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Charity and Sylvia
An openly Lesbian couple survives and thrives in 19th century Vermont–a true story, as told by Tillie Walden
The month is February in the year 1807. The place is Weybridge, Vermont: small, cold, lonely, and beautiful. Sylvia Drake is exhausted. As an unwed woman with few prospects, she is residing with and caring for her sister’s rambunctious family. Today the house is abuzz awaiting a guest—Charity Bryant. A friend of the family, she is most known for her elegant letters, with their swoopy and evocative penmanship and carefully chosen prose. But Charity’s visit is a guise, she is coming to Vermont to start over after heartbreak and rumours—so many rumours—that have grown too loud back in Massachusetts.
Being openly gay in 19th century New England is not an easy row to hoe. But Charity can only be herself, and she immediately catches—and holds—the eye of none other than Sylvia Drake. From this point on, for 44 years, the two would be inseparable, building a life together despite all odds and living as a lesbian couple in small town Vermont.
The true, exceptional story of these remarkable women is brought to life with humor and passion by the unparalleled and award-winning Tillie Walden (Spinning, On A Sunbeam). We see America grow alongside these women over a period that brings about the railroad, many novels, 14 Presidents, riots, rebellion, plagues, and poetry. Based on extensive archives of their writing, Charity and Sylvia is a groundbreaking biography that is also the story of 19th century America.
The month is February in the year 1807. The place is Weybridge, Vermont: small, cold, lonely, and beautiful. Sylvia Drake is exhausted. As an unwed woman with few prospects, she is residing with and caring for her sister’s rambunctious family. Today the house is abuzz awaiting a guest—Charity Bryant. A friend of the family, she is most known for her elegant letters, with their swoopy and evocative penmanship and carefully chosen prose. But Charity’s visit is a guise, she is coming to Vermont to start over after heartbreak and rumours—so many rumours—that have grown too loud back in Massachusetts.
Being openly gay in 19th century New England is not an easy row to hoe. But Charity can only be herself, and she immediately catches—and holds—the eye of none other than Sylvia Drake. From this point on, for 44 years, the two would be inseparable, building a life together despite all odds and living as a lesbian couple in small town Vermont.
The true, exceptional story of these remarkable women is brought to life with humor and passion by the unparalleled and award-winning Tillie Walden (Spinning, On A Sunbeam). We see America grow alongside these women over a period that brings about the railroad, many novels, 14 Presidents, riots, rebellion, plagues, and poetry. Based on extensive archives of their writing, Charity and Sylvia is a groundbreaking biography that is also the story of 19th century America.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published June 16, 2026
About the author
Tillie Walden
43 books3,400 followersTillie Walden is an American cartoonist and illustrator.
Born in 1996 in San Diego, California, Walden graduated from the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont, where she is currently a professor.
Walden started publishing short comics when she was just a teenager. Her first long-form graphic novel The End of Summer was published by the British publisher Avery Hill in 2015. Her second book I Love This Part came out only a few months later, winning the 2016 Ignatz Award for promising new talent. Later Walden received the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work for her memoir Spinning (2017). Among her other works are A City Inside (2016), On a Sunbeam (2018), Are You Listening? (2020), Alone in Space (2021) and the series Clementine.
Born in 1996 in San Diego, California, Walden graduated from the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont, where she is currently a professor.
