Books like 'What I Was'
Readers who enjoyed What I Was by Meg Rosoff also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical romance mystery historical-fiction coming-of-age boarding-school lgbtq friendship literary-fiction bullying
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 103 ratingsAging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere... -
![Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys]()
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsWhile the Titanic and Lusitania are both well-documented disasters, the single greatest tragedy in maritime history is the little-known January 30, 1945 sinking in the Baltic Sea by a Soviet submarine of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety from the advancing Red Army... -
![The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley]()
The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFrom the breathtaking beaches of Thailand to the barely tamed wilds of colonial Australia, The Pearl Sister is the next captivating story in New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley’s epic series about two women searching for a place to call home.CeCe D’Aplièse has always felt like an outcast...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction realistic action-adventure adult audiobook -
![This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer, Susanna Tuomi-Giddings]()
This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer, Susanna Tuomi-Giddings
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn Whitehall, Giles Barrington discovers the truth about his wife Karin from the Cabinet Secretary. Is she a spy or a pawn in a larger game? Harry Clifton sets out to write his magnum opus, while his wife Emma completes her ten years as Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and receives an unexpected call from Margaret Thatcher offering her a job... -
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![The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys]()
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsA portrait of love, silence, and secrets under a Spanish dictatorship.Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine... -
![The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley]()
The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAlly D’Aplièse is about to compete in one of the world’s most perilous yacht races when she hears the news of her adoptive father’s sudden, mysterious death. Rushing back to meet her five sisters at their family home, she discovers that her father—an elusive billionaire affectionately known to his daughters as Pa Salt—has left each of them a tantalizing clue to their true heritage...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic action-adventure audiobook book death -
![Wooed by a Wicked Duke by Collette Cameron]()
Wooed by a Wicked Duke by Collette Cameron
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s betrothed…but not to the woman who holds his heart She’s hiding from the past… Hoping to put the shame of her father’s disgrace behind her, Jessica Brentwood is determined to be the epitome of decorum and propriety her first London Season. All is well until she’s discovered naked in the arms of a notorious rake, Crispin, the wicked Duke of Bainbridge...Categorized as:
historical-fiction friendship drama literary-fiction regency historical victorian class-difference -
![The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde]()
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThe Importance of Being Earnest A Trivial Comedy for Serious People Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...Categorized as:
drama friendship high-school historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction male-mc realistic -
![Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L.A. Meyer]()
Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L.A. Meyer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAfter being forced to leave HMS Dolphin and Jaimy, her true love, Jacky Faber is making a new start at the elite Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston. But growing up on the streets of London and fighting pirates never prepared Jacky for her toughest battle yet: learning how to be a fine lady. Everything she does is wrong...Categorized as:
boarding-school coming-of-age drama friendship high-school historical-fiction male-mc realistic -
![Journeys by Jeanne Roland]()
Journeys by Jeanne Roland
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA barracks full of beautiful boys. A girl in disguise, living among them.It’s the 14th century, and the longbow is king. But in the northern European principality of Ardennes, archery isn’t just the nation’s defense. It’s the national obsession...Categorized as:
historical-fiction coming-of-age literary-fiction romance young-adult historical medieval fiction -
![All We Have Left by Wendy Mills]()
All We Have Left by Wendy Mills
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwo girls. Two lives. One event that changed them—and the world—forever.Now: Sixteen-year-old Jesse is used to living with the echoes of the past. After her older brother died in the September 11th attacks, her dad filled their home with anger and grief. When Jesse gets caught up with the wrong crowd, one thoughtless decision turns her life upside down... -
![The Memory Tree by Linda Gillard]()
The Memory Tree by Linda Gillard
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCan the power of love overcome life’s darkest memories and deepest losses? When her favourite beech tree is felled in a storm, Ann feels as if someone has died. But when long-hidden seed packets are found inside the trunk, Ann realises there are more memories than her own lurking within the ancient tree . . -
![The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley]()
