“A beautiful exploration of history and the power of language. For anybody who loves words and celebrates them, this subversive story weaves together love, loss and literature in a perfectly lyrical way.”
—Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club May ’22 Pick)“This remarkable novel tries to rectify a glaring oversight in the historical accounts of the first
Oxford English Dictionary—the contributions of women . . . without whom the English language wouldn’t have evolved as fully and colorfully as it has.”
—Boston magazine“Enchanting, sorrowful, and wonderfully written, the book is a one-of-a-kind celebration of language and its importance in our lives. A must-have.”
—Library Journal (starred review)“In Williams’s exuberant, meticulously researched debut, the daughter of a lexicographer devotes her life to an alternative dictionary. . . . Williams’s feminist take on language will move readers.”
—Publishers Weekly“Williams turns history as we know it on its head in this delightful debut, spotlighting those women and their contributions, using the awe-inspiring power of words themselves to illuminate them.”
—Newsweek“[A] masterfully written, beautiful first novel that tells a fascinating story of language, love and loss.”
—Historical Novel Society“The writing is glorious; I dog-eared many pages as I read, marking passages that helped me see words in a new way.”
—Manhattan Book Review (starred review)“The novel you’ve been waiting for without even realizing it . . . Williams will convince you of a word’s importance in a most lovely and charismatic story.”
—Bookreporter“A lexicographer’s dream of a novel, this is a lovely book to get lost in, an imaginative love letter to dictionaries.”
—Booklist“Williams provides readers with detailed background and biographical information pointing to extensive research about the [
Oxford English Dictionary] and its editors, many of whom appear as characters in Esme’s life. The result is a satisfying amalgam of truth and historical fiction.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In the annals of lexicography, no more imaginative, delightful, charming, and clever book has yet been written.”
—Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary“What a novel of words, their adventure, and their capacity to define and, above all, challenge the world. There will not be this year a more original novel published. I just know it.”
—Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler’s List “What a compelling, fresh look at historical women! This marvelous exploration into the ways in which spoken and written language impact us is a delight and an education.”
—Marie Benedict, author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie“This charming, inventive, and utterly irresistible novel is the story we all need right now. Words have never mattered more, as Pip Williams illuminates in her unforgettable debut.”
—Susan Wiggs, author of The Lost and Found Bookshop
