaly from the rest of the world. Cora, when she was born, was born with two hearts, and she knows she’s the biggest score of all...I won this novel in a book giveaway last year and truth be told, it languished on my shelves for a few months. But when I picked it up, I moved quickly through it. I enjoyed it! I liked Cora a lot, as well as the supporting cast. The plot is well-done, filled with murder and intrigue, and keeps you on your toes throughout. The writing wasn’t overwrought and Kang did a good job of keeping an ominous, generally dark tone throughout the novel.
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Top reviews from the United States

bess gw
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024
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I didnt think I would like this book... boy, was I ever wrong... It was sooo good! I found it to be a fast read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend it .. the characters really came to life for me... I would love to see a sequel
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Engie
4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2023
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This book had me hooked almost immediately. The beginning had its ups and downs as far as moving the story along quickly but once it picked up, boy was it an adventure. And damn, Leah and Alexander disappointed me deeply. Suzette surprised me the most and I, too, mourn the loss of her team. I somehow mourn the loss of Jacob as well... Lol.

Lydia Kang is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I loved The Beautiful Poison and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Looking forward to reading Opium and Absinthe next.

On to the next book 📖 ☺️
One person found this helpful
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A. Steven Toby
5.0 out of 5 stars History, Mystery, Romance, Medicine
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2020
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All 4 elements are present in this novel. It’s the second I’ve read by Dr. Kang although maybe not in the order in which they were published. Like “Opium and Absinthe,” the one I previously read, it has an authentic view of old New York in the 19th century that rings true for those who , like me, have spent time there in the 20th. This book steps a generation further back than the previous one to the time before the Civil War. It’s the period of P. T. Barnum and the public has an appetite for the grotesque. There’s an underworld with an astoundingly different slang that is now unintelligible but the author has it used by the gang of grave robbers that are featured in the story.
The 4th element in the book is medicine. The author isn’t merely making use of her medical training to explain symptoms suffered by characters, she also has contemporary treatments and medications play an appropriate role. The chief character is the impossible girl because she was born with 2 hearts. Once that gets around she realizes she’s in terrible danger of ending up an exhibit in one of the museums of “curiosities” that are becoming common in Manhattan. Another source of the market for dead bodies is medical schools so it’s clear that fresh corpses are in such demand that it could be a motive for murder.
Cora, the protagonist, leads the gang of grave robbers. She’s also related to the Cutter family who are featured in the previous book. She encounters an interloper who turns out to be a medical student who is an orphan and hopes to fund his education by participating in the market for corpses. We the readers are led through a complex plot that does not strain our credibility as she gradually sees the medical student, Theo, as more than a competitor.
While in a way this book is relentlessly modern in spite of its historical authenticity, the author must be aware that in that period there were powerful religious taboos against disturbing the dead. while none of the characters is shown in church, short chapters recount the last minutes of each victim of the serial killer who is competing with Cora to fill the demand for corpses. In these short chapters the victims’ consciousness goes on somewhat beyond the moment of death, suggesting an afterlife might be possible on a spiritual plane. This is appropriate to the period and in accordance with human nature.
A worthwhile read and it even has a happy ending.
3 people found this helpful
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SweetRead
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Unique
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
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I really found this story very unique. The idea of tracking people for their abnormalities to put them on display, after they are dead. to compare it to Barnum and Bailey. The feelings that were protected toward women. The easy way that some men thought it was okay to treat women and people not of their social class.

I found Cora very interesting the way she navigated the world. I liked the relationships she built with the other characters.

I would love to learn more about Theo.

Really well done with not much sex or rough language.
One person found this helpful
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SassyPants
4.0 out of 5 stars 2 Hearts = 1 Impossible Girl
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2018
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I came upon this book in an amusing way. I took a quiz through Book Riot about what I would serve for Thanksgiving dinner. A book is recommended based on your responses. And voila! The Impossible Girl. I had read A Beautiful Poison and really enjoyed it, so I downloaded this book immediately. I was not disappointed.

The book begins in Manhattan in 1850 with the birth of Cora Lee. Her mother come from a privileged family and she has an affair with an unknown immigrant. Cora’s mother is disowned and must make her way alone. After her death, Cora must also survive on her own. She takes up a career as a resurrectionist, digging up dead bodies to sell to doctors and medical schools. Abnormal bodies are desirable and pay the best. However, Cora is believed to have been born with two hearts and is a prized body herself. She tries to keep herself safe and her business profitable despite increasing competition. Then it appears that the people with physical anomalies are dying before their time. Cora does not know who to trust and her life is in danger.

I think that Dr. Kang is a very good story teller. I always get sucked in and can’t wait to find out what happens next. The two books that I have read each feature strong women who are unconventional for their time, which I enjoy. The mystery is good and will keep you guessing to the end. There are also interesting bits about medical history and the evolution of ethics in the field.
26 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

REBECCA BROWN
5.0 out of 5 stars what a twisting tale of ‘who done it’
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2023
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Suspicion with all, I had no idea until it was revealed who it would be!

Cora Lee loves a double life, she is a brave, boisterous, body snatcher who is hiding a massive secret that could see her on a surgical table.

Fabulously written period adventure full of betrayal, conspiracy and friendship.
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antonello.17
5.0 out of 5 stars Ok
Reviewed in Italy on March 26, 2023
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Ok
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Subhash Mehta
4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a good read
Reviewed in India on January 19, 2023
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Story telling is as interesting as it could be and the content asking to be read. The author has used imagination to create a character which is on the verge of disbelief. Brings back memories of Shakespeare read decades ago. Once you start reading you wish to finish till the end. Go for it.
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Fiona
5.0 out of 5 stars An Arresting Tale
Reviewed in Australia on February 19, 2022
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Thoroughly enjoyed this book for so many reasons; deft historical details, medical mysteries, devastating betrayals, unlooked for kindnesses and love. I won't spoil the read, but will recommend it!
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Robinl15
4.0 out of 5 stars Slow to Start but keep going
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2023
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It took me a while to get used to this book but as the story developed I got used to the style of writing. It was different but that is not a criticism. I will definitely read the other works by this author.
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