“Lilli's story of poverty and anguish reminds readers that they needn't always reach for dystopian sci-fi for depictions of horrifying injustice. While Lilli’s struggles may initially raise sentiments about how far we’ve come, in the end the reader will likely think, ‘Or perhaps not.’ The challenges she faces to keep custody of her daughter, earn a living and find safe childcare descend into the hellish, yet they have clear parallels for the modern parent, single or attached. 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.” “As the world continues to slam doors in her face, Lilli fights desperately to protect and keep the person she loves most.” — Jaclyn Fulwood, SHELF AWARENESS

“In Trump-era America, literature must be more important than ever. Classic dystopian tales seem most urgent. . . . The breathtaking new Hulu television series, The Handmaid’s Tale, based off Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, depicts a not-so-future world . . . But it is just as important . . . to read new historical fiction. . . . we clearly see that history repeats itself. Still, it takes a talented novelist to persuade us to revisit our oppressive past. Janet Benton is that novelist. . . . Benton’s writing is shrewd and beautiful. Her heroine’s poignant diary upholds the ruling class’s greatest fear: voices that have been silenced have the most to say.”— Elizabeth Licorish, “Philly author's 'Lilli de Jong' is a new feminist classic for Trump-era America,” PHILLY VOICE

“Janet Benton’s remarkable novel . . . 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. Benton combines rich, carefully researched detail with an imaginative boldness that is a joy to behold, though reader, be warned—Lilli’s story may break your heart.” — Valerie Martin, author of MARY REILLY and PROPERTY, Orange Prize winner

“The debut novel 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.” — Fran Hawthorne, NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS

“[E]loquent and powerful prose. . . . Benton’s dialogue, characters, imagery, language, atmospherics and dramatic style are often breathtaking. And outside of medical and sociological study, this reveals a shameful chapter American history that has been all but erased from the public consciousness.” — Lew J. Whittington, HUFFPOST BOOKS

“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.” “Lilli’s journal entries paint a grim picture of the gap between rich and poor in 19th-century America and the lack of any public safety net. . . . But Lilli de Jong is also a celebration of motherhood and the determination of one woman to challenge the status quo. And given the desperate steps Lilli must take to protect her daughter, the novel turns into a veritable page turner. . . . ‘If only,’ Lilli says, ‘I could turn our world into one that welcomed us.’”— Steve Pfarrer, AMHERST BULLETIN and DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE

“In a short space of time, a young Quaker woman poised to begin a new life was reduced to begging on the streets to keep herself and her infant daughter alive. The story of how Lilli de Jong falls so completely after unexpectedly becoming pregnant offers a harrowing look at the strictures of nineteenth-century American society. . . . She is a full-fledged heroine, persevering despite seemingly insurmountable odds. . . . her voice is distinctive, her fierceness driven by a mother’s love.”— Bridget Thoresen, BOOKLIST

“A striking historical and feminist debut that highlights the power of motherhood and honors the silent strength of women.” — BUSTLE

“Benton’s heartrending debut novel gives voice to the plight of unwed mothers in late-19th-century Philadelphia. . . . the book offers a distressing window into the intersections of motherhood, independence, faith, and class at a time when even affluent white women had little control over their lives. Benton’s exacting research fuels Lilli’s passionate, authentic voice that is ‘as strong as a hand on a drum . . . that pounds its urgent messages across a distance.’ Most poignant are the heartfelt depictions of the dualities of motherhood, ‘a land where pain and joy are ever mingled and where . . . every move has consequence.’ Lilli’s inspiring power and touching determination are timeless.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“★ Starred review: Telling Lilli’s story in diary form, debut author 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.” — Susan Santa, LIBRARY JOURNAL

“[Benton] seamlessly weaves accurate historical detail as well as disturbing societal norms into the protagonist’s struggles. . . . [What a] monumental accomplishment the novel achieves. Benton holds a mirror up to the past and in doing so, illustrates how far we have come as well as how far we have yet to go. An absorbing debut from a writer to watch.” — KIRKUS REVIEWS

“[I]n the diary notebooks that Janet Benton has composed, we find Lilli’s descent in status and life matching her mind’s ascent. A white woman in the late 1800s, she finds that there is no safety net for her to fall into; no real possibilities for redemption; and it is sheer luck and random acts of dubious kindness that often lead her to her and her baby’s next meal. As Lilli’s ideas of the world expand, a thread of conscious intersectional feminism emerges as a kind of thought process that can be learned. A brilliantly quiet novel with a spine of steel.”— Ilana Masad, READ IT FORWARD

