Greenville residents and book lovers have a new literary event on the calendar. On Saturday, Nov. 4, novelist and gemologist Anna Rasche will join M.Judson Booksellers for its Book Over Drinks series. The evening runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and includes a signed copy of her latest novel, “The Cursed Diamond,” plus a signature cocktail or mocktail.
About the novel
“The Cursed Diamond” weaves two storylines set in 1910 and 2010, exploring the mystery of a legendary blue gem known as the Midnight Diamond. In the early‑20th‑century thread, heiress Marcella Porter returns to New York after a scandal in London and becomes entangled with a charismatic nobleman and the coveted stone. The modern thread follows Jennie, a runner in New York’s Diamond District, who discovers a cryptic note—“Not Safe”—and an antique jewelry box that leads her into a century‑old treasure hunt.
Rasche, who works as a gemologist and jewelry historian, drew inspiration from the real‑world “Brunswick Blue Diamond,” believed to share origins with the infamous Hope Diamond. She imagined what might happen if that stone entered the United States alongside the Hope Diamond, shaping the novel’s dual‑timeline premise.
Author’s perspective
Rasche said the characters reflect people she has known. “Jennie represents those who come to New York with big dreams and a thin wallet,” she explained. “Marcella was inspired by the Gilded Age ‘Dollar Princesses’—American women who married into English royalty.” She added that the Midnight Diamond gives Marcella “permission to be a bit more free and wild than her historic contemporaries dared to.”
Event details
The Book Over Drinks event is open to the public; admission is $40 per person and includes the signed book and a beverage. For more information, visit mjudsonbooks.com.
Local readers are encouraged to attend, support a fellow author, and enjoy an evening that blends literature, history, and the sparkle of rare gems.
Original reporting: Greenville Journal — read the source article.
