Well-Read Women

“They’re all here—Clarissa Dalloway, Dorothea Brooke, Nancy Drew—and each one is drawn so magnificently that their authors would rejoice as we rejoice.” —Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author

A treasure of a gift for the well-read woman, this collection brings together fifty stirring portraits, in watercolor and in word, of literature’s most well-read female characters. Anna Karenina, Clarissa Dalloway, Daisy Buchanan . . . each seems to live on the page through celebrated artist Samantha Hahn’s evocative portraits and hand-lettered quotations, with the pairing of art and text capturing all the spirit of the character as she was originally written. The book itself evokes vintage grace reimagined for contemporary taste. In the hand and in the reading, here is a new classic for the book lover’s library.

“These women are important. They illuminate the world. So read, read, read their words. And learn what life is.” —Maira Kalman, bestselling author and illustrator of Beloved Dog

“Richly illustrated and exquisitely hand-lettered, Well-Read Women is the perfect convergence of literature and art—and a wonderful gift for any passionate reader. I have devoured it already several times over.” —Lisa Congdon, artist and author of Find Your Artistic Voice

“Samantha Hahn’s exuberant watercolors paired with sharply chosen quotes feel at once nostalgic and modern, stylish and genuine. All qualities befitting the complex women she renders.” —Stella Bugbee, Styles Editor, TheNew YorkTimes

“The perfect collection of our favorite fictional heroines brought to life in gorgeous illustrations by the immensely talented Samantha Hahn—it’s destined to become a classic and inspire readers and artists alike.” —Christiane Lemieux, founder/CEO, The Inside, and author of Undecorate