Walden started publishing short comics when she was just a teenager. Her first long-form graphic novel The End of Summer was published by the British publisher Avery Hill in 2015. Her second book I Love This Part came out only a few months later, winning the 2016 Ignatz Award for promising new talent. Later Walden received the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work for her memoir Spinning (2017). Among her other works are A City Inside (2016), On a Sunbeam (2018), Are You Listening? (2020), Alone in Space (2021) and the series Clementine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
August 3, 2026
A sensitively-rendered retelling of the lives of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Hayward. Two women who met by chance in Vermont in 1807 and fell in love. Both women were in their twenties. Charity Bryant came to Vermont to visit Sylvia’s sister. Charity was trying to find safe haven, estranged from her father and step-mother and beset by rumours about her “unnatural” interest in other women. Sylvia was world-weary and lonely; she spent most of her time helping her family raise their children and supporting her elderly mother. Charity and Sylvia first bonded over an interest in dressmaking, a skill that eventually funded their lives together. Against all odds, they managed to carve out a space for themselves, even leasing some land on which to build a small house. For over forty years they were inseparable. And, although they didn’t die together, they were later buried in the same funeral plot. Tillie Walden doesn’t sugarcoat their story, theirs was a hard life, eking out a living in difficult circumstances, grappling with ill health, dealing with many of their friends and family dying young. Yet it was understood by their community that they were a couple, although it wasn’t openly discussed, and their standing in Weybridge, Vermont somehow enabled them to be true to themselves and live freely.
Walden’s graphic novel shifts around in time, incorporating poetry, letters and snippets of the American history that formed a backdrop to Sylvia and Charity’s everyday lives. Often the narrative is composed of striking vignettes: Sylvia and Charity’s everyday lives and growing bond; their families and friends; events in Weybridge itself. The images move between dense frames and larger-scale, dynamic images. Walden employs a mix of b/w and sepia-toned images highlighting the process of recreating the past. The book grew out of Walden’s position as Vermont’s graphic artist-in-residence and draws on an earlier biography* and a rich selection of archival materials – fortunately a number of papers and diaries were preserved. It could be a little dry in places, some of the panels are a little overpacked and it took a while for me to be able to easily identify recurring figures but once I got my bearings I was gripped and fascinated.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Drawn and Quarterly for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
*The relationship between Walden’s work and Rachel Hope Cleves’s biography is currently a source of controversy with Cleves apparently claiming Walden’s book is wholly dependent on/derivative of hers. Having read Walden’s publisher’s response as well as an extract from Cleves’s biography I’m finding it hard to view Walden’s narrative as a mere fictionalisation of Cleves’s. There are inevitable overlaps in factual material but the style and structure are vastly different. That’s without mentioning the intricate interplay between text and image in Walden’s work or the general, genre conventions.
Walden’s graphic novel shifts around in time, incorporating poetry, letters and snippets of the American history that formed a backdrop to Sylvia and Charity’s everyday lives. Often the narrative is composed of striking vignettes: Sylvia and Charity’s everyday lives and growing bond; their families and friends; events in Weybridge itself. The images move between dense frames and larger-scale, dynamic images. Walden employs a mix of b/w and sepia-toned images highlighting the process of recreating the past. The book grew out of Walden’s position as Vermont’s graphic artist-in-residence and draws on an earlier biography* and a rich selection of archival materials – fortunately a number of papers and diaries were preserved. It could be a little dry in places, some of the panels are a little overpacked and it took a while for me to be able to easily identify recurring figures but once I got my bearings I was gripped and fascinated.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Drawn and Quarterly for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
*The relationship between Walden’s work and Rachel Hope Cleves’s biography is currently a source of controversy with Cleves apparently claiming Walden’s book is wholly dependent on/derivative of hers. Having read Walden’s publisher’s response as well as an extract from Cleves’s biography I’m finding it hard to view Walden’s narrative as a mere fictionalisation of Cleves’s. There are inevitable overlaps in factual material but the style and structure are vastly different. That’s without mentioning the intricate interplay between text and image in Walden’s work or the general, genre conventions.
June 30, 2026
Revision: I have done additional research and decided to change my original review to five stars. As an author myself, I am always concerned about plagiarism. In this case though it seems the claims were both untrue and unkind, and Walden did an excellent job of her own research.
I apologize for any fanning of the flames my original personal review may have caused.
I apologize for any fanning of the flames my original personal review may have caused.
May 28, 2026
This was nice but not at all what I expected. This is a historical graphic novel biography of two women who were the bestest of gal pals and definitely not lesbian lovers, they just happened to never get married and lived together. It was gorgeous and definitely had me bawling at the end.
