Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/26/2026
2:00 pm
Location
Vroman's Bookstore
Category(ies)
Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author Jane Smiley (Photo – Vroman’s Bookstore)
Join the Pulitzer Prize-winning author as she discusses and signs her new novel at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Buy early; tickets will likely go quickly.
About the Novel
“From the bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist, a rousing novel that follows two young women fleeing a divided America: one running toward a dazzling future and the other running from a troubled past.
Christmas, 1857. America’s future is precarious; civil war looms on the horizon. After her abolitionist husband is murdered in the lawless Kansas Territory, Lidie Newton returns, in mourning, to her hometown of Quincy, Illinois. But her sisters have little comfort to offer, and Lidie is haunted by the memories of her failures—until she takes an interest in her niece, Annie. Beautiful, self-assured, and mischievous, Annie sticks out in Quincy. She becomes an actress at the local theater, and when she is offered the opportunity to perform abroad, she decides to run away. But travel is dangerous for a young unmarried woman, so Lidie, armed with her pistol and her wit, goes with her.
The two women embark on a perilous journey across the Atlantic, rushing toward an unknown future in England. Once they arrive in Liverpool, they vanish into new roles in the household of Annie’s benefactor, Mr. Mallory Cunningham. Annie takes a stage name and finds her way to a career, while Lidie becomes her lady’s maid. But will either of them be content with her new lot in life?
Exuberant and riveting, a sly commentary on truth and beauty and fulfillment that resonates with our times, Lidie delivers a panoramic portrait of a volatile era and the headstrong women trying to live an honest life in it.”
Ticket Information
This is a ticketed program and will take place at Vroman’s Bookstore, located at 695 E. Colorado, Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101. Your $35.90 Eventbrite ticket includes a copy of “Lidie” to be handed out at check-in on the day of the program. Refunds are available until one day before the program.
Questions? Please email promo@vromansbookstore.com.
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