Books by Virginia Pye

“Packed with interesting story lines exploring gender roles, family relationships and expectations, society’s acceptance of unconventional choices, and the power of individual goals, Pye’s novel blends them together to create a powerful context for Victoria’s personal journey. With a full cast of characters representing different viewpoints, there’s plenty of opportunity for consideration of what’s changed or remained the same from centuries ago.” —Booklist

“Witty, intelligent, and exuberant, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann is a love letter to all of us who cherish books, writing, and writers themselves. It’s also an engrossing and empowering historical novel of liberation that reminds us, with deep resonance, of the many ways in which we are still not free.”
—Christopher Castellani, author of Leading Men

“Virginia Pye has written a novel as full of vital ideas about truth, progress and how to live with intention as it is with wild romps and charming encounters. The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann may be set in Gilded Age Boston, but it’s a celebration of readers, writers and bookstores everywhere.” 
—Elizabeth Graver, author of Kantika

Delightful, fresh, and surprising, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann is a rollicking feminist tale that brings the Gilded Age vividly to life while exploring themes that are still strikingly relevant to women today.”
—Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light

“Known for her affecting storylines and depth of characterization, she fills this novel with those winning attributes as she simultaneously adopts Boston-centric sensibilities of the era, with a plot that’s formal but never stuffy, characters who are appealing but never exaggerated and prose that’s elegant but never pretentious. A rewarding exploration of transformation that despite tribulations leads to triumphs, Pye’s latest validates the life-affirming blessings of courage.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

“There are lots of literary references here in The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann that are fun, and the novel is loosely based on actual historic events. A look at Boston and publishing during the Gilded Age, with a smart, independent heroine who ultimately wins her fight.” —WBZ Boston Book Club

“The Bostonians meets Writers & Lovers in Virginia Pye’s gossipy and substantive historical novel about women authors and book publishing. Compelling, fierce, and utterly charming, Victoria Swann is a literary heroine for the ages.”
—Laura Zigman, author of Small World

“At the heart of this insightful novel lives Victoria Swann, a wildly popular author who yearns to jettison the unrealistic romance and adventure of her nineteenth century novels in favor of depicting the struggles of ordinary women, a topic not discussed in high society let alone portrayed in literature. As the scaffolding of her comfortable life begins to crumble, Victoria discovers the power of authentic relationships and the strength of her own convictions. At once an historic time capsule and an entirely modern tale, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann had me cheering for its heroine straight through to the final page. You’ll love it!” 
—Katherine Sherbrooke, author of Leaving Coy’s Hill and The Hidden Life of Aster Kelly

“A deftly crafted, thought-provoking, compelling, and fun read from start to finish, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann fully showcases author Virginia Pye’s genuine flair for memorable original characters and an original, narrative driven plot that will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in historical fiction reflecting the struggle to have women’s abilities recognized and appreciated in 19th-Century America.” —Midwest Book Review

“There are loads of reasons to love the new book, notably its impressive, meticulous attention to Gilded Age culture, history, costumes and customs…Ginny gives us an unflinching look at a world chillingly familiar, with banned books, back-alley abortions, opium dens and an oppressive, controlling patriarchy, along with gentle reminders about true friendships, honorable work partnerships and the power of purpose.” —Style Weekly

“Virginia Pye’s novel invites us into a distant era that—in its depiction of the challenges faced by women of letters—seems hauntingly familiar. But Victoria Swann persists—and prevails! The story of her undoing is generous, fierce, and inspiring.” 
—Jennifer Finney Boylan, co-author (with Jodi Picoult) of Mad Money

“Boston on the cusp of the twentieth century and its vibrant literary world are rendered in evocative detail in this entrancing ode to how books can save us. As Victoria navigates her place in society, she learns to live and write her truth at a time when women are mostly unseen and unheard. Filled with grace, charm, and an acute sense of place, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann shows us the power of stories to connect, heal, and reveal our hearts.”
—Marjan Kamali, author of The Stationery Shop and Together Tea

Virginia Pye is the author of four books of fiction, most recently the novel, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann. Her short story collection, Shelf Life of Happiness, won the 2019 IPPY Gold Medal for Short Fiction, and one of its stories was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her two post-colonial historical novels, River of Dust and Dreams of the Red Phoenix have also received literary awards. Virginia’s essays have appeared in The New York Times, Literary Hub, Publisher’s Weekly, Huffington Post, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Writer’s Digest, as well as in numerous literary magazines. A graduate of Wesleyan University, she holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and has taught writing at New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, and, most recently, at GrubStreet’s Muse and Marketplace Conference in Boston. She is Co-Fiction Editor for Pangyrus, a literary journal based in Cambridge, and a board member of the Women’s National Book Association, Boston Chapter.