But it is also very episodic, it doesn’t try to stuff the lives of these two real people into a consistent narrative structure, cause that’s not how human lives usually work. So the story is instead told in one- to two-page long vignettes from Charity and Sylvia’s lives, following them from when they first met all the way to their deaths. I was initially a bot taken aback, because it wasn’t what I was expecting, but as I kept reading I enjoyed it more and more. It is very slow-paced and uneventful at times, but results in a gorgeous, heart warming whole by the end.
I really liked the art style, it was very pretty and I feel like it really managed to capture the time period quite well. But it was a bit difficult at first because the beginning had a number of young blonde women who all looked very similar, so I kept getting them confused - the characters get more distinctive as the story goes on and this isn’t a problem for long though.
Tropes and such:
- lesbians in 19th century New England
- biography in vignettes
- slow-paced graphic novel
- a heart-warming ending (did make me cry tho)
- loads of religion but barely any homophobia
----
Thank you to Drawn & Quarterly for the ARC
But it is also very episodic, it doesn’t try to stuff the lives of these two real people into a consistent narrative structure, cause that’s not how human lives usually work. So the story is instead told in one- to two-page long vignettes from Charity and Sylvia’s lives, following them from when they first met all the way to their deaths. I was initially a bot taken aback, because it wasn’t what I was expecting, but as I kept reading I enjoyed it more and more. It is very slow-paced and uneventful at times, but results in a gorgeous, heart warming whole by the end.
I really liked the art style, it was very pretty and I feel like it really managed to capture the time period quite well. But it was a bit difficult at first because the beginning had a number of young blonde women who all looked very similar, so I kept getting them confused - the characters get more distinctive as the story goes on and this isn’t a problem for long though.
Tropes and such:
- lesbians in 19th century New England
- biography in vignettes
- slow-paced graphic novel
- a heart-warming ending (did make me cry tho)
- loads of religion but barely any homophobia
----
Thank you to Drawn & Quarterly for the ARC
November 13, 2026
Interesting but subdued historical fiction based on a true story.
In 1807 in Vermont, Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake meet and start a relationship that will last 'til death parts them decades later. Tillie Walden traces the few known facts of their lives and enhances them with fictional conversations and suppositions in little snippets and vignettes that paint a full picture.
The women themselves and the times and places in which they lived are fairly engaging. Unfortunately, the story is a little flat, being built from so many small moments accumulating in small squares filled too often with talking heads over 250 pages that adhere pretty strictly to a 12-panel grid. On the plus side, the constriction of the pages does communicate the oppressiveness of their society's expectations of and restrictions on women and allows the few moments when the art bleeds across multiple panels to feel bigger than they might otherwise in such a low-key tale.
SIDE NOTE:
As this book was being released, a small controversy erupted as Rachel Hope Cleves, the author of Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America went public with accusations that Walden's work was too derivative of her own, going so far to allege that it was even an unauthorized adaptation of her book. I was concerned at first but was satisfied by the responses from Walden and her publisher and with the ways Walden had already acknowledged Cleves' book in print and in her annotations at charityandsylvia.com. Still, I am curious to read Cleve's book now, to see her take on the characters and to see for myself how different or similar it is to Walden's.
If you're intrigued by the situation, this very long (pro-Walden) article does a good job of outlining and analyzing the whole brouhaha with lots of supporting quotes and links:
https://buttondown.com/thene/archive/...
In 1807 in Vermont, Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake meet and start a relationship that will last 'til death parts them decades later. Tillie Walden traces the few known facts of their lives and enhances them with fictional conversations and suppositions in little snippets and vignettes that paint a full picture.
The women themselves and the times and places in which they lived are fairly engaging. Unfortunately, the story is a little flat, being built from so many small moments accumulating in small squares filled too often with talking heads over 250 pages that adhere pretty strictly to a 12-panel grid. On the plus side, the constriction of the pages does communicate the oppressiveness of their society's expectations of and restrictions on women and allows the few moments when the art bleeds across multiple panels to feel bigger than they might otherwise in such a low-key tale.