The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley, The Moon Sister transports you to the grandeur of the remote Scottish Highlands and the gypsy caves of Granada, just as Spain descends into civil war, interweaving the stories of two women searching for their destinies, at the risk of potentially losing their chance at love...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic action-adventure audiobook book family -
![The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley]()
The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe six D’Aplièse sisters have each been on their own incredible journey to discover their heritage, but they still have one question left unanswered: who and where is the seventh sister? They only have one clue – an image of a star-shaped emerald ring...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic 20th-century audiobook book family -
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![Wild Rover No More: Being the Last Recorded Account of the Life & Times of Jacky Faber by L.A. Meyer, Katherine Kellgren]()
Wild Rover No More: Being the Last Recorded Account of the Life & Times of Jacky Faber by L.A. Meyer, Katherine Kellgren
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJust when it looks like Jacky Faber and her beloved Jaimy will finally find their romance, Jacky is accused of treason and must flee Boston while her friends attempt to clear her name. Of course that means wild adventures for our fun-loving heroine, who manages to secure a job as a governess…and run away with the circus. The highly anticipated grand finale of the Bloody Jack Adventures...Categorized as:
drama friendship high-school historical-fiction action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book -
![Beyond This Broken Sky by Siobhan Curham]()
Beyond This Broken Sky by Siobhan Curham
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings1940, London: An unforgettable novel about the strength of the human spirit in the face of war and the remarkable women who put themselves in danger on the front lines during the Battle of Britain.As a volunteer for the ambulance service, Ruby has the dangerous task of driving along pitch-dark roads during the blackout...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction friendship ww2 historical mystery fiction female-mc -
![Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandore]()
Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandore
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOn a quiet Philadelphia morning in 1906, a newspaper headline catapults Alma Mitchell back to her past. A federal agent is dead, and the murder suspect is Alma’s childhood friend, Harry Muskrat. Harry—or Asku, as Alma knew him—was the most promising student at the “savage-taming” boarding school run by her father, where Alma was the only white pupil...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult audiobook -
![Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel]()
Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsA legendary ghost ship. An incredible treasure. A death-defying adventure.Forty years ago, the airship Hyperion vanished with untold riches in its hold. Now, accompanied by heiress Kate de Vries and a mysterious gypsy, Matt Cruse is determined to recover the ship and its treasures... -
![Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid]()
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsFour famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever. Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama friendship historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction realistic audiobook -
![On the Wings of Hope by Ella Zeiss, Helen MacCormac]()
On the Wings of Hope by Ella Zeiss, Helen MacCormac
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs World War II draws to a close, can two young people find love, hope—and freedom?February 1942: Terrifying reports of the Wehrmacht’s advance across the Soviet Union spread like wildfire, striking new fear into the already oppressed German families living there.Harri Pfeiffer, now sixteen, is summoned to the forced labour camp in Chelyabinsk...Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
![The Fragrant Concubine by Melissa Addey]()
The Fragrant Concubine by Melissa Addey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChina, 1760. The Emperor conquers Altishahr, a Muslim country to the west of his empire and summons a local woman from his new dominion to come to the Forbidden City as his concubine. Meanwhile in the market of Kashgar a girl named Hidligh is kidnapped by Iparhan, a woman scarred by the Emperor’s conquest of her homeland and bent on vengeance...Categorized as:
historical-fiction coming-of-age literary-fiction romance historical fiction royalty ancient-china -
![Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor]()
Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom bestselling author Mary Ellen Taylor comes a story about profound loss, hard truths, and an overgrown greenhouse full of old secrets.Adrift in the wake of her father’s death, a failed marriage, and multiple miscarriages, Libby McKenzie feels truly alone. Though her new life as a wedding photographer provides a semblance of purpose, it’s also a distraction from her profound pain...Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult audiobook book -
![The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley]()
The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPosy Montague is approaching her seventieth birthday. Still living in her beautiful family home, Admiral House, set in the glorious Suffolk countryside where she spent her own idyllic childhood catching butterflies with her beloved father, and raised her own children, Posy knows she must make an agonising decision... -
![The Confession by Jessie Burton]()
The Confession by Jessie Burton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe sensational new novel from the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse. One winter's afternoon on Hampstead Heath in 1980, Elise Morceau meets Constance Holden and quickly falls under her spell. Connie is bold and alluring, a successful writer whose novel is being turned into a major Hollywood film...Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction 21st-century adult audiobook -
