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The Society of Literary Marauders
‘Wasley is an Austen for our times.’ – Tess Woods, author of
The Venice Hotel
and
Love and Other Battles
‘A heartfelt celebration of literature, rebellion and the bonds of friendship.’ – Kelly Rimmer, author of
The Midnight Estate
and
The Paris Agent
At Oxford University, 1928, four young women make a secret I hereby undertake to take and read any book kept away from nice young ladies.
They’ve come from unlikely corners of the British brickworker’s daughter Annie, wealthy flapper Ridley, refined Parsi aristocrat Dorelia and disheartened schoolteacher Norma. They call themselves the Society of Literary Marauders and the price of entry is having stolen a book.
Their illicit meetings rapidly become a lifeline in a world where knowledge is power, and women are fed lies and half-truths. They start with small misdemeanours – getting their hands on banned books, stealing back historical records claimed by the men’s colleges. But over time, they become aware of a true literary injustice – and they slowly formulate a plan to put this historical wrong to right …
Full of intrigue, literary drama and the joy of rebellious female friendships, this stunning novel is an unputdownable joy from first page to last.
At Oxford University, 1928, four young women make a secret I hereby undertake to take and read any book kept away from nice young ladies.
They’ve come from unlikely corners of the British brickworker’s daughter Annie, wealthy flapper Ridley, refined Parsi aristocrat Dorelia and disheartened schoolteacher Norma. They call themselves the Society of Literary Marauders and the price of entry is having stolen a book.
Their illicit meetings rapidly become a lifeline in a world where knowledge is power, and women are fed lies and half-truths. They start with small misdemeanours – getting their hands on banned books, stealing back historical records claimed by the men’s colleges. But over time, they become aware of a true literary injustice – and they slowly formulate a plan to put this historical wrong to right …
Full of intrigue, literary drama and the joy of rebellious female friendships, this stunning novel is an unputdownable joy from first page to last.
448 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 19, 2026
Sasha Wasley’s brand new novel The Society of Literary Marauders is a fabulous historical fiction read set at Oxford University. It was a five star read that I binged over the weekend.
Set in 1928, Annie Trew, an Aussie brickworker’s daughter is awarded a coveted place at Somerville College, Oxford, with a small number of other female students. On board the ship to England, she meets the wealthy and fun-loving Ridley and despite their differences the pair strike up a friendship. Completing their foursome at the college are Parsi aristocrat Dorelia and disheartened Northern schoolteacher Norma. Following a discussion about stealing books, they form a secret group, The Society of Literary Marauders, where the price of entry is having taken a book that doesn’t belong to them. At each meeting, they read a contentious or banned book and what follows is their realisation that knowledge is power and is often withheld from those who are not men of the upper classes. Seeking to take back control and right injustices, the four formulate a risky plan that could see them all kicked out of this academic world for good.
The Society of Literary Marauders was a powerful story of female friendship and striving for your dreams despite challenges and hardship. The historical detail woven throughout the narrative was so intriguing and I loved experiencing the Oxford life through these characters’ eyes. The vast chasm between male and female education and resources at the university in 1928 was very obvious and Sasha has done a wonderful job of highlighting the classism and sexism experienced by women in this setting.
There were some excellent political discussions sprinkled throughout between Annie and some of the upper class characters and it was wonderful to see how true to herself and her beliefs she was. Annie never backed down in the face of dismissal or belittling from these people who seemed to think they knew so much more than a working class woman from the colonies. I was cheering Annie on throughout each of these interactions as the rhetoric became more and more infuriating.
This was a book that I fell in love with for both the characters and the story. The absolute highlight was the friendships between this tight knit circle of women and their support and loyalty towards one another. It was so heartening and beautiful to read.
The story was so full of emotion, it had me laughing and crying and I really didn’t want it to end. When I turned that final page I felt such loss at having to let these characters go, but my heart was also full from this fabulous story.
I alternated reading the physical book with listening to the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Eleanor Howell. The distinct accents and intonations made the audio experience so enjoyable, I definitely recommend it.
Set in 1928, Annie Trew, an Aussie brickworker’s daughter is awarded a coveted place at Somerville College, Oxford, with a small number of other female students. On board the ship to England, she meets the wealthy and fun-loving Ridley and despite their differences the pair strike up a friendship. Completing their foursome at the college are Parsi aristocrat Dorelia and disheartened Northern schoolteacher Norma. Following a discussion about stealing books, they form a secret group, The Society of Literary Marauders, where the price of entry is having taken a book that doesn’t belong to them. At each meeting, they read a contentious or banned book and what follows is their realisation that knowledge is power and is often withheld from those who are not men of the upper classes. Seeking to take back control and right injustices, the four formulate a risky plan that could see them all kicked out of this academic world for good.
