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A Queer Tale of Romance and Rabble-Rousing
by Nora Neus
A swoonworthy queer romance set against a riveting story of social change in the 1880s, this historical graphic novel reimagines the life of America's first stunt girl—a young undercover reporter—and her whirlwind summer of romance and fighting injustice.
Seventeen-year-old Helena "Nell" Cusack came to New York this summer looking for a story—a real story. She dreams of one day writing hard-hitting articles for the New York Chronicle, but so far she's only managed to land a job as a lowly society reporter. That is, until Alice Austen strolls into her life, an audacious street photographer who encourages Nell to shake up polite society…and maybe also take a chance on love.
When her best friend, Lucia, is injured while working in a garment factory, Nell is determined to crack the story wide open. Posing as a seamstress, she reports on the conditions from the inside, making a name for herself as the Chronicle's first ever stunt girl. But as Nell's reporting gains momentum, so do the objections of those who oppose her. Will Nell continue to seek justice—even if it hurts her in the end?
Based on real-life stunt girl Nell Nelson and photographer Alice Austen, this tenderly drawn narrative is about bringing buried stories to light and the bravery of first love.
"Nell and Alice's tender, nuanced relationship unfolds against the backdrop of a rigidly conservative society, offering a heartfelt exploration of labor rights, agency, and queer identity in an engrossing, socially conscious tale that resonates with contemporary discussions of systemic injustice and personal resilience." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The soft, luminous, full-color illustrations shine. The panels showing renderings of Austen's actual photos, depicted in grayscale, are particularly evocative. Informative historical fiction about important trailblazers featuring a charming queer romance." —Kirkus Reviews
"A rewarding light read that may awaken questions of social justice." —School Library Journal
This information about Renegade Girls was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Nora Neus is an Emmy Award–nominated journalist and writer who has reported from inside wartime Ukraine during the Russian invasion, from behind bars at a maximum security prison, from 14,000 feet above sea level in the San Juan Mountains, and from rural Puerto Rico after devastating earthquakes. Nora studied the history of journalism, with a focus on the turn of the twentieth century, for her master's degree from King's College London. She invites you to visit her online at noraneus.com.
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