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![The Marquis' Secret by George MacDonald]()
The Marquis' Secret by George MacDonald
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was one of those exquisite days that come in every winter and seem like the beautiful ghost of summer The loveliness of the morning, however, was but partially visible from the spot where Malcolm Colonsay stood in the stable yard of Lossie House, ancient and roughly paved. He stood on the unlevelled stones grooming the coat of a powerful and fidgety black mare... -
![The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser]()
The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAnne "Perri" Singleton's world is defined by the security of family, the camaraderie of friends at an exclusive Atlanta girls' school, and an enviable social life. She isn't looking for new friends when Mary Dobbs Dillard arrives from Chicago. Besides, "Dobbs," the passionate and fiercely individualistic daughter of an itinerant minister, is her opposite in every way...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama historical-fiction realistic 20th-century book christian fiction -
![The Silent Lady by Catherine Cookson]()
The Silent Lady by Catherine Cookson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCatherine Cookson was one of the world's most beloved writers. Her books have sold millions of copies, and her characters and their stories have captured the imagination of readers around the globe. She passed away in 1998, but luckily for her fans, Cookson left behind several unpublished novels, among them the compelling Silent Lady... -
![A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood]()
A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Great Gatsby meets I Capture the Castle in this gorgeously dreamy coming-of-age romance perfect for fans of A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.It is the summer of 1929. Lou Trevelyan is a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a writer. Then she meets the Cardew siblings: the bubbly Caitlin and her handsome, enigmatic brother, Robert...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama friendship historical-fiction lgbtq realistic 20th-century audiobook -
![The Englisher by Beverly Lewis]()
The Englisher by Beverly Lewis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAnnie Zook is forced by her father, the bishop, to choose between her forbidden art and joining the church, the only life she knows... -
![September by Rosamunde Pilcher]()
September by Rosamunde Pilcher
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAs spring comes to Scotland and the hills burst into life, a dance is planned for September. The invitations summon home the group of people Violet Aird has cared for most in her long life...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic 20th-century adult audiobook book -
![The Angel Tree by Lucinda Riley]()
The Angel Tree by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThirty years have passed since Greta Marchmont left the mansion in which she had once found a home. Now she returns to Marchmont Hall in the snowy mountains of Wales - but she has no memory of her past because, since a tragic accident, she suffers from amnesia... -
![A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance]()
A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA spellbinding novel of dark family secrets and a young woman’s rise and revenge set against the backdrop of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake.The eve of destruction. After her mother’s death, penniless May Kimble lives a lonely life until an aunt she didn’t know existed summons her to San Francisco. There she’s welcomed into the wealthy Sullivan family and their social circle...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century abuse adult -
![Risking the Detective by Ellie St. Clair]()
Risking the Detective by Ellie St. Clair
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe was swindled, ruined, and left for dead. She is determined to rise -- but she will never fall in love again.Madeline Castleton was played for a fool, tricked into a sham of a marriage to a masquerading earl who only wanted her fortune. Now she is determined to prove that she is not a naive young woman but capable of running her father’s stone company...Categorized as:
bullying friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult alpha-mc betrayal -
![The Unlikely Chaperone (Dorothy Mack Regency Romances) by Dorothy Mack]()
The Unlikely Chaperone (Dorothy Mack Regency Romances) by Dorothy Mack
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA captivating Regency adventure! Perfect for fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Jane Aiken Hodge and Jane Austen. Can Alexandra reach the end of the season without losing her heart? Regency England At twenty-eight, Alexandra Farrish has no hopes of marrying... -
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![How Goes The World? by K.J. Charles]()
How Goes The World? by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Positively Final Appearance: a two-part epilogue with Daniel and Archie at a house party and Kim and Will in a gentleman's club, because those are definitely settings that go well for them... -
![The Madness of a Seduced Woman by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer]()
The Madness of a Seduced Woman by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAgnes is on her way to Montpelier, when she sees a young man rescue a girl from a burning building. Agnes falls in love with this man, a local stonecutter, but the hero is also a betrayer, the apex of a triangle that eventually leads Agnes to commit murder... -
![In the Twilight, in the Evening by Lynn Morris, Gilbert Morris]()
In the Twilight, in the Evening by Lynn Morris, Gilbert Morris