The Society of Literary Marauders was a powerful story of female friendship and striving for your dreams despite challenges and hardship. The historical detail woven throughout the narrative was so intriguing and I loved experiencing the Oxford life through these characters’ eyes. The vast chasm between male and female education and resources at the university in 1928 was very obvious and Sasha has done a wonderful job of highlighting the classism and sexism experienced by women in this setting.
There were some excellent political discussions sprinkled throughout between Annie and some of the upper class characters and it was wonderful to see how true to herself and her beliefs she was. Annie never backed down in the face of dismissal or belittling from these people who seemed to think they knew so much more than a working class woman from the colonies. I was cheering Annie on throughout each of these interactions as the rhetoric became more and more infuriating.
This was a book that I fell in love with for both the characters and the story. The absolute highlight was the friendships between this tight knit circle of women and their support and loyalty towards one another. It was so heartening and beautiful to read.
The story was so full of emotion, it had me laughing and crying and I really didn’t want it to end. When I turned that final page I felt such loss at having to let these characters go, but my heart was also full from this fabulous story.
I alternated reading the physical book with listening to the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Eleanor Howell. The distinct accents and intonations made the audio experience so enjoyable, I definitely recommend it.
April 5, 2026
What a great story - well written with Australian and world history, political and social themes, romance, friendship and comradship all in one. Thoroughly enjoyable.
May 3, 2026
look idk how to feel. at first glance, i was intrigued. but, the story itself (the plot, characters etc) didn’t do what i think wasley wanted it to do. i was expecting more mystery and more suspense. the romance was quite sweet and i liked that side of the novel but overall was slightly disappointed :(
April 18, 2026
Four women. One secret society. A rule-breaking love of books…
and I knew instantly this was my kind of story. There’s something irresistible about women defying expectations—especially when it comes to forbidden books—and this one pulled me in from the very first page. Honestly, I would have joined them without hesitation.
Read my full review over on
https://hundredacreofbooks.com/index....
April 19, 2026
Such an enjoyable story! Four very different girls meet at Oxford University in 1928 and form a society where they steal banned and salacious books. Through their reading and experiences, they become fast friends despite their differences and learn where to place boundary lines so that others won't take advantage of them.
April 6, 2026
An outwardly fun and frothy read with surprising bite.
I started this thinking I might not be its target reader (if there is such a thing?) and ended it admitting Wasley has done a ripper job of both entertaining me and giving me ideas to chew on.
There are many, many things to love about this novel from that luscious cover to the notes provided at the end but what I admired most was how we witness the changes in thinking of our quatuor of young(ish) ladies recently admitted to Somerville College, Oxford—the uncertainty that develops into confidence, the adjusting of their views as they come up against new attitudes and information about each other and the society they moved in previously and move in now.
Wasley knows how to engage our feelings, has us rooting for the underdogs, eager for justice to be served and for love to win out. It's friendship that is the heart of this novel, a fiercely dogged friendship which allows our four girls more than survive the many obstacles the Oxford universe throws at them.
As a peek into what it might have been like as a young woman in a social setting designed for the furthering of the privileged males, and newly adapting (poor men) to the inclusion of the female sex within their hallowed halls, Wasley has done her research. From the curfews, restrictions and 'policing' of appearances, to the cocoa evenings, unauthorised outings and subsequent fines, the set up was perfection for a bunch of rebellious young women to involve themselves in acquiring banned books and the (ahem) re-appropriation of items fallen into the wrong, or unworthy(?) hands.
I loved all our four main characters. I loved Annie's working class worrying, her spunk and her frank admission that as an Australian she feels her cultural heritage is in Britain, that Australia's cultural heritage, being indigenous, was not hers which is ever a topic of contention. I also liked very much how the author feeds us the background stories of all four young women at different rates giving us an insight into tight-lipped Norma quite late in the sequence of events whereas we have Ridley (the flapper) firmly squared from early on.
All in all, a cracker of a read that allowed a deeper look at at racial inequality, at class divide and how that affects access to education (among other things) and to certain strata of society, at eugenics, at the theft of artefacts from colonial outposts, at the equality of the sexes, at belonging.
For all its frivolous outfits, this is a novel with backbone.
I started this thinking I might not be its target reader (if there is such a thing?) and ended it admitting Wasley has done a ripper job of both entertaining me and giving me ideas to chew on.
There are many, many things to love about this novel from that luscious cover to the notes provided at the end but what I admired most was how we witness the changes in thinking of our quatuor of young(ish) ladies recently admitted to Somerville College, Oxford—the uncertainty that develops into confidence, the adjusting of their views as they come up against new attitudes and information about each other and the society they moved in previously and move in now.