SIDE NOTE:
As this book was being released, a small controversy erupted as Rachel Hope Cleves, the author of Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America went public with accusations that Walden's work was too derivative of her own, going so far to allege that it was even an unauthorized adaptation of her book. I was concerned at first but was satisfied by the responses from Walden and her publisher and with the ways Walden had already acknowledged Cleves' book in print and in her annotations at charityandsylvia.com. Still, I am curious to read Cleve's book now, to see her take on the characters and to see for myself how different or similar it is to Walden's.
If you're intrigued by the situation, this very long (pro-Walden) article does a good job of outlining and analyzing the whole brouhaha with lots of supporting quotes and links:
https://buttondown.com/thene/archive/...
June 20, 2026
What a beautiful book! Such a wonderful story—a true story, based on some great archival research. I love the design of this graphic novel.
June 26, 2026
this was so beautiful.
i’ve been meaning to read rachel hope cleves’ book on charity and sylvia for a while now, but i couldn’t resist reading this first when my library acquired a digital copy.
this wonderful graphic novel tells the true story of charity bryant and sylvia drake, two women who lived together and loved each other in the early united states. specifically, vermont (and a little massachusetts). what’s so refreshing about their story is how much love and support they received from their families and community. charity and sylvia were never ostracized, especially in their religious community, for their companionship. they were treated much like the married husbands and wives of the era without question.
i read tillie walden’s spinning not too long ago, so i knew her art style would be incredible. the old new england landscape is drawn in such a lovely way that is reminiscent of the new england i know today. those old crumbling colonial houses and stone walls everywhere…yeah i know this place! i was also glad that walden didn’t shy away from the ugliness of the country at the time, in regards to the treatment of indigenous and enslaved people. she provides a great bit of historical context despite not being a historian herself. i could just tell how much work and care she put into this project.
i will say, the story is a bit slow going at first. and it was hard to keep track of who was who given everyone dressed the exact same. but it was absolutely worth it. such a beautiful story and a great reminder that queer people have always been here and will always be here.
i’ve been meaning to read rachel hope cleves’ book on charity and sylvia for a while now, but i couldn’t resist reading this first when my library acquired a digital copy.
this wonderful graphic novel tells the true story of charity bryant and sylvia drake, two women who lived together and loved each other in the early united states. specifically, vermont (and a little massachusetts). what’s so refreshing about their story is how much love and support they received from their families and community. charity and sylvia were never ostracized, especially in their religious community, for their companionship. they were treated much like the married husbands and wives of the era without question.
i read tillie walden’s spinning not too long ago, so i knew her art style would be incredible. the old new england landscape is drawn in such a lovely way that is reminiscent of the new england i know today. those old crumbling colonial houses and stone walls everywhere…yeah i know this place! i was also glad that walden didn’t shy away from the ugliness of the country at the time, in regards to the treatment of indigenous and enslaved people. she provides a great bit of historical context despite not being a historian herself. i could just tell how much work and care she put into this project.
i will say, the story is a bit slow going at first. and it was hard to keep track of who was who given everyone dressed the exact same. but it was absolutely worth it. such a beautiful story and a great reminder that queer people have always been here and will always be here.
August 23, 2026
this was beautiful. dense but approachably readable, ordinary and devastating. i did not expect to be moved as much as i was by the title character’s relationship to one another and to faith, shame and quotidian life. tillie walden’s panelling and use of exterior narration to fill gaps in history was skillfully done and created a cohesive and very compelling narrative.
June 30, 2026
Great story. Taken wholesale from another author!
While a beautiful and moving story, gutted that the author lifted the entire story and research from another author without adequate credit and attribution. The title, cover, story, and underlying research… all taken from author Rachel Hope Cleaves, who deserves so much more than a minor footnote in the notes for this book. Tilden took all of these without permission — and without compensation. Hopefully other readers will seek out Cleaves’s book and call for some accountability from Tilden.
While a beautiful and moving story, gutted that the author lifted the entire story and research from another author without adequate credit and attribution. The title, cover, story, and underlying research… all taken from author Rachel Hope Cleaves, who deserves so much more than a minor footnote in the notes for this book. Tilden took all of these without permission — and without compensation. Hopefully other readers will seek out Cleaves’s book and call for some accountability from Tilden.
