Jane Smiley is bringing back one of her most memorable characters in a novel scheduled for publication next year.
Knopf will publish the Pulitzer Prize–winning author’s Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton in the spring, the press announced in a news release, saying it could be read as a stand-alone novel or as a sequel to Smiley’s 1998 novel, The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton.
Smiley is the author of more than 30 books, including the novels A Thousand Acres, which won the Pulitzer Prize, Moo, Good Faith, Private Life, and, most recently, Lucky, published in 2024.
The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton is the story of the title character, a young woman in pre–Civil War Illinois. Lidie marries an abolitionist who is killed by slavery supporters, and she disguises herself as a boy to go in search of his murderers.
Lidie follows the character as she returns to her hometown and then travels to England with her niece, Annie, an actor.
“The book is busting with playful humor and vibrant characters without ever shying away from the darkness of the era,” Knopf says. “With grace and respect, Smiley dives into attitudes towards the abolition of slavery, the role of women and beauty in society, and what it means to be truly fulfilled that existed during this period. Her meticulous research is displayed in the detailed descriptions of the people, landscapes, and political climate of the mid-nineteenth century.”
Lidie is slated for publication on April 21, 2026.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
