NEW YORK – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today released the critically acclaimed Girl Waits with Gun. The enthralling debut novel from New York Times best-selling author Amy Stewart (The Drunken Botanist) is based on the forgotten true story of Constance Kopp, one of the nation’s first female deputy sheriffs, and her two strong, savvy sisters Norma and Fleurette.
“The Kopp sisters give me everything a storyteller could ever want: larger than life characters who carried around deep, dark secrets from their past and then went out into the world and defied everyone’s expectations of what a woman could do,” says author Amy Stewart. “They have not left my head since I discovered them and I can’t stop writing their story.”
Girl Waits with Gun kicks off a three-book series featuring the real-life exploits of the sleuthing sisters. The title is a New York Times Book Review “Editor’s Choice,” has been named an Indie Next pick by the American Booksellers Association, as well as a LibraryReads pick, and will also be featured as part of the Women’s National Book Association’s annual National Reading Group Month in October.
“With Girl Waits with Gun and the Kopp sisters, the uniquely creative mind of Amy Stewart has given us riveting fiction,” says HMH General Interest Publisher Bruce Nichols. “These are unsinkable women who strike a chord with everyone. We planned for these gritty, original, pistol-packing ladies to fill at least three books when we first signed Amy, and we have great hopes that number will grow.”
The New York Times Book Review’s Katherine A. Powers comments: “Stewart has spun a fine, historically astute novel. The sisters’ personalities flower under Stewart’s pen, contributing happy notes of comedy to a terrifying situation.” The Washington Post adds that “Constance is a formidable character who can pack heat, deliver a zinger and catch a criminal without missing a beat. The novel is an entertaining and enlightening story of how far one woman will go to protect her family." The Los Angeles Times calls it a "zippy, winsome novel...a cinematic story of the [Kopp] women, the siege instigated by their powerful enemy, and their brave efforts in the face of real violence."
Visit AmyStewart.com for archival photos of the Kopps and their contemporaries, the book’s signature cocktail recipe, designed by Amy Stewart herself, and details of the author’s 23-city US book tour.
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing
For nearly two centuries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing has published some of the world’s most renowned novels, non-fiction, children’s books and reference works. As part of one of the world’s leading learning companies, it is uniquely positioned to create educational and entertaining content for multiple channels and in various formats — from hardcovers and paperbacks to eBooks and mobile apps. Its distinguished author list includes nine Nobel Prize winners, forty-seven Pulitzer Prize winners, thirteen National Book Award winners, and more than one hundred Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and Sibert Medal and Honor recipients. HMH publishes such distinguished authors as Philip Roth, Temple Grandin, Tim O'Brien, and Umberto Eco, and a celebrated roster of children’s authors and illustrators including Lois Lowry, Chris Van Allsburg and David Wiesner. HMH is also home to The Best American series®; The American Heritage® and Webster’s New World™ dictionaries; Betty Crocker®, Better Homes and Gardens®, How to Cook Everything®, The Gourmet Cookbook, and other leading culinary properties; the Peterson Field Guides®; CliffsNotes; books by J.R.R. Tolkien; and many iconic children’s books and characters including Curious George®, The Little Prince and The Polar Express.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release may contain certain statements that are not historical facts, including information regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies, the industry in which we operate and potential business decisions. Those statements constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in or implied by our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in state and local education funding and/or related programs, legislation and procurement processes; adverse or worsening economic trends or the continuation of current economic conditions; changes in consumer demand for, and acceptance of, our products; industry cycles and trends; conditions and/or changes in the publishing industry; and other factors discussed in our news releases, public statements and/or filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation, and do not expect, to publicly update or publicly revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
MEDIA CONTACT
Taryn Roeder
Associate Director of Publicity
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-3818
Taryn.Roeder@hmhco.com
“The Kopp sisters give me everything a storyteller could ever want: larger than life characters who carried around deep, dark secrets from their past and then went out into the world and defied everyone’s expectations of what a woman could do,” says author Amy Stewart. “They have not left my head since I discovered them and I can’t stop writing their story.”
Girl Waits with Gun kicks off a three-book series featuring the real-life exploits of the sleuthing sisters. The title is a New York Times Book Review “Editor’s Choice,” has been named an Indie Next pick by the American Booksellers Association, as well as a LibraryReads pick, and will also be featured as part of the Women’s National Book Association’s annual National Reading Group Month in October.
“With Girl Waits with Gun and the Kopp sisters, the uniquely creative mind of Amy Stewart has given us riveting fiction,” says HMH General Interest Publisher Bruce Nichols. “These are unsinkable women who strike a chord with everyone. We planned for these gritty, original, pistol-packing ladies to fill at least three books when we first signed Amy, and we have great hopes that number will grow.”
The New York Times Book Review’s Katherine A. Powers comments: “Stewart has spun a fine, historically astute novel. The sisters’ personalities flower under Stewart’s pen, contributing happy notes of comedy to a terrifying situation.” The Washington Post adds that “Constance is a formidable character who can pack heat, deliver a zinger and catch a criminal without missing a beat. The novel is an entertaining and enlightening story of how far one woman will go to protect her family." The Los Angeles Times calls it a "zippy, winsome novel...a cinematic story of the [Kopp] women, the siege instigated by their powerful enemy, and their brave efforts in the face of real violence."
Visit AmyStewart.com for archival photos of the Kopps and their contemporaries, the book’s signature cocktail recipe, designed by Amy Stewart herself, and details of the author’s 23-city US book tour.
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About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing
For nearly two centuries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing has published some of the world’s most renowned novels, non-fiction, children’s books and reference works. As part of one of the world’s leading learning companies, it is uniquely positioned to create educational and entertaining content for multiple channels and in various formats — from hardcovers and paperbacks to eBooks and mobile apps. Its distinguished author list includes nine Nobel Prize winners, forty-seven Pulitzer Prize winners, thirteen National Book Award winners, and more than one hundred Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and Sibert Medal and Honor recipients. HMH publishes such distinguished authors as Philip Roth, Temple Grandin, Tim O'Brien, and Umberto Eco, and a celebrated roster of children’s authors and illustrators including Lois Lowry, Chris Van Allsburg and David Wiesner. HMH is also home to The Best American series®; The American Heritage® and Webster’s New World™ dictionaries; Betty Crocker®, Better Homes and Gardens®, How to Cook Everything®, The Gourmet Cookbook, and other leading culinary properties; the Peterson Field Guides®; CliffsNotes; books by J.R.R. Tolkien; and many iconic children’s books and characters including Curious George®, The Little Prince and The Polar Express.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release may contain certain statements that are not historical facts, including information regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies, the industry in which we operate and potential business decisions. Those statements constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in or implied by our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in state and local education funding and/or related programs, legislation and procurement processes; adverse or worsening economic trends or the continuation of current economic conditions; changes in consumer demand for, and acceptance of, our products; industry cycles and trends; conditions and/or changes in the publishing industry; and other factors discussed in our news releases, public statements and/or filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation, and do not expect, to publicly update or publicly revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
MEDIA CONTACT
Taryn Roeder
Associate Director of Publicity
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-3818
Taryn.Roeder@hmhco.com