September 7, 2026
[3.5] The graphic biography of a Boston Marriage set in Weybridge, Vermont circa 1800s. I enjoyed learning about Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant - their 40 year relationship, their families, their place in society, their struggles and fears. I liked the illustration style and found some panels quite moving. Their lives unfold in episodic tales and I appreciated that the author shows the hardship of living in those times. A piece of queer American history that I hadn't heard about before picking this up.
June 17, 2026
Did not expect to cry over 19th century lesbians this morning.
June 22, 2026
This is so powerful. I have loved Walden as a cartoonist for a long time and her talent really shows through here--I welcomed this quiet, meaningful true tale of two women's lives together. Queer people have always been here. 💙
September 25, 2026
Took a moment after finishing to just sob. Then I had to answer the door and the canvasser asked if I'd just gotten up from a nap. Nope, crying!!!!
April 9, 2026
Thank you Drawn and Quarterly for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
I really loved the story of Charity and Sylvia together, getting to know each other, falling in love and living the life they wanted, all the way to their deaths. Everything else included with their families, church, the town etc bored me a lot.
I also felt it was very choppy. I understand this is likely intentional, given it’s largely based on journal entries and letters, but I felt we didn’t spent enough time in any one moment to really feel for much. It was the moments we did spend time with, especially Charity’s death, that bumped this up another half star for me.
I found the panels too busy with far too much text and dialogue. Walden’s art style is great, though, I just wish I could have seen more of it.
I really loved the story of Charity and Sylvia together, getting to know each other, falling in love and living the life they wanted, all the way to their deaths. Everything else included with their families, church, the town etc bored me a lot.
I also felt it was very choppy. I understand this is likely intentional, given it’s largely based on journal entries and letters, but I felt we didn’t spent enough time in any one moment to really feel for much. It was the moments we did spend time with, especially Charity’s death, that bumped this up another half star for me.
I found the panels too busy with far too much text and dialogue. Walden’s art style is great, though, I just wish I could have seen more of it.
October 20, 2026
I loved this book and it made me cry
June 25, 2026
I know I say this about literally every book I read lately but this one had me s o b b i n g by the end of it. Despite this being a work of nonfiction, grounded very deeply in the time and the place in which it's set (Weybridge, Vermont, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries), Tillie Walden manages to bring her beautiful, dreamlike art style to the panels--and make for a rich storytelling unlike anything I've ever seen in graphic nonfiction. Also, I bought my copy at a signing, and she drew me a doodle on the front page! So!
June 30, 2026
Oh Tillie. What can’t you do? Maybe you can’t fly or walk through walls, but I am here to say if there is a novel that needs to be graphiced, there is no one better for the job than you. The choice to go nine panel for most of this book, AND to leave half of them without dialogue was simply inspired. I regret that now I have to wait for whatever you do next.
August 8, 2026
The day-to-day moments that make a life together. Felt like I knew these people and was very invested. Cried at the end.
July 2, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
4 ⭐
I haven't read anything like this before. A solemn, beautiful account of the lives of two sapphic women of United States history. Tillie Walden is the queen of sequential illustrated storytelling, at least in my books. The muted colour palette and delicate application of inks immerses you into the story so quietly and smoothly, like slipping in to a warm bath. Walden does a fantastic job of enveloping the reader in the story's mood, which in this case is a soft melancholy with moments of both joy and heartbreak. I really appreciated the inclusion of the wider historical context, such as who was president, what wars were going on, new technologies etc. This was both emotional and informative and extremely well done! I can tell this was thoroughly researched with love, care, and a great attention to detail. I believe Walden deeply cares for Charity and Sylvia, as well as all the other people present in their respective lives.
If you're expecting an historical, romantic romp, maybe curve your expectations a little bit. This is more of a reverent, graphic biography. I cannot WAIT for Walden's next release!