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCheney fights with the hospital staff of St. Francis for the fair treatment of San Francisco's undesirables. Cheney Duvall, M.D. book 6... -
![Bel Lamington by D.E. Stevenson]()
Bel Lamington by D.E. Stevenson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBel Lamington finds London a very lonely place - until a charming young artist literally drops in on her rooftop garden... Bel Lamington, an orphan daughter of an Army colonel, is brought up in an English village and flung into the whirl of London life to earn a hard living as a secretary while attempting to navigate romance, unexpected friendships and urban life...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction literary-fiction adult book classics cozy female-author -
![Southern Ruby by Belinda Alexandra]()
Southern Ruby by Belinda Alexandra
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsForbidden love. Family secrets. A twist of fate. The stunning new generational saga from Belinda Alexandra, bestselling author of TUSCAN ROSE . In New Orleans - the city of genteel old houses and ancient oak trees covered in Spanish moss, of seductive night life, of Creole culture, voodoo and jazz - two women separated by time and tragedy will find each other at last... -
![The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill]()
The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLydia has vanished. Lydia, who’s never broken any rules, except falling in love with the wrong boy. Lydia, who’s been Piper’s best friend since they were children. Lydia, who never even said good-bye. Convinced the police are looking in all the wrong places, eighteen-year-old Piper Sail begins her own investigation in an attempt to solve the mystery of Lydia’s disappearance... -
![The Island by Victoria Hislop]()
The Island by Victoria Hislop
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsOn the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, and promises that through her she will learn more... -
![The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch]()
The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOxmoon, the rambling old mansion on a sprawling estate in Wales, has been for generations, the dream, the downfall, and the destiny of the wealthy Godwin family... -
![Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden]()
Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSweeping and Romantic Historical Drama from an Award-Winning Author Anna O'Brien leads a predictable and quiet life as a map librarian at the illustrious Library of Congress until she stumbles across a baffling mystery of a ship disappeared at sea. She is thwarted in her attempts to uncover information, but her determination outweighs her shyness and she turns to a dashing congressman for help... -
![Another Woman's Husband by Gill Paul]()
Another Woman's Husband by Gill Paul
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAs the world mourns the loss of Diana, Princess of Wales, one young woman uncovers a forgotten story of passion, betrayal, and a scandal surrounding the British crown in this unforgettable novel by the bestselling author of The Secret Wife.Two women who challenged the Crown.Divided by time. Bound by a secret..Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult audiobook book -
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![Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón]()
Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsFifteen-year-old Oscar Drai meets the strange Marina while he's exploring an old quarter of Barcelona. She leads Oscar to a cemetery, where they watch a macabre ritual that occurs on the last Sunday of each month. At exactly ten o'clock in the morning, a woman shrouded in a black velvet cloak descends from her carriage to place a single rose on an unmarked grave... -
![Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson]()
Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe storyline of Miss Buncle's Book (1934) is a simple one: Barbara Buncle, who is unmarried and perhaps in her late 30s, lives in a small village and writes a novel about it in order to try and supplement her meagre income. D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States...Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic 20th-century adult audiobook -
![Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen]()
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 92 ratingsWinner of the 2007 BookBrowse Award for Most Popular Book.An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons... -
![The Time Between by Karen White]()
The Time Between by Karen White
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA stunning new novel of betrayal and forgiveness from The New York Times bestselling author.Thirty-four-year-old Eleanor Murray is consumed with guilt for causing the accident that paralyzed her sister—and for falling in love with her sister’s husband...Categorized as:
drama friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic 20th-century adult audiobook -
![No. 23 Burlington Square by Jenni Keer]()
No. 23 Burlington Square by Jenni Keer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLondon, 1927: One house. Three lives. A decision that will change everything. A powerful, unique timeslip story, perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Miniaturist, and Lucinda Riley...Categorized as:
historical-fiction drama lgbtq literary-fiction friendship romance fiction historical -
![Mercer Street by John A. Heldt]()
Mercer Street by John A. Heldt
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLove, honor, and courage take center stage in the second book of John Heldt’s American Journey time-travel series as three women from the present become entangled in the past in the tension-filled months leading up to World War II.Weeks after her husband dies in the middle of an affair, Susan Peterson, 48, seeks solace on a California vacation with her mother Elizabeth and daughter Amanda...
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