The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann is Almost Here!

In the heat of summer, I can hardly wait for fall when my latest novel, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann, will be published. The joy won’t just be in having a new book out but in seeing old friends and making new ones at book events. Here are some scheduled thus far, with more to be added soon.

Fall Events for The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann

I hope to see you at one of these events! If you can’t make it to any, please consider preordering a copy from Regal House Publishing, or from your local independent bookstore, or from Bookshop.org. The beautiful hardback edition is available only on my publisher’s website.

And if you find that you’ve enjoyed my novel, I hope you’ll tell friends about it, whether in conversation or via social media. I’d also be super grateful for any brief reviews on Goodreads or Amazon. And keep in mind I’m available to visit and chat with your local book club, in person or virtually, depending on where you are. Happy Reading!  

Imbalance of Power

A 19th-century writer sued her publisher for underpaying her as a woman, upending the culture of silence about author mistreatment in the gentleman's business of publishing. My forthcoming novel, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann, was inspired by her fight. Here’s a short essay in Publisher’s Weekly Soapbox column.

Engaging Novels to Enjoy This Summer

Half Life of a Stolen Sister, by Rachel Cantor: an inventive historical novel based on the lives of the six Bronte siblings. Set in a combined past and present and told through many voices, the story shows the siblings’ love for one another and the tragedy of their many losses as, one by one, all but Charlotte die, but their fiction lives on.

R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface tells the morally complex story of a white woman novelist who steals an unpublished novel by a highly successful Asian American woman writer friend who has died unexpectedly, and publishes it under her own name to great acclaim. This all too realistic tale brilliantly satirizes the publishing industry for its unfair treatment of marginalized writers and editors.

The House is on Fire, by Rachel Beanland brings to life a tragic fire that consumed the main theater in Richmond Virginia in 1811. Told in the vivid voices of four characters, two Black and enslaved and two white, the novel reveals the corrupt society and yet the big heartedness of some who survived.

Some of the kind and generous comments that authors are saying about The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann:

“The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann is a captivating and delicious novel.” 
—Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field

“The adventures and dreams of Victoria, a brilliant and irreverent romance novelist from more than a century ago, will resonate with readers today.” 
—Kerri Maher, author of The Paris Bookseller

"What a heroine Virginia Pye has created in Victoria Swann - independent, bold and literary. Brava!” —Roxana Robinson, author of Dawson’s Fall

“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.

“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.” —Christopher Castellani, author of Leading Men 

“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

“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 Stationary Shop 

"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 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 A. Sherbrooke, author of  The Hidden Life of Aster Kelly

“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

I hope you’ll pick up copies of their extraordinary novels, too!

A Shout Out to Indie Bookstores!

I’ve had a wonderful time visiting close to 40 independent bookstores this summer! Each is unique and reflects the style and character of the owners and the towns where they’re located. I highly recommend visiting one and buying a book—any book! Indies serve as community centers for open and intelligent conversation. We need them now more than ever. (Porter Square Books photo)

With Gratitude and Thanks

Stay cool and have fun in the final days of summer. I’ll hope to see you in the fall! —Ginny