Wasley knows how to engage our feelings, has us rooting for the underdogs, eager for justice to be served and for love to win out. It's friendship that is the heart of this novel, a fiercely dogged friendship which allows our four girls more than survive the many obstacles the Oxford universe throws at them.
As a peek into what it might have been like as a young woman in a social setting designed for the furthering of the privileged males, and newly adapting (poor men) to the inclusion of the female sex within their hallowed halls, Wasley has done her research. From the curfews, restrictions and 'policing' of appearances, to the cocoa evenings, unauthorised outings and subsequent fines, the set up was perfection for a bunch of rebellious young women to involve themselves in acquiring banned books and the (ahem) re-appropriation of items fallen into the wrong, or unworthy(?) hands.
I loved all our four main characters. I loved Annie's working class worrying, her spunk and her frank admission that as an Australian she feels her cultural heritage is in Britain, that Australia's cultural heritage, being indigenous, was not hers which is ever a topic of contention. I also liked very much how the author feeds us the background stories of all four young women at different rates giving us an insight into tight-lipped Norma quite late in the sequence of events whereas we have Ridley (the flapper) firmly squared from early on.
All in all, a cracker of a read that allowed a deeper look at at racial inequality, at class divide and how that affects access to education (among other things) and to certain strata of society, at eugenics, at the theft of artefacts from colonial outposts, at the equality of the sexes, at belonging.
For all its frivolous outfits, this is a novel with backbone.
May 3, 2026
This was absolutely delightful! I really love being back in this period of time, there’s just something about it.
Set in the 1920’s, Annie leaves Australia and heads off to study at Oxford University, an amazing opportunity and from the moment she leaves you know this is going to be great.
Together, Annie, Ridley, Dorelia and Nora create The Society of Literary Marauders, where they read books “nice young ladies shouldn’t be reading”. They read a range of books but geez, did they get up to a whole lot of mischief as well! This group of friends was unstoppable.
Annie was the best! She wrote about things she shouldn’t, she spoke up, she did things she shouldn’t and stood up for herself. She was my favourite and Ridley was a lot of fun too!
This book was brilliant in so many ways! There was romance, literary drama, acts of rebellion, close friendships, lots of mischief and fun plus a lot more!
But Sasha also did a wonderful job highlighting what it was like in this male dominated education setting and the many levels of discrimination, from race to class, the rich versus the poor as well as sexism.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend!
Set in the 1920’s, Annie leaves Australia and heads off to study at Oxford University, an amazing opportunity and from the moment she leaves you know this is going to be great.
Together, Annie, Ridley, Dorelia and Nora create The Society of Literary Marauders, where they read books “nice young ladies shouldn’t be reading”. They read a range of books but geez, did they get up to a whole lot of mischief as well! This group of friends was unstoppable.
Annie was the best! She wrote about things she shouldn’t, she spoke up, she did things she shouldn’t and stood up for herself. She was my favourite and Ridley was a lot of fun too!
This book was brilliant in so many ways! There was romance, literary drama, acts of rebellion, close friendships, lots of mischief and fun plus a lot more!
But Sasha also did a wonderful job highlighting what it was like in this male dominated education setting and the many levels of discrimination, from race to class, the rich versus the poor as well as sexism.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend!
May 14, 2026
If you’re a Shakespeare fan, this book is for you
I was very impressed with the organization of this book. I do not know how the author got so many Shakespeare quotes into one book and it did not seem stilted at all how they related so beautifully to the unfolding storyline. I am not so much a Shakespeare lover, but I am a complete Anglophile. I loved the beautiful descriptions of Oxford and London.
I enjoyed75% of this book and then the characters started doing really stupid things. It is hard for me to even read a fictional book without stressing over their actions. I can’t say it has a fairytale ending, and that is a good thing. It all worked out as it should have in the end.
I was very impressed with the organization of this book. I do not know how the author got so many Shakespeare quotes into one book and it did not seem stilted at all how they related so beautifully to the unfolding storyline. I am not so much a Shakespeare lover, but I am a complete Anglophile. I loved the beautiful descriptions of Oxford and London.
I enjoyed75% of this book and then the characters started doing really stupid things. It is hard for me to even read a fictional book without stressing over their actions. I can’t say it has a fairytale ending, and that is a good thing. It all worked out as it should have in the end.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
It wasn’t what I expected but still an enjoyable and insightful read. I was expecting a story about a group of young rebels at Oxford gathering in secret to read banned books. This was a tenuous thread throughout but the story ventured into a couple of romances, political intrigue and the class divide. I wanted to know more about issues that were only alluded to. Such great potential but still an entertaining read.
April 8, 2026
A riveting coming of age story about societal expectations, sex, finding yourself, and the people you claim as your own along the way.