4 ⭐
I haven't read anything like this before. A solemn, beautiful account of the lives of two sapphic women of United States history. Tillie Walden is the queen of sequential illustrated storytelling, at least in my books. The muted colour palette and delicate application of inks immerses you into the story so quietly and smoothly, like slipping in to a warm bath. Walden does a fantastic job of enveloping the reader in the story's mood, which in this case is a soft melancholy with moments of both joy and heartbreak. I really appreciated the inclusion of the wider historical context, such as who was president, what wars were going on, new technologies etc. This was both emotional and informative and extremely well done! I can tell this was thoroughly researched with love, care, and a great attention to detail. I believe Walden deeply cares for Charity and Sylvia, as well as all the other people present in their respective lives.
If you're expecting an historical, romantic romp, maybe curve your expectations a little bit. This is more of a reverent, graphic biography. I cannot WAIT for Walden's next release!
June 17, 2026
I was lucky enough to get to go to the pre release in Chicago for this one, and have been taking my time with it. I love this one, the way all the vignettes are crafted, the balancing of the tone and mood. It's funny, interesting, comforting, sweet, and heartbreaking. It's hard for me to put into words how much I loved this book, but I sobbed like a big ol baby when I finished it.
September 4, 2026
the depth of research that went into this book and the beautiful illustrations really bring Charity and Sylvia to life. it is so easy to think that many queer people of the past lived unhappy lives, and I’m sure many did, but I’m sure many people were also able to experience love and community and make peace with who they were as people. as a Vermont- born lesbian, this book means the world to me.
June 29, 2026
put this book down to dust all my shelves and under my bed as to not annoy sylvia. sylvia get ur hands on a compressed air duster and some swiffer sheets. game changer.
October 14, 2026
In July I got a newsletter from Northshire Books, an independent bookstore with a location near me in Saratoga, and another in Manchester. They were having an event in August for Tillie Walden’s new book, Charity and Sylvia, and I knew Walden as one of my best friend’s favorite authors. I hadn’t read any of her books.
I took the opportunity to get my hands on all of Walden’s books that my libraries had, and made a trip out of the book event. My friend Eileen and I stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast a mile away from Northshire in Manchester, and enjoyed some time in a lake and atop a mountain while we were in Vermont.
Tillie Walden was a fantastic speaker and really engaged everyone at the event. It was so cool to hear about her process for this book and her life.
All of this is to say that Charity and Sylvia is so obviously a labor of love. While reading, I was completely enraptured by their world and story. Walden, just like she was in person, is an engaging narrator in the book and painted a beautiful picture of these women and their home in pictures and words. The mentions of historical happenings to help place them in history was a great choice and really grounded the book.
I just finished and really don’t have enough words to describe this book. I appreciate the opportunity it gave me to spend time with my friend, visit Vermont, and explore Walden’s other works.
A singular book.
I took the opportunity to get my hands on all of Walden’s books that my libraries had, and made a trip out of the book event. My friend Eileen and I stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast a mile away from Northshire in Manchester, and enjoyed some time in a lake and atop a mountain while we were in Vermont.
Tillie Walden was a fantastic speaker and really engaged everyone at the event. It was so cool to hear about her process for this book and her life.
All of this is to say that Charity and Sylvia is so obviously a labor of love. While reading, I was completely enraptured by their world and story. Walden, just like she was in person, is an engaging narrator in the book and painted a beautiful picture of these women and their home in pictures and words. The mentions of historical happenings to help place them in history was a great choice and really grounded the book.
I just finished and really don’t have enough words to describe this book. I appreciate the opportunity it gave me to spend time with my friend, visit Vermont, and explore Walden’s other works.
A singular book.
October 18, 2026
This reduced me to sobs over the course of a single page, which I believe is a first for me, as a reader. (Maybe that’s a misleading way to start this review: it’s not a depressing book, and they were happy tears!)
The life of Charity and Sylvia, a lesbian couple who lived openly in 19th century Vermont, is fascinating in itself, but acclaimed cartoonist Tillie Walden adds so much more in this graphic nonfiction book: slice-of-life vignettes are interspersed with letters, dreams, lists, and mentions of Black and Indigenous history unfolding at the same time.
