Whitney Scharer earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Washington, and her short fiction has appeared in the Bellevue Literary Review, Cimarron Review, and other journals.
The Last Assignment (2025) Erika Robuck "Compelling and exhilarating, Erika Robuck's The Last Assignment brings to life the extraordinary story of one of war journalism's most daring figures, Georgette "Dickey" Chapelle, a trailblazing photojournalist whose determination to bear witness to the brutal realities of war left us with a deeper understanding of the human cost of conflict. I loved learning about this incredible woman."
The Divorcees (2024) Rowan Beaird "The Divorcees, a sultry fever dream of a novel set on a Reno divorce ranch in the 1950s, should be read by a pool on a blisteringly hot day, preferably with a drink in hand. Its lush, perfectly wrought prose-and the secrets and deceptions at the center of the seductive plot-will unsettle you and keep you turning the pages. This book shimmers and startles on every page."
The Painter's Daughters (2024) Emily Howes "A marvellous novel, up there with some of my favourite works of historical fiction. Emily Howes' evocation of the Gainsborough sisters' relationship is truly remarkable and the novel is a sensory delight, full of evocative descriptions that bring the past to life. I loved it."
Alchemy of a Blackbird (2023) Claire McMillan "Claire McMillan has conjured an utterly immersive and inspiring story of the deep friendship between Surrealist artists Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington. Alchemy of a Blackbird is an inventive, inspiring, and absorbing novel about the magic that happens when women follow their creative passions and cast off the roles - and the men - that have held them back."
The Paris Bookseller (2022) Kerri Maher "If you've ever gotten lost in the narrow, deliciously overcrowded aisles of Shakespeare and Company, or you just want to imagine you have, this is the novel for you. Kerri Maher brings to life the fascinating history of Shakespeare and Company and its founder, Sylvia Beach, whose vision and drive led her to create not only a world-famous bookstore, but to defy the censors and publish the first edition of Joyce's Ulysses. Intelligent, fierce, and filled with reverence for a fascinating epoch in literary history, The Paris Bookseller is a delight for readers and writers."
The Family (2021) Naomi Krupitsky "A nuanced evocation of lifelong female friendship in all its shifting, messy, gorgeous complexity."
Leonora in the Morning Light (2021) Michaela Carter "Michaela Carter's training as a poet and painter shines through from the first page of this vivid, gorgeous novel based on the lives of Leonora Carrington and Max Ernst. Told with all the wild magic and mystery of the Surrealists themselves, Leonora in the Morning Light fearlessly illuminates the life and work of a formidable female artist."
Send for Me (2021) Lauren Fox "Spanning generations and continents, from pre-WWII Germany to current day midwestern America, Send For Me is a richly imagined testament to the ties that bind: the intricate web of familial duty, the profound love between mothers and daughters, and the tension between honoring one's heritage while not being defined by it. Lauren Fox's first historical novel is moving, heartfelt, and filled with love."
The Lions of Fifth Avenue (2020) Fiona Davis "Fiona Davis takes readers on a journey into the heart of one of New York's most venerable landmarks, the New York Public Library, in a story that follows two generations of strong-minded women, both connected to a mysterious series of rare book thefts. This novel is brimming with juicy literary details and fascinating feminist history."
The Girls with No Names (2020) Serena Burdick "I'm shocked I'd never heard of The House of Mercy, the asylum for fallen women at the center of Serena Burdick's beautiful novel. Burdick expertly weaves together the stories of women affected by the asylum, telling a mesmerizing tale of strength, subterfuge, and the unbreakable bond between sisters."
The Stationery Shop (2019) Marjan Kamali "Spanning decades and continents, Marjan Kamali’s richly imagined novel immerses us in the blossoming love affair between two Iranian teenagers, set against the political upheaval of 1950s Tehran. Evocative, devastating, and hauntingly beautiful, THE STATIONERY SHOP explores love’s power to transcend time and distance—and the ways fate can tear people apart and bring them back together. This book broke my heart again and again."
Cape May (2019) Chip Cheek "Earthy and sensual, raw and real, Cape May is an exquisitely crafted exploration of young love, the power of desire, and the lifelong ramifications of choices made in an instant. Cheek's virtuosic prose reads like a modern classic, piercing through the veneer of male sexual fantasies of the 1950s and rendering a heartbreaking portrait of a man-and a marriage-undone by betrayal."