Sasha Wasley has written a must-read story for anyone who knows their people are out there but hasn't quite found them yet. Or anyone who remembers the journey to finding their place in the world.
Set in beautiful Oxford, with flashes of Australia as a startling contrast, the vivid imagery meant the setting was almost a character in its own right.
The Society of Literary Marauders is a reminder to be true to yourself, to remain curious, to advocate for change, and to always read the books they don't want you to read.
Sasha Wasley has written a must-read story for anyone who knows their people are out there but hasn't quite found them yet. Or anyone who remembers the journey to finding their place in the world.
Set in beautiful Oxford, with flashes of Australia as a startling contrast, the vivid imagery meant the setting was almost a character in its own right.
The Society of Literary Marauders is a reminder to be true to yourself, to remain curious, to advocate for change, and to always read the books they don't want you to read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I loved this book! Oxford University, 1928, four young women become friends making a pledge to "read any book kept away from nice young ladies".
The women are from various cultures and social backgrounds. I love the friendships, the character development, the 'maraudering' and the setting. I'm hoping for a sequel...I will definitely be recommending this one to my customers!
The women are from various cultures and social backgrounds. I love the friendships, the character development, the 'maraudering' and the setting. I'm hoping for a sequel...I will definitely be recommending this one to my customers!
Review of advance copy received from Author
An absolute page turner with some great one liners the test of a true writer. I miss 1928 ready to go back there and hang out with Kit, Annie and Ridley. Definetly no soggy middle in this book tension even increases as the story unfolds. So many great factual tid bits tied in just like Snap Shots from Home. Highly recommend this book.
April 27, 2026
Very enjoyable, with good themes , set in 1928, with a group of quite different girls. Each has to adapt to the ways of Oxford and the British culture. Class, colonialism, eugenics, intellectual snobbery, gender , racism and love all come into this. I especially liked Annie , who remained true to herself, despite various avenues that she could have gone down.
May 13, 2026
I really enjoyed this audiobook, enhanced by the various accents of the main characters. I loved the first three quarters of the story but felt the rest was lacking. Very disappointed in the ending. 3.5 stars. If the ending was more favourable for the main characters it would have been a 5 Star read. What a shame!
April 30, 2026
The Society of Literary Marauders was a fabulous read that I enjoyed immensely. It was a clever look at feminism and equity in Society past and present combined with a great storyline following 4 young women from Oxford.
April 7, 2026
3.5 ⭐️- an interesting read but the pacing was a bit all over the place.
April 12, 2026
Interesting historical fiction set mainly in Oxford St the University.
Social issues racism, sexism, poverty and disadvantage explored well with lovely female characters and some romance
Social issues racism, sexism, poverty and disadvantage explored well with lovely female characters and some romance
April 13, 2026
4 1/2 stars
April 22, 2026
So fabulous!!
Really enjoyed this!! The characters were fantastic and I loved the whole idea. I’d love to have a follow-up (hint hint!!) :)
Really enjoyed this!! The characters were fantastic and I loved the whole idea. I’d love to have a follow-up (hint hint!!) :)
May 13, 2026
3 1/2 stars. I was expecting more from this, and I felt like I was being lectured at times
April 21, 2026
4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Vibe check: Charming Historical Fiction, Fighting Females
full review ⬇️
Little truth bomb to start.. I don’t usually enjoy historical books and I’m definitely not a Shakespeare lover.
And yet despite these themes being present, I ended up loving this one.
The Society of Literary Marauders blends friendship, academia and a shared love of storytelling in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. What could have felt heavy or overly literary instead felt engaging and full of heart.
The story completely won me over with its warmth and genuinely lovable leading lady characters. Watching them come together for their bookish missions complete with all their quirks, insecurities and ambitions had me fully invested.
The historical setting added richness without ever feeling overwhelming and even the Shakespeare elements became part of the charm (yes, really!)
This book was a pleasant surprise and thanks to Pantera Press for putting this one on my radar. My book blind date reading style has another win!
Vibe check: Charming Historical Fiction, Fighting Females
full review ⬇️
Little truth bomb to start.. I don’t usually enjoy historical books and I’m definitely not a Shakespeare lover.
And yet despite these themes being present, I ended up loving this one.
The Society of Literary Marauders blends friendship, academia and a shared love of storytelling in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. What could have felt heavy or overly literary instead felt engaging and full of heart.
The story completely won me over with its warmth and genuinely lovable leading lady characters. Watching them come together for their bookish missions complete with all their quirks, insecurities and ambitions had me fully invested.
The historical setting added richness without ever feeling overwhelming and even the Shakespeare elements became part of the charm (yes, really!)
This book was a pleasant surprise and thanks to Pantera Press for putting this one on my radar. My book blind date reading style has another win!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews