2017 Nancy Pearl Book Award
After the tragic death of her husband and son on a remote island in Washington’s San Juan Islands, Eliza Waite joins the throng of miners, fortune hunters, business owners, con men, and prostitutes traveling north to the Klondike in the spring of 1898. When Eliza arrives in Skagway, Alaska, she has less than fifty dollars to her name and not a friend in the world—but with some savvy, and with the help of some unsavory characters, Eliza opens a successful bakery on Skagway’s main street and befriends a madam at a neighboring bordello. Occupying this space—a place somewhere between traditional and nontraditional feminine roles—Eliza awakens emotionally and sexually. But when an unprincipled man from her past turns up in Skagway, Eliza is fearful that she will be unable to conceal her identity and move forward with her new life. Using Gold Rush history, diary entries, and authentic pioneer recipes, Eliza Waite transports readers to the sights sounds, smells, and tastes of a raucous and fleeting era of American history.
Industry Reviews
2017 The WILLA Literary Award Finalist in Historical Fiction
2017 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Historical
2016 Best Book Award Finalist in Fiction: Historical
2015-2016 Sarton Women's Book Award Shortlist in Historical Fiction
"Ashley Sweeney's first novel, Eliza Waite, is a gem."
--Jane Kirkpatrick
"Cast off by her family and living in the shadow of unthinkable tragedy, Eliza Waite finds the courage to leave her remote island home to join the sea of miners, fortune hunters, con men, and prostitutes in the Klondike during the spring of 1898. Ashley Sweeney's exquisite descriptions, electrifying plot twists, and hardy yet vulnerable characters will captivate historical fiction fans and leave them yearning for more. Eliza Waite is a stunning debut!"
-Kristen Harnisch, award-winning author of The Vintner's Daughter and The California Wife
"Meticulously researched, Eliza Waite transports us to the Klondike Gold Rush, where a resourceful young widow searches a more elusive prize: happiness in a re-forged life."
-Pamela Schoenewaldt, USAToday Bestselling author of When We Were Strangers
"This book hooked me from the first page. Just beautiful."
-For the Love of Books
"Eliza Waite is a lively and compelling narrative of one woman's quest to navigate the social turmoil of the late nineteenth-century Pacific Northwest. Traversing the San Juan Islands, Seattle, and the Klondike, Ashley Sweeney offers an insightful look into the challenges and opportunities of the Gold Rush for charting a new course in life."
-Polly M. Myers, University of Washington History Department
"Sweeney's debut novel is a beautifully written work of historical fiction tracing one woman's life in the wilds of nineteenth-century America. Readers will be immersed in Eliza's world, which Sweeney has so authentically and skillfully rendered."
-Booklist
"I can confidently say that Eliza Waite will easily be in my top 10 books of the year for 2016. The writing is so stark and beautiful, the story so compelling. I couldn't put this book down, and I couldn't stop thinking about it when I finished reading."
-A Southern Girl Reads blog
"Eliza's adventures and her awakening are enlivened by real diary entries and authentic pioneer recipes evoking this unique era in American history. . . . If you enjoy well-researched historical fiction with plenty of engaging plot twists, you'll love Eliza Waite."
-Hungry for Good Books
"Eliza Waite is carefully crafted, beautifully edited, and masterfully formatted. And all of the old-school baking recipes are an unexpected plus. I highly recommend this story, especially for women. It truly helps give a context for the suffering and struggles of women throughout our American history. Five stars."
-Reader's Favorite
"Sweeney has written a brilliant piece of historical fiction whose lead female character has it all. She is a woman who refused to bow to the cruelties of a misogynistic society, only less damnable than her own family. This is a woman who reached down inside and found herself. She is a character who deserves, no, is due the right of having a book named after her. And so it is."
-The Anchorage Press
"Eliza Waite is a gritty young heroine. The narration captures the landscape of the region better than I've seen done in a long time. Honestly, I didn't want it to end. "
-LifeWithAngie
"It's no wonder critics have lauded Ashley Sweeney's novel for beauty and accuracy."
-Black Dog Speaks
"Eliza Waite is a beautifully written historical novel. The perfect choice for a reader's group."
-Reader Views
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