Prize Women

by Caroline Lea

The gripping and unforgettable new novel from Caroline Lea, based on one of history's most shocking but largely untold scandals

Toronto, Canada, 1926

Best friends Lily di Marco and Mae Thebault were once inseparable. They lived under the same roof and cared for each other's children. But with mouths to feeds and demanding husbands to keep happy, both women are forced into terrible decisions as the Great Depression tightens its grip.

When lawyer Charles Vance Miller's will promises a handsome sum of money to the woman who can produce the most babies in the next ten years, it is initially dismissed as a vanity project. But as the Great Depression worsens, and times get increasingly tough across the world, for the most desperate in society this contest known as The Great Stork Derby suddenly seems like a way out.

Ten years later, Lily and Mae couldn't be further apart. And as The Great Stork Derby continues to make headlines, for all the wrong reasons, both these women must face up to their part in it, and the consequences...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Canada, Book Club, Audiobook, LGBT

438 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2023

About the author

Caroline Lea grew up on the island of Jersey and gained a First from Warwick University. Her fiction and poetry have been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and the BBC Short Story Prize. Her debut novel, The Glass Woman, a gothic thriller set during the Icelandic witch trials, was shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award. Her next novel, The Metal Heart, was a powerful Second World War love story set on the island of Orkney.

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toronto Canada, childless millionaire Charles Millar a known prankster leaves behind a fortune and the money will go to a woman who has the most children from 1926 to 1936. It became a contest, known as the Great Stalk Derby and as the deadline approaches the media ruthlessly peruses the mothers who are in the race to win the money.

Friends, Lily di Marco and Mae Thebault are two of the women who could possibly be in the running to win the cash, they come from very different backgrounds and due to their circumstances they desperatly need it. Liliana is the daughter of Italian migrants, she marries the sweet talking Tony, who struggles to keep a job, drinks too much and knocks her around. When an earthquake hits Chatsworth, New Brunswick, Lily flees the destruction with her son Matteo and she assumes Tony has died.

When she arrives in Toronto, she meets Mae Thebault, her husband Leonard owns a steal works, and she has five children and needs someone to help her. Mae is struggling being a mother, she’s constantly pregnant, tired and she's at the end of her tether.

The two women become best friends, Lily understands how Mae feels and helps her, men didn’t have a lot of sympathy or empathy towards women at the time, and they were expected to bear as many children as the couple were blessed with, look after them and not complain. Set during a decade when two major things occurred, the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression, so many men were out of work and businesses went bankrupt, people struggled to feed and clothe their families, and it caused rioting in Toronto.

I received a copy of Prize Women by Caroline Lea from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. The author uses a real historical case as bases to create her story around, it’s extremely interesting and the topics covered really make you think. The narrative explores the truths about motherhood, women’s roles at the time, what was expected from them and it was no laughing matter. It looks at the choices women had, contraception wasn’t affordable and most men wouldn’t consider using it and it brings up the debate about women’s rights over their bodies and much more. Ms. Lea explores the boundaries of friendship, motherhood, pregnancy, child loss, poverty, racism, abuse, prejudice, desperation, and the lengths a mother will go to protect, look after a sick son and feed her children. Five stars from me, I’m keen to do some further reading about Charles Millar, the Stork Derby Fortune and the court-case.

[Erin Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic copy of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Millionaire Charles Millar will die without heirs and, as a fan of contests and practical jokes, he decides to leave his money to the winner of “The Stork Derby”. The Derby, set in Toronto right before WW2, will see that Millar’s money will go the woman who can have the most children in ten years. Two of the women, close friends Mae and Lily, become fierce competitors when their personal situations leave them desperate and afraid. Lily DeMarco is terrified of her abusive husband but can’t leave him without jeopardizing the health and safety of her children; Mae Thebault’s husband loses everything in the stock market crash and when her eldest son, Robert, falls ill with a brain tumour she is left scrambling to find money to pay for his medical care. Both Lily and Mae could use the money from the Derby, even if it means going up against each other and risking their friendship.

“Prize Women” by Caroline Lea is an evocative novel that not only touches on female friendships and the trials and tribulations of motherhood, but it also serves as a social commentary on a woman’s right to choose.

