Firebrands - by Vicky Oliver (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Firebrands is a high-stakes feminist gem from the world of early 20th-century activism, blending political intrigue, social justice, and the courage of women who risked everything to demand change. A story of passion and power that reshaped history, it's as riveting as it is timely.

A radiant feminist standout polished with humor, heat, and sharp edges

New York is crackling with unrest, ambition, and the scent of revolution. Helena James--suffragist, speaker, and trouble magnet--stands at the heart of it all, rallying crowds and rattling politicians. But when her beloved sister Summer falls for Derrick Dupré, a mysterious tycoon with a velvet smile and a hidden past, Helena's fight for justice gets personal.

Brimming with twisty suspense, romance, forbidden lust, and humor, Firebrands explores the lighter side of the feminist movement, the darker side of industrialization, and the loving but confounding side of sisterhood. Sure to appeal to fans of the HBO series The Gilded Age, Firebrands is thematically tied to Gilded Mountain, with its push for labor rights, equality, and freedom.

At a time when women had few choices, Firebrands tells a story as relevant today as it was over 100 years ago.

Review Quotes

"What I especially love about Vicky Oliver's writing is her ability to transport the reader seamlessly to a different time and place. Vicky Oliver's story is robust, entertaining, and thought-provoking--just like the city at its very core."--Barbara Josselsohn Best-selling Author, The Secret Orphanage

In Vicky Oliver's Firebrands, Gilded Age high society and downtown grit mix in this electric novel about sisterhood, activism, and love.--Luis Jaramillo, Author, The Witches of El Paso, and the award-winning short story collection, The Doctor's Wife

Firebrands merges the opulence of the Gilded Age with the rough and tumble spirit of the turn-of-the-century labor movement. With an amazing cast of characters that truly represent the spirit of the times, Firebrands explores the life of the socialite as well as the seamstress with great care and believability. Firebrands moves through the lavish wealth of Providence, Rhode Island and Madison Avenue, to the tenements of New York City and the union halls of the labor movement with great care. From the sound of a bullhorn to the dust of a factory, Firebrands places the reader squarely in another world. Helena James is a spitfire of a heroine whose journey from young activist to seasoned leader is both harrowing and empowering. This book will speak to those who cherish history, New York, and the many movements that shaped this fair city.--Jessica Stilling, Author, Betwixt and Between, The Beekeeper's Daughter; After the Barricades; Just So Many Places, and The Weary God of Ancient Travelers

A grand, elegant, and intimate portrait of women during the Gilded Age, which artfully demonstrates their vital role in the labor movement.--Simon Van Booy, Author, Sipsworth, The Illusion of Separateness and The Presence of Absence.

Against a backdrop of old New York, Firebrands not only faithfully renders a city steeped in its time period, but asks us to consider how much has actually changed--about the patriarchy, about the labor movement--and whether or not we are as far from the past as we would perhaps like to believe.--A.E. Osworth, Author, Awakened, a USA Today Bestseller, and We are Watching Eliza Bright

Historical fiction at its finest, this riveting, big-hearted book will have readers tripping over their fingers to find out what happens next as Helena inadvertently finds herself at the center of a cultural pressure cooker: the labor movement of the early 20th century. Reading about Helena and the dangers and sacrifices demanded by her fight for justice is as eye-opening as it is inspiring, and brings to life the story of countless people who sacrificed to affect change for women and laborers. Emotional, elucidating, inspirational--I hope they teach this book in classrooms around the country and the world.--Julie Sarkissian, Author, Dear Lucy (Simon and Schuster) and winner of the Francis Leon Paige Award for creative writing from Princeton University

About the Author

Vicky Oliver graduated from Brown University with a double major in English Honors and Political Science and received her Master in Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing [Fiction] from the New School in 2022.

She has published six nonfiction books covering career topics, three at Sourcebooks and three at Skyhorse, including 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions (Sourcebooks), which sold almost 100,000 copies. Vicky Oliver has also published 15 personal narrative essays (four in anthologies) and serves as the Nonfiction Editor as well as an Art Editor at LIT magazine, the journal of the New School's MFA program. She co-hosts the Resilient Women podcast for Relatable Media.

Firebrands (Histria Books, 2026), a Gilded-Age style tale of morals versus money, was a 2025 Writers' League of Texas Finalist for Historical Fiction and a 2024 Killer Nashville Claymore Finalist for Best Historical Fiction. Ancestors on both sides of Vicky Oliver's family lived in Manhattan during the time the novel takes place.