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

“Lilli's observations of her little girl, the way the top of her head smells, her round cheeks, and the rising of her belly after being suckled, capture exactly that mothers feel. . . . Benton artfully describes the way a woman's body responds when a child cries to be nursed, or those first few seconds when the child latches onto the breast. These are not necessarily moments that women share with one another, or even with their husbands . . . about the powerful bond that develops between mother and child through that early relationship.”— Beth Moroney, TAPINTO.NET (syndicated to newspapers in NY and NJ)

“Beautifully written, emotionally resonant, and psychologically astute. . . . 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. A gripping read.” — Christina Baker Kline, #1 NYT bestselling author of ORPHAN TRAIN and A PIECE OF THE WORLD

“The core of the narrative is the intense, heartfelt connection between a mother and her baby. 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.” — Danielle Hoffman, FRIENDS JOURNAL

“A powerful, authentic voice for a generation of women whose struggles were erased from history. A heart-smashing debut that completely satisfies.” — Jamie Ford, bestselling author of HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET

“Lilli de Jong takes its readers on a journey that remains disturbingly relevant:The idea of the unworthy poor is ever with us, and self-righteous judgments of women's sexuality abound, while both gender equality and affordable, high-quality childcare remain pipe dreams. . . . Lilli is a compelling, memorable heroine whose very human reactions to adversity make her growth and determination all the more inspiring. . . . you don't have to be anybody's mother to find this book illuminating.” — Maria Corley, BROAD STREET REVIEW

“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. Stunning!” — Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of THE KOMMANDANT'S GIRL and THE ORPHAN'S TALE

“Lilli’s fight to craft her own life and nurture her bond with her baby are both devastatingly relevant and achingly beautiful. A stunning read about the fierceness of love triumphing over a rigid society.” — Caroline Leavitt, bestselling author of CRUEL BEAUTIFUL WORLD

“Janet Benton has an exceptional ability to bring history to life. Meticulously researched, the details of the day-to-day world are startling and vivid. It’s not only a compelling, beautifully crafted historical novel, however: it’s also important. As a single young woman desperate to hold onto her baby, Lilli’s life-and-death struggle is shockingly common to women even today.”— Sandra Gulland, internationally bestselling author of JOSEPHINE B. TRILOGY

“I found my heart breaking over and over again for this young woman and her plight. . . . This novel is truly a labor of love to all the unwed mothers past, present, and future.”— MAURICE ON BOOKS

“Lilli is as spirited and determined as Jane Eyre, as sensible as Elinor Dashwood, and as downtrodden as Little Nell. Yet on the subjects of reproductive rights, affordable day care, and the cost of motherhood for women the book speaks directly to readers today. . . . Benton, who has worked on documentary films and is an exhaustive researcher, provides a glorious, if dark, portrait of 19th-century Philadelphia. . . . These details vividly invoke the past, while Lilli’s fresh passion and insight give the book a voice that is lively and modern. Lilli de Jong is beautifully written and completely absorbing.” — Joanne Green, CLEAVER

“In detailing the suffering of these women, Benton reminds us that they don’t exist in just the past. Unfortunately, this mindset continues today. Victims are blamed for their situations. . . . Unwanted pregnancies, sexual health, and ob/gyn care are treated as moral issues rather than medical ones. These are still considered a women’s issue, rather than an issue for both women and men. . . . Is Benton’s writing about breastfeeding a political act? Probably. When legislation needs to be enacted to protect a woman’s right to feed her child in a public space. When the Pope has to come out and say that it is acceptable for a mother to nurse her child in church.” — Susan Barr-Toman, LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS

“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.” — BOOK RIOT

“[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.”— BOOKPAGE

“Benton has written a powerful work steeped in history, one that highlights the sacrifices, and rich rewards, of being a mother.” — Erin Kodicek, Amazon's "Best Books of the Month," OMNIVORACIOUS

“Janet Benton believably imagines the speed with which a young woman’s life can change from safe, happy, and privileged to miserable and outcast. . . . To Benton’s credit, she doesn’t render caricatures of either good or evil. . . . The same cannot be said for the rigid culture that dismisses the human dignity of those at its fringes.”— Jennifer Bort Yacovissi, HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

“Sentence by carefully crafted sentence, Benton ensnares the reader.”— Martha Anne Toll, THE MILLIONS

“Janet Benton’s historical fiction work . . . is backed by formidable scholarship. . . . In fact, her author’s note at the end of the book is not only a wonderful guide to the historical background for the book, but a beautifully crafted essay on writing.” — Margaret Darby, DELCOVULTURES.COM