Both Mae and Lily serve as protagonists, each chapter alternating back and forth, which allows for the readers to fully understand both perspectives. Lea was smart to write in this way, as it challenges the reader to take sides, and as each women tells their story, it gets more and more difficult to decide who to root for. Lily is the obvious choice, as she deals with an abusive husband and comes from a background of poverty. Mae, however, lives the life of luxury, having every whim granted to her. It isn’t until her husband loses his job and her son becomes ill, that the reader starts to sympathize with Mae, making her, suddenly, just as deserving as Lily. The fact that the women are friends, and possibly more, makes their relationship complex and emotionally charged.

The Stork Derby was a real event (although the characters and their situations are completely fictional) and I was completely unaware of it (even though it happened in my home province). There are so many underlying issues with the “Derby” that I don’t need to name them all, but it speaks to the desperation of the era when families were losing everything, and women were forced to use the only power they had just to feed their families. The battle of the Rich vs. poor was strong and although a few things have changed, there are many similarities to the modern era, which is unsettling.

After chapter after chapter of emotional tension, Lea gives “Women” a beautiful ending and I was so glad she chose the conclusion she did. I am a fan of historical fiction because I enjoy learning about the past through engaging plots and powerful characters and Lea checked all the boxes.

[bookishcharli · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s always something so captivating to me about books that are written based on real life events, and it always leaves me wanting to research more about the events long after I’ve turned the last page. This book was no exception to that and I found myself fully immersed in the 1920’s/1930’s exploring the hardships of being a female during that time, and having this opportunity to inherit a large sum of money to support their family. This is a story of hardship, friendship, pregnancy, loss, poverty and sheer desperation to find a way through what could be the darkest period of their life.

Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for a spring read that’s full of strong females and based on true events. I’m off to do some more research into this whole situation now, thanks Caroline for peaking my interest in this event by writing such a fantastic book.


Thank you to Michael Joseph for this gorgeous proof.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline Lea chooses such interesting subjects for her novels. Her first, The Glass Woman, was a Gothic novel set in 17th century Iceland, and her second, The Metal Heart, explored the building of a chapel in the Orkney Islands by Italian prisoners of war. In her latest novel, Prize Women, she takes us to Canada in the early 20th century and introduces us to two women who are taking part in a very unusual contest: the Great Stork Derby.

When Canadian millionaire Charles Vance Millar dies in 1926, he leaves behind a very controversial will. He bequeaths shares in a brewery to a group of teetotal ministers, a house in Jamaica to three men who hate each other, jockey club stocks to anti-horse racing campaigners – and in the strangest bequest of all, he leaves a large sum of money to the Toronto woman who gives birth to the most children in a ten year period.

Lily di Marco is trapped in an unhappy marriage so when her town is hit by an earthquake, she sees a chance to escape and flees to Toronto with her young son. Arriving in the city tired and homeless, Lily meets Mae Thebault, the wife of a wealthy factory owner, who agrees to let Lily stay with them in return for helping to take care of the Thebaults’ five children. Despite their differences in background and social status, Lily and Mae quickly become close friends – but then comes the Wall Street Crash and the start of the Great Depression.

By this point Lily already has several babies who will count towards the Great Stork Derby and decides to enter the contest in the hope of winning the money and improving the lives of herself and her children. But the Thebaults’ financial situation has also changed and Mae finds herself in desperate need of money too. Soon the former best friends are competing against each other, but with the outcome due to be decided by a jury, which of the women – if either – will be declared the winner?

Lily’s story is very moving and often heartbreaking. It’s so sad to see the way she is treated by her violent, alcoholic husband, the racism and discrimination she faces due to her Italian background, the squalid, impoverished surroundings she lives in and the impact all of this has on the health and wellbeing of her children. I was in tears several times, so be prepared – this is not exactly a cheerful, uplifting read! Mae also has obstacles to overcome and suffers some personal traumas, but her story didn’t affect me the way Lily’s did and the way she behaved during the later stages of the contest annoyed me, even while I understood her reasons. Maybe because the two women end up in direct competition with each other, it makes it difficult to side with both of them at the same time.

