Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English

THE INCORRIGIBLES

Meredith Jaeger

From the USA Today bestselling author comes an immersive dual-narrative novel set in the 1900s and 1970s San Francisco, inspired by true accounts of early female prisoners housed at San Quentin State Prison, a story about women's transcendent resilience in the face of darkness.

1909, San Francisco. Fooled by her employer's son, Annie O'Reilly, an Irish maid, is accused of stealing the opal ring he promised to her. Sentenced to one year in San Quentin, Annie finds herself heartbroken and frightened amongst the prostitutes, murderers and pickpockets. But Annie finds beauty in a brutal place. She and her newfound friends Emma and Bessie look out for one another, dreaming together of a better life after release. But their world inside San Quentin's walls is a dangerous one, and when the unthinkable happens, Annie makes a choice that will alter the course of her future forever.

Seventy years later. Aspiring photographer Judy Morelli is grappling with the searing betrayal of her husband's infidelity, subletting a San Francisco apartment while she figures out her life. When Judy stumbles across Annie's story, she digs deeper and becomes fascinated, not just in Annie's story, but also in the history of her new neighborhood, the fast-changing South of Market Street quarter, and its fight against pernicious land developers to maintain its rich community.

Exploring the different ways in which we are imprisoned, and how we can break free, THE INCORRIGIBLES is a story of women reaching across the barriers of time, the unbreakable bonds of female friendship, and the forgotten histories of those pushed to society's margins.

Meredith Jaeger is the USA Today bestselling author of The Dressmaker's Dowry and Boardwalk Summer.

Available products
Book Published 2024-05-21 by Dutton
Book Published 2024-05-21 by Dutton Books

Comments

Meredith Jaeger's The Incorrigibles interweaves the tales of two women eighty years apart, both fighting to shape their own narratives and tell their own stories. I adored this impeccably-researched feminist novel brimming with strength and resilience.

Among its many strengths, The Incorrigibles highlights Meredith Jaeger's knack for creating original stories about resourceful and courageous women. I loved discovering a new angle into San Francisco and its colorful history.

The Incorrigibles is a sensitively explored and thoughtfully rendered story showcasing the courage and determination of two strong-but-wronged women from different generations. Jaeger deftly weaves dual timelines so equally compelling that each time the narrative shifted, I was disappointed to see it end. The Incorrigibles is a heartbreaking admonition of women's oppression, and a hopeful reminder of their resilience and grit. A triumphant tale chronicling the cruel bonds of oppression and the sweeping, invincible bonds of friendship. A captivating read! One of those rare books that both captivates and elucidates. I savored every page.

A story of immense strength and beauty, The Incorrigibles illustrates the way in which women fighting for justice can unite across historical and class divides. A novel for anyone who has ever found themselves a frustrated, lonely voice shouting for what's right, this book offers one message: hope. Jaeger is a master storyteller.