This is a beautiful exploration of the everyday, often quiet life of a lesbian couple who carved out a space for themselves in history. I enjoyed learning more about them, but I especially appreciated the creative touches that Walden brought, which elevates this into a piece of art.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
The life of Charity and Sylvia, a lesbian couple who lived openly in 19th century Vermont, is fascinating in itself, but acclaimed cartoonist Tillie Walden adds so much more in this graphic nonfiction book: slice-of-life vignettes are interspersed with letters, dreams, lists, and mentions of Black and Indigenous history unfolding at the same time.
This is a beautiful exploration of the everyday, often quiet life of a lesbian couple who carved out a space for themselves in history. I enjoyed learning more about them, but I especially appreciated the creative touches that Walden brought, which elevates this into a piece of art.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
Did Not Finish
November 4, 2026DNF @25%. Between the dour color palette, plodding pace, and tiresome 3x4 panel layout on every page, I simply can't summon the motivation to pick this back up.
July 2, 2026
A really lovely story of early VT and its people. Thank you for writing this history of Charity and Sylvia.
August 29, 2026
Simply beautiful.
June 20, 2026
4 stars.
And they were roommates. 👀
Ever since I read Emma Donoghue’s “Learned by Heart” I’ve been looking for more queer historical stories based on real people. I’m glad to have stumbled upon this one. I don’t read too many graphic novels so maybe I’m not the best judge of whether it’s good or not. I thought this story was so sweet. Walden admits to taking liberties just because of the nature of what was known about them and the historical documents that were available. I still found the story believable.
And they were roommates. 👀
Ever since I read Emma Donoghue’s “Learned by Heart” I’ve been looking for more queer historical stories based on real people. I’m glad to have stumbled upon this one. I don’t read too many graphic novels so maybe I’m not the best judge of whether it’s good or not. I thought this story was so sweet. Walden admits to taking liberties just because of the nature of what was known about them and the historical documents that were available. I still found the story believable.
June 17, 2026
I received an advance copy of this graphic novel through NetGalley.
I loved this book! Based on real people, I was unfamiliar with this story of two women living together as romantic partners in early-1800s Vermont. The details were well-researched, and I loved the illustrations and storytelling style. The panels with no words told as much of a story as the ones with text.
The story describes the relationships with their families as well the challenges the women face, especially given their non-traditional relationship at the time. Overall, I found this story to be sweet and heartfelt. I'm so glad the author chose to bring the tale of Charity and Sylvia to light for modern readers.
I loved this book! Based on real people, I was unfamiliar with this story of two women living together as romantic partners in early-1800s Vermont. The details were well-researched, and I loved the illustrations and storytelling style. The panels with no words told as much of a story as the ones with text.
The story describes the relationships with their families as well the challenges the women face, especially given their non-traditional relationship at the time. Overall, I found this story to be sweet and heartfelt. I'm so glad the author chose to bring the tale of Charity and Sylvia to light for modern readers.
Want to Read
June 15, 2026Just ordered a copy from my local independent bookstore.
July 11, 2026
I don't know....The art style was great but I didn't like the lack of variety in the comic boxes. The writing was really slow and felt pointless at times. It just felt...overly dramatic, almost?
Also fair warning, the author is embroiled in stupid shit right now.
The case is that she lifted Rachel Hope Cleves "Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America" book and this is an adaptation of said book without actually giving it proper credit.
Now, I admit that I haven't read the other one but from the summaries and excerpts I've seen it's kinda damning. Walden made multiple blog posts during her research of Charity & Sylvia and a ton of them include Cleves' research.
I knocked a star down for that--give credit where credit is due!
Also fair warning, the author is embroiled in stupid shit right now.
The case is that she lifted Rachel Hope Cleves "Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America" book and this is an adaptation of said book without actually giving it proper credit.
Now, I admit that I haven't read the other one but from the summaries and excerpts I've seen it's kinda damning. Walden made multiple blog posts during her research of Charity & Sylvia and a ton of them include Cleves' research.
I knocked a star down for that--give credit where credit is due!
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