The Great Stork Derby itself – something that really happened, by the way – is a cruel and irresponsible concept in many ways, but even more cruel were the modifications made to the will by the courts, stating that children who were stillborn or born outside of wedlock wouldn’t count. Also, there was no consideration given to the effect on women’s bodies of so many pregnancies in a short space of time, or how poor families would afford to feed so many children if they didn’t win the prize money. Naturally, the contest received a lot of media attention at the time and also caused a lot of debate around contraception and women’s rights.

I enjoyed this book, despite the sadness, and I enjoyed getting to know Lily and Mae. However, there was one aspect of their storyline that I found unconvincing and slightly contrived; it wasn’t enough to spoil the book for me, but it was the only thing I didn’t like in this otherwise excellent novel.

[Dana K · Rating 3 out of 5]

{3.5 stars}

Back in the 1920’s in Canada, a rich man dies with an unusual will. He offers a large cash prize to the woman who can have the most children in the ten years after his death. The story follows two women from starkly different circumstances who are “competing” for the prize. They become friends and rivals as the decade progresses.

This is a strange story with unbelievable premise and yet is based on a true event. I was definitely surprised by the uniqueness of the story and how it highlighted the terrible circumstances women lived in and how little day they had over their own bodies. There is a lot of domestic abuse (both physical and verbal), rape, racism and homophobia portrayed. All realities of the time (perhaps most of that hasn’t even changed much) but it made for a very depressing read. I needed a little more in the way of hope and about 100 less pages. I did however appreciate learning about a piece of history I wasn’t aware of and I have not read much Canadian literature, so there’s that.

Thanks to Harper Perennial for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

[Laura • lauralovestoread · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading Historical Fiction, and especially when it’s a fun fictional read based on a very true story, as is the case with the Great Stork Derby.

It blew my mind that this was an actual event that took place after a wealthy millionaire left his fortune to the contest to see who could have the most babies in a given ten year time period will be the winner. Women in desperation turned to this race in hopes of getting out of their dire circumstances.

It was fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time, but it kept me engaged and needing to see how it would all play out.

*many thanks to Harper Perennial for the gifted copy for review

[Marie Sembar · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐4.25 ⭐

A brilliant novel worth a discussion!

Would you believe it if I told you back in 1926 a man died and, among other declarations, he left a considerable fortune to the Toronto woman who would birth the greatest number of children over the next ten years??? Fact is actually crazier then fiction.

The Great Stork Derby was a real contest and Lea did a phenomenal job bringing the ordeal to light and layering it with other struggles of the time. I must confess that I read this slowly, as I was worried that it would be one giant trigger warning, but it wasn't. There was a lot that echoed with our current state of the world and it's worth a read. Worth discussing.

After an earthquake damages her home, Lily leaves with her son for Toronto. She finds work as the live-in help for a wealthy woman named Mae. Over the next few years they build a deep friendship, each have more children, and endure extreme hardships. But The Great Stork Derby prize looks like a solution. A courtroom will choose the winner.

There were a lot of events in this novel that continuously fed my curiosity and how exactly people navigated through them. An earthquake, the stock market crash, the dust bowl, medical care pre-universal healthcare and what may seem small but obtaining a birth certificate. There's a lot of Canadian history here, but as it pertains to motherhood and making those decisions it's all too relevant. Don't skip the author's note!

Thanks to @harperperennial for the #gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review! It's one I'll never forget!

[Heidi Hogan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is an historical novel about "The Great Stork Derby' which took place in Canada in the 1930's. A prize of a hundred thousand dollars would be given to the woman who had the most children in ten years. I loved the story, however, I felt the author took too many unnecessarily liberties with the characters. In this story she has the two married women with children who are competing for the stork Derby prize become lesbian lovers. I researched these two ladies (real ladies) and could not see anywhere that would indicate that, also it had nothing to do with the story. The event itself is so fascinating it didn't need all the changes she made to the real story to be more interesting.
If "The Great Stork Derby" peaks your interest-just read about it without reading all the authors changes. Its fascinating.

l

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Pub Day to 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 by Caroline Lea

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦!

I had high hopes for this novel and it didn’t disappoint.
A beautifuly writen, emotive and powerful story. With strong female characters, with a bit of suspense, this story took my breath away!

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...

[MarthaSquishy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for review.

