For fans of Marie Benedict and Rachel Beanland, this debut novel shows a grittier side of the Gilded Age as two young women struggle to find their own way in 1880s New York, where the cards are stacked in favor of men. 

In 1878, young Mame Sutton escapes her oppressive father through a quick marriage to the charming stage manager of a New York theatre, while her younger sister Lizzie makes the same escape by eloping with a young Jewish jeweler. Which sister has made the better choice?

Life for Mame in a theatrical boarding house in 1878 offers new kinds of friendships and unexpected challenges. Through the tales of the theatre workers, she gets a backstage look at the Gilded Age of the Astors, Goulds, and Rockefellers, but she has no share in the freedom given to the ladies of the stage. Her husband’s view of a wife’s role is as narrow as her father’s idea of a daughter’s role was. How can Mame break free?

For Lizzie, marriage into the Cohen family offers warmth and support, but also cultural differences and expectations which she finds hard to master. Her husband, though loving and tolerant of her mistakes, is financially dependent on his family. Lizzie longs for a life apart from the Cohen world.

When disasters shake their worlds, can the sisters help each other onto new paths?

FOR READERS OF HISTORICAL FICTION TOLD FROM A WOMAN’S VIEW: Fans of Marie Benedict and Rachel Beanland will be enthralled by this view of the Gilded Age as lived by a young woman of the lower middle class, which is based on actual historical characters.

ESTABLISHED READERSHIP: Author Allyson Johnson is a contributing columnist/ reporter to the Los Altos Town Crier, with a readership of over 16,500 which she will tap into during book promotion.

SET IN THE GILDED AGE OF NEW YORK BUT SEES BEYOND THE GLITTER: Fans of The Gilded Ageand Downton Abbey will welcome a true-to-life view of life for ordinary women during the 1880s in New York City.

GREAT FOR BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION: Besides its entertaining plot and engaging characters, Her Own Way prompts readers to consider larger social questions about sexuality, motherhood, and social expectations for women, both in the 1880s and the present.

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: Beyond its gripping narrative, Her Own Way offers readers a unique opportunity to learn about life in the theatre, and the roles of women both in family life and in professional settings, during the Gilded Age.

AUTHOR HAS ALMA MATER CONNECTIONS: The author is a graduate of Stanford University and can take advantage of local panels of Stanford authors, which have a wide circulation on YouTube, as well as Stanford publications featuring Stanford writers; she also has connections to local bookstores, including the renowned Kepler’s and the Books Inc. chain.