"Direct but not too heavy bright with color and gentle in tone Neus’s graphic novel is an
absolute dream of an afternoon read." — The New York Times A swoonworthy queer romance set
against a riveting story of social change in the 1880s this historical graphic novel
reimagines the life of America’s first stunt girl—a young undercover reporter—and her whirlwind
summer of romance and fighting injustice. Seventeen-year-old Helena “Nell” Cusack came to
New York this summer looking for a story—a real story. She dreams of one day writing
hard-hitting articles for the New York Chronicle but so far she' s only managed to land a
job as a lowly society reporter. That is until Alice Austen strolls into her life an
audacious street photographer who encourages Nell to shake up polite society…and maybe also
take a chance on love. When her best friend Lucia is injured while working in a garment
factory Nell is determined to crack the story wide open. Posing as a seamstress she reports
on the conditions from the inside making a name for herself as the Chronicle ’s first ever
stunt girl. But as Nell’s reporting gains momentum so do the objections of those who oppose
her. Will Nell continue to seek justice—even if it hurts her in the end? Based on real-life
stunt girl Nell Nelson and photographer Alice Austen this tenderly drawn narrative is about
bringing buried stories to light and the bravery of first love.
