Prize Women

About the book

The gripping and unforgettable new novel from Caroline Lea, based on one of history's most shocking but largely untold scandals

'Gorgeous. Prize Women . . . took my breath away. I haven't stopped thinking about it' JENNIFER SAINT, bestselling author of ARIADNE


'Wonderfully evocative and intelligent . . . sheds light on a scandalous moment in history I knew nothing about... told with great sensitivity and grace. I was entranced' EMMA STONEX, bestselling author of THE LAMPLIGHTERS

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Toronto, Canada, 1926

Best friends Lily di Marco and Mae Thebault were once inseparable. They lived under the same roof and cared for each other's children. But with mouths to feeds and demanding husbands to keep happy, both women are forced into terrible decisions as the Great Depression tightens its grip.

When lawyer Charles Vance Miller's will promises a handsome sum of money to the woman who can produce the most babies in the next ten years, it is initially dismissed as a vanity project. But as the Great Depression worsens, and times get increasingly tough across the world, for the most desperate in society this contest known as The Great Stork Derby suddenly seems like a way out.

Ten years later, Lily and Mae couldn't be further apart. And as The Great Stork Derby continues to make headlines, for all the wrong reasons, both these women must face up to their part in it, and the consequences...
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'This tale of two women resonates with what is happening in the world today. I was gripped by Lily and Mae's story, the desperate choices that women still face' LOUISE HARE, bestselling author of THIS LOVELY CITY


'A serious, thoughtful and epic journey into the trials of motherhood . . . With her contrasting female characters, Lea interrogates the fight for female agency across class divides, a struggle that continues to this day. A fascinating snapshot of another time, perhaps not as far removed from our own as we might hope' JANICE HALLET, bestselling author of THE APPEAL


'A profoundly moving and absolutely gripping novel about the choices women face - and the choices they are denied.I cannot recommend it highly enough' ELODIE HARPER, bestselling author of THE WOLF DEN


'Masterful. Caroline Lea is a superb storyteller, and Prize Women deserves a huge readership. So good, I had to pull myself away' ELIZABETH MACNEAL, bestselling author of THE DOLL FACTORY