“Lilli’s inspiring power and touching determination are timeless.”

“Writing with a historical eye akin to Geraldine Brooks and incisive prose matching that of Anthony Doerr . . . an unforgettable and important reflection on the maternal and ultimately the human bond.”

“You would be hard-pressed to find a more intimate—even revolutionary—depiction of the emotional and sensory experiences of motherhood.”

“A brilliantly quiet novel with a spine of steel.”

“A new feminist classic.”

“Benton turns a laser eye to her subject, exposing the sanctimony, hypocrisies, and pervasive sexism that kept women confined and unequal in the Victorian era—and that still bedevil many women today.”

“Benton has written a powerful work steeped in history, one that highlights the sacrifices, and rich rewards, of being a mother.”

“[What a] monumental accomplishment the novel achieves.”

“★ Starred review
Benton has written a captivating, page-turning, and well-researched novel about the power of a mother’s love and the stark reality of the choices she must make. VERDICT: A great choice for book clubs and readers of Geraldine Brooks.”

“[Lilli’s] clear-eyed view of her situation and her fearless questioning of a repressive system makes for exhilarating reading . . . LILLI DE JONG has real resonance in today’s battles over women’s reproductive health and the rights of working mothers.”

“A stunning read about the fierceness of love.”

“This gentle love that Lilli and her daughter share and the distress they experience when separated are among the most powerful expressions of the parent-child relationship that I have encountered in contemporary literature.”

“A gorgeous paean to the courage and ferocity of a mother’s love, Lilli de Jong pays homage to the solace of writing through troubling times and will haunt readers long after its denouement.”

“This is both a super lush historical novel and an amazing feminist manifesto. Buy this for your mom, buy this for your boyfriend, buy it for everyone.”

“A powerful, authentic voice for a generation of women whose struggles were erased from history. A heart-smashing debut that completely satisfies.”

“LILLI DE JONG is deeply moving and richly imagined, both tragic and joyous. Janet Benton has an exceptional ability to bring history to life.”

“LILLI DE JONG is almost a feminist version of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, targeting the treatment of women in the 1880s rather than slaughterhouses in the early 20th century. . . . [T]his is a story that needs to be told, especially today, as women’s reproductive rights are threatened again.”

“Janet Benton’s remarkable novel LILLI DE JONG is historical fiction that transcends the genre and recalls a past world so thoroughly that it breathes upon the page. From the first sentence, Lilli’s sensitive, observant, determined voice casts an irresistible spell.”

“A stunning ode to motherhood. LILLI DE JONG reminds us that there is no formula to being a good mother. Love is the essential ingredient, and only it gives everlasting life to our legacies.”

“Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth and Margaret Sanger all made their mark as early American feminists. . . . Had she been real, Lilli de Jong would have been a kindred spirit.”