From the moment I learned the inspiration behind this book I was so excited to read it. Lea always finds such interesting periods in history to focus on.
I’m feeling a bit mixed about this book as I stopped reading it for a week which is pretty unheard of for me. But I did enjoy the story and the exploration of motherhood and the pressures on women at the time and the difficult choices women were forced to make to survive.

[Melanie Caldicott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Lea's writing for some time and always find her historical fiction rich and multilayered; Prize Women is no exception.

This novel is moving, thrilling and full of interesting plot twists and turns. It is a gripping read which is visually vivid and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

It explores themes such as social mobility, the power of motherhood and the lack of agency women had and maybe still have, deftly and sensitively. A great read.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

[Livia Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I considered giving this book 4 stars when I was around halfway through but then I stayed up to finish most of it in one sitting and realised I’d enjoyed it more than some other books I’d given four stars. The ending completely won me over, it got so much more fast paced in that final third of the book. Just wow. If you’ve read anything by Kristin Hannah and enjoyed, you’ll love this.

[Myrthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a good man can mean many things. To be a good woman means being an obedient wife and dutiful mother. A woman must help other people. A man helps himself.

WAT een boek!!!! Ik had deze randomly tweedehands gekocht en het was blijkbaar ook nog gay!!!!! amazing
heel erg mooi geschreven en er gebeurde niet te veel, maar precies genoeg. wel echt een heel tragisch boek

[Chanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great read for sure. The amount of horrible things that happen to the characters starts to get a bit overwhelming, which makes this reader feel like she would just kill herself simply for spite or anger. It's also a bit misandrous as there are no good men in this book at all. I'm aware of how difficult times were during this era for women however, not ALL men were heinous SOB's. Other than the extreme shade the writer throws on the entire population of men, it's fabulously enthralling, a good story and flows well.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting for this book is Canada and is based on a true jokester's will back in 1926. That part is fact, though the characters are fictional. We soon realize the sacrifices women made for those they loved, especially their children who were often unplanned as contraception was illegal back in those days. Women had few choices, however the love they had for their children was unconditional and often almost cost them their lives. I enjoyed this book even though much of it was depressing, as were the times (the stock market crash, etc.) The twist is this book is understandable, and worth cheering for!

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to Prize Women on audio and found it a really enjoyable listen.

It's based on the true events of The Great Stork Derby where a wealthy man left a large sum of money in his will to the woman (or women) who gave birth to the most children over a 10 year period. Needless to say, when you need that money to survive, the fight to win is strong.

Mae Thebault is glamorous and already financially secure. Lily di Marco is shy and thoughtful, and struggling to feed her son, Marco. One day, their paths cross and they become inseparable, living in the same house and helping to care for one another's families. However, when the Great Depression hits, their circumstances change and it becomes everyone for themselves.

This is a very emotional read, not just because of the way that both women come to struggle to care for their families, but also due to the changes to Mae and Lily's friendship, which is essentially due to greed. In between Mae and Lily's stories, we hear about the court case where a judge decides who will receive a share of the winnings in The Great Stork Derby. A typical legal case in which people's character's are slated in order to show they don't deserve a share of the money.

It's hard to believe that this was actually a real "competition" and the story of Mae and Lily is tinged with sadness on both sides. The hardship they both faced and the desperation they each felt for needing the money was written into the book really well.

Another brilliant story from Caroline Lea. Recommend!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline Lea is an auto buy author for me.
She writes well, and she writes interestingly.
This story, based on fact, sounds crazy, and frankly the number of children mentioned in each family was crazy.
Two women from different backgrounds, yet neither really had the choice to say no to more children.
It's set in a cruel time, where it seems everyone suffers, yet the mothers love shines through.
That made this story more than a bit heartwarming, through the doom.
Very enjoyable.

[Nel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I'm not even sure where to start. This book was compelling from start to finish, and that was even before I learned from the author's note that the Great Stork Derby was an actual event in history. Caroline Lea is a force to be reckoned with. She has managed to take a wildly bizarre event in Canadian history and weave together a complex story filled with controversial topics that are relevant even today. I'm honestly still unpacking it all...

This novel speaks to the heart of ALL women and recognizes the vast difference in feelings, beliefs, and opinions held by us all. The author lays bare the struggle we all have, in different ways, of understanding our personal role in this life: some women have a strong desire to bear children, some have none at all, and some have no choice in the matter. It is certainly a novel that makes the reader think beyond one's own experience, and therefore, it encourages empathy. That, my friends, as I've said before, is what life is all about, in my humble opinion.

Please check out more of my reviews on my book blog at www.mamasgottaread.blogspot.com or follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mamasgottaread.

[Caitlin (CMAReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Harper Perennial for the free eARC.
I knew absolutely nothing about the Stork Derby of the 1920s-1930s in Canada, and I love how I learn so much through historical fiction. This is not a happy book though because of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl that happened during this time. This is a book of survival, resilience, and heartbreak. I felt so deeply for these women just trying to survive. I also liked the juxtaposition of the beginning of the women's movement for family planning against the backdrop of a competition of who can have the most babies in 10 years. I thought this book was engaging, well written, and captivating. I'll definitely read more of this author in the future.

[Pamela Homer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!
Loosly based on true story from the 1926 - 1937, the focus is on 2 women who are dominated by their status is society and their roles as wives.
A mulit- billionaire leaves a bizzare will, leaving his fortune to the women who has the most children in the 10 years following his death.
The 2 women's friendship, dependence upon each other are central to the book. It highlights the role of women & the struggles faced, the dominance of the men in their lives, especially those from poorer families. As the great depression hits, both women face new, and more challenging circumstances,
Fabulous read!

[Steph Ollman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so interesting. On reading the back cover, I thought it was entirely fictional, because a competition in which the woman who has had the most children in a certain wins money seems unbelievable. But it's based on a true story and many issues of women's reproductive rights and who owns women's bodies, plus the grief which may come with being very poor and struggling to survive with a family are all dealt with sensitively.
At first I was surprised the story is based on two (fictional) women and their relationship rather than all those trying to take part in the competition, but it worked really well.

[JB Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! Set in Canada near the time of the Great Depression. The premise is based on a true life situation of a very wealthy man with a twisted sense of humor who leaves his money to the woman who has the most children in the ten years after his death. The rest is fiction and it follows two different women from different places and lifestyles who become friends.

Prize Women gave me a book hangover when I was done, and while I was reading it, I was looking for ways to emulate it in my own writing. The characters were well developed, the story arcs interesting and the ending satisfying. It kept me up reading into the wee hours of the night. If you liked The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate and The Immigrant’s Wife by JB Harris you will love Prize Women

[Paige Lowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was, quite simply, a work of art.
Set in Canada over the late 1920s and 1930s, this book tells a story about women’s choices (or lack thereof) and the role they play in society that very much resonates with today.

I ripped through more than half of this book in a single sitting. The narrative was positively gripping and almost impossible to put down (though there were a few scenes which I had to have a break from due to their intense, raw nature).

I have lost count of how many pages I dog-eared in this book.
Loved every second of it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rounded down. I can't put my finger on exactly why it didn't have the 5 star feeling but I loved this book. What an interesting part of history I didn't know about. I felt for everyone in this story but I don't think Mae fully made up for all of the crap she did in my mind. As someone who struggled with recurrent pregnancy loss and is the first time mom of a 6 wk old listening to this audiobook I could really imagine the feelings of these women. I can't wait to discuss at my book club!

[Roxanne Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictional book with a storyline based around the non-fictional Stork Derby (which is both utterly bizarre and disturbing).

The book is really well written, painting a vivid picture of life during the Great Depression in Canada. It tells the story of women competing in the Stork Derby but is much more than that. The author raises important questions such as how the value of women is measured, provides a commentary on the inequalities in society but explores the bonds between women.

[Jas Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did by the end. I admit it wasn't quite what I expected, but not in a bad way. It's tender and real and a wonderful portrayal or female autonomy (or lack thereof), motherhood, friendship, love and so much more. Had me sobbing by the end so 5/5.

[Lucy Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and heartbreaking narrative that I will never forget.

[Crystal FloridaGrams Of3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a moving story

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and gorgeously written feminist historical fiction at its best. I’ll remember this one for a long time!

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting historical fiction read with timeless themes regarding women's rights, bodily autonomy and the public's incessant need to question, comment and judge